Smart Living: The new currency of luxury real estate

The Journey from Post office to Email by Sijibomi Ogundele, CEO Sujimoto Group

Have you ever taken time off the buzz world to imagine what life was like without the techs? I remember having to pay unsolicited visits to Kunle’s at inappropriate hours just because I had to catch the latest episode of ‘The Rich Also Cry”.

It was difficult to understand the art of success, because I didn’t know the rich could cry. Back in the 80s when technology was emerging and unaffordable, very few families could buy the black and white TV. Yes, families that had a VCR Player were the neighborhood kings.  Finally when we got our PYE TV set by the beginning of the 90s, I experienced the joy first hand, of waiting for the day’s broadcast to start at 4pm. Oh! Those nostalgic colour bars and the incoherent audio of the national anthem playing on NTA!

30 years down the line, technology has redefined our ways of living. The VCR has been substituted with the DVD player, and now “Netflix and Chill” is the order of the day. Television sets have dissolved into ultra-Slim High Definition screens. Steve Jobs, Larry Page & Bill Gates came into market and captured people’s imaginations by changing the way the society communicates.   The Internet has shortened travel time of mails across the world, from two weeks by the post office to two seconds by email. With the advent of the digital, we can now stream movies on our mobile phones. Crowds watching ginringory have dissolved into personalized viewings of the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Simply put, the complexities of the 80s have collapsed into the silicon houses in a digital village.

The 2015 change agenda benefited immensely from the digital world, with access to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. The same cannot be said for the Nigerian 1993 Presidential Elections, purportedly won by Chief MKO Abiola, which relied heavily on the distribution of flyers across the nation. The tech world is taking over the real world today and Nigeria is not behind, as a small company is taking over the status quo and reconnecting the past with the future.

Tinubu Square, Lagos 1960

Tinubu Square, Lagos 2010

While technological advancements have improved the quality of human lives, it appears the Real Estate Industry, especially in Africa, is slacking. There is no place in the 21st century for any company that ignores its clients’ appetites for innovative functionalities, which play huge roles in their buying decisions.

Gone are the days when you could ‘conveniently’ loose an entire bunch of keys and get new ones just only after going through the frustration of cutting new keys. Wait a minute, do people actually still cut keys?  Today, innovational technologies have given us keyless solutions, which make our phones keys to our apartments.

So, Sujimoto’s drive is simple. We realized that the impunity with which mediocrity was being peddled to investors was unacceptable, and we decided to help investors secure true value for their money. To achieve this, we had to do the extraordinary. It took us two years of planning, which involved visiting different condominiums, hotels and houses in different cities across the world, just in search of inspiration and innovation.

Finally Like Apple, Google and Microsoft, Sujimoto is putting an end to architectural slavery, by introducing six game-changers at The LorenzoBySujimoto  that are resetting the standard for  luxury living in Nigeria:

Live-in & Rent-out: Earn almost $100,000 annually with our short let arrangements. If you only live in Lagos for only three months out of the year, your apartment would not be closed for the rest of the year. Rather, you could earn returns by short-letting it out. We have a database of more than 250,000 business travelers. With your permission, your home could earn you returns, while you are away.

Five-Star Hotel Amenities at The Eye of Bourdillon:  Whoever first thought of high-rise luxury architecture was a genius. When you think about it, what we are doing at the Lorenzo is to give the residents a hotel experience in their private homes.  Redefining luxury living at the 1600m2 space of the entire 16th floor, which bestows breath-taking views of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, the Bourdillon Boulevard, the Lagos Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. With an infinity swimming pool where people would think they are swimming in the sky; World class spa; Virtual Golf bar where you can play golf without leaving your building; Olympic-quality fitness center; and one of the world’s best restaurant – Novikov.  The 16th floor is the ultimate spice of pure luxury and the right choice for perceptive property enthusiasts who are ready for the fusion of smart living and beauty.

