Page 30 - Sphere No.16 (Apr 2006)

IN THESE HEDONISTIC TIMES, people demand much from
life. They are happy to work hard - and in Hong Kong and new-
ly affluent Mainland China that usually means long hours – but
play hard too. They want a lifestyle rather than just a life and
they want their home to reflect that.
Exercise and healthy living are an important part of that life-
style. Since the days of jogging and aerobics in the late seventies
and early eighties, followed by the rising popularity
of the gym in the nineties, and now the craze
for pilates and yoga, keeping fit is seen as es-
sential to living a longer, healthier life. And
this fashion for fitness is one of the factors
behind the rise – and rise – of the residential clubhouse.
Today, excellent leisure and clubhouse facilities are high on
most home-buyers’ list of priorities and for property develop-
ers have become an essential factor in any residential develop-
ment. A swimming pool is no longer enough, the name of the
game is added value and when home-buyers are making their
decisions a good clubhouse can make or break the deal.
“I’d go so far as to say that in both Hong Kong and China now,
if you build a major residential development without club-
house facilities, you will lack the added value that makes
it attractive to the buyer,” said Johnnie Chan, Chief Estate
Manager at South Horizons and Rambler Crest. “People
28 SPHERE
P R O P E R T Y
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