Thai Real Estate Goes Green
Pattaya, July 05, 2007:
Thailand's real estate developers are increasingly taking on hues of green, as a traditionally conservative industry begins to embrace eco-friendly practices. The impetus seems to be coming largely from changing public opinion about environmental footprints, carbon emissions, and global climate change. What are Thailand's developers doing, exactly? And what kinds of consumers are attracted to green initiatives?
The shift among developers in Thailand appears to represent a microcosm of a larger regional trend. At a recent building conference in Hong Kong devoted to environmentally-friendly practices, participants discussed ways that the building industry might embrace green spaces and sustainable development. "It's a matter of urgency that the ways in which buildings are built and used are reviewed as part of the solution to global warming, because buildings consume so much energy," said Angela Tam, who has written about sustainable development. "It makes sense for the industry as well as the community." As world-wide awareness of climate change grows, developers across the region are changing to reflect consumers' interest in the issue.
One of the most prominent examples of green design in Thailand is Ocean One, a 91-story construction that will soon break ground Pattaya. The condominium and residential project was recently cited in a Wall Street Journal article about eco-architecture in Asia. The developer, Bruno Pingel’s Siam Best Enterprise Ltd., says that Ocean One will boast a slew of green design features, from a water recycling system to energy-efficient air conditioning. Even the elevator will be designed to generate the power needed to light the observation deck. Construction on Ocean One is slated to begin in a few months, and a completion date has been targeted for 2010.
A shift in designing the built environment in Thailand has been spurred on, in part, by outside influences. "We're finding that especially in the resort areas, it’s largely driven by foreign demand," says Henri Young, Raimon Land’s Director of Marketing. "People are coming here from parts of the world where environmental concerns are important. Energy consumption is the main priority," he says.
Important design elements, according to Young, include factors such as the use of shading for cooling purposes. Recycling water is another central technique. Young points to The River, the mammoth residential construction going up on the banks of Bangkok's Chao Phraya, as one that will incorporate multiple aspects of environmentally-friendly design. It will contain a water-cooled air conditioning system, he says, with central tanks pumping water throughout the building. "We tend to use international standards -- for example, the air conditioning