The Urban Village project is not just another luxury condominium sticking out of Phnom Penh’s landscape. Take a peep inside the compound and the settings unfurl a new dimension to urban development in Cambodia.

Urban Village merges modern features with a community lifestyle and harmonises living in bustling Phnom Penh. For its efforts, the company has won accolades from industry experts.

At the Cambodia Property Awards ceremony organised by the well-known Singapore-based Asia Property Guru portal in May, Urban Village was the only condominium project in Cambodia to win five awards in a row despite the strong competition.

It was awarded The Best Condo Development (Cambodia), The Best Condo Development (Phnom Penh), The Best Condo Landscape Architectural Design, The Best Condo Architectural Design and Best Condo Interior Design.

The awards stand as testimony of the company’s efforts to create a conducive living environment for Cambodians.

“We are an international company but we are very end-user focused. We want to create real community living. That is our key point. Our theme is live, work and play,” said Catherine Chan and Ben Li, the executive directors of Urban Hub.

The developer’s mission differs slightly from others in town. The 760,000 sqm community-focused development of Urban Village is conveniently located between Hun Sen Blvd and National Road #2. And, it has two entrances too.

Phase 1 has four towers of 23-storeys each. They offer a total of 828 residential units that range from 50sqm to more than 200sqm. Phase 1 has completed 99% of its sales.

The first three floors are allocated for recreation and retail facilities, while residential units are located from the 5th to the 22nd floors.

The rooftop also houses six penthouses and a sky garden. “We are not here for short-term business as we build, sell and manage the properties.

“We also have a professional leasing team to manage our properties. And we are the only developer that does not sell retail (outlets); we manage them,” said the executive directors, who continued that the condo project is expected to be completed in mid-2020.

“Our price is affordable and based on the net area. We have created an ecosystem for people to live within a real communal living concept.

“This is why we reserved 45 per cent of the project for green spaces. They include a park, a swimming pool, play space for children and community walk space,” said Catherine and Ben.

But the most exciting part of the project is the sprawling abandoned garment factory that has been converted into a vibrant creative hub called The Factory. This is located adjacent to the condominium project.

“It is the biggest creative hub in Southeast Asia, we have transformed an industrial area into a creative art space. We want to create an environment where people can work, play and also be creative."

“There is an art gallery, library, gym and the largest landed co-working space & trampoline park in Phnom Penh. International corporations including UNICEF, H&M, Toyota, and Maybank have been hosting their events here too,” said the pair.

The Factory houses traditional offices, a montessori, artist studios, retail outlets and sports facilities, among others.

Nearly 100 tenants from various sectors – data mining, an Internet service provider, app developer, a law firm and microfinance firm, among others, are currently occupying the premises.