21st Century Home Automation: For the first time in Africa, The LorenzoBySujimoto Development brings smart home automation to the continent. With a 21st century Building Management System (BMS), whether you are in Lagos or London, you can control your apartment from a central command system, open or close your curtains, dim the lights, watch TV from your bathroom or Kitchen, play music; control the AC, TV, lock/Open the doors, activate the security system; all at the touch of a button.  The LorenzoBySujimoto is indeed the 21st century hub for luxury lifestyle.

A Full-Time Dedicated Concierge Team: 24-hour concierge service. Be it the need to dry-clean your clothes, or to pick a guest from the airport on a short notice or even to schedule an in-room spa treatment; The LorenzoBySujimoto is completely tech-driven with intelligent mobile technology that alerts the concierge team of every request, and sends push notifications to update residents on their orders. Just like a 5-star luxury hotel, with a world-class concierge team, the Motomatic Facility Management will partner with an international hotel management company, dedicated to ensuring that your condominium experience makes you feel like you are in the Four-seasons. With a Minimart that understands each residents’ shopping habits, your groceries would be delivered to your door step within an hour of request.

2 Tech-driven Pedini& Armani Kitchens – Wet & Dry: Most condominiums in Africa have a fancy Kitchen. But then, Sujimoto wanted to go the extra mile. We think having a kitchen built by a designer is the difference between driving a Toyota and a Bentley. For the first time in Nigeria, a luxury apartment, the LorenzoBySujimoto would have two euro-styled gourmet kitchens, 2 and 3bedrooms by Pedini Kitchens, then the 4beds and the penthouse by ArmaniDada. Eat your breakfast, sandwich or have a glass of wine at the open-kitchen (dry kitchen); or cook your Ogbono soup in your wet kitchen with a sophisticated smell proof ventilation system. The two kitchen styles allow for creation of cuisines from diverse continents. The intention is to bring convenience and fun to cooking, such that residents can tune in to their favourite TV shows while cooking, or browse for a new recipe online without leaving the comfort of their kitchens.

Premium Location: Location, Location, and Location. This is a cardinal rule of real estate. So, if you get it right, you are a KING. Located in one of the most exclusive roads in Ikoyi, Bourdillon – the luxury hub of Nigeria; the LorenzoBySujimoto injects extraordinary lifestyle to the city by providing similar, sophisticated lifestyle as experienced in the Burj Arab Dubai or St Regis in the NYC.

Other five- star hotel amenities which make the building stand out include;

• Crèche for busy families; 100% stainless steel bathroom accessories by Duravits and Villeroy&Bosch, 3 Car parking slots per apartment;

• Cabanas; 2 swimming pools; landscaping; Clinics; High-speed internet and Cable system including warp speed internet (the fastest in Lagos) piped into every apartment, digital antenna strategically placed throughout the building for optimized cell coverage (including the elevators);

• Free Wi-Fi and USB charging stations throughout the common areas; pharmacy; minimart; meeting room with video conferencing system; 12,500 liters of aquarium; and huge balconies which give access to all rooms. 
 

The LorenzobySujimoto development is not only about luxury lifestyle. It is a project where investors can kill two birds with one stone. The first benefit is that investors enjoy huge returns on their investments by taking advantage of the off-plan sales, while the second is that they get to enjoy living the luxury lifestyle, the first-of-its kind, in Nigeria.

Understanding the need for innovation and changing consumer experiences is what Sujimoto Construction has mastered.  At Sujimoto, we do not sell houses, we sell lifestyle, by taking advantage of technological innovations that push the boundaries of residential lifestyle experiences in Africa. With a team of world-class Electrical Engineers who have impressive backgrounds in Building Management System, we are indeed unstoppable. We have only one mission; to bring innovative experiences from all parts of the world into Nigeria’s first fully automated building –The LorenzoBySujimoto Development – a first class condominium of Luxury Apartments. The new 26 Storey Lorenzo tower will be the tallest residential building in Lagos. It is also the smartest, most luxurious high-rise building in Africa’s history.   
    

Sujimoto’s vision for the LorenzoBySujimoto development is to change the way people live, by bringing the best of the world to the center of Lagos. As the world embraces technology, it goes without saying that Developers in Africa, who do not evolve with the changing trends, would have to change their professions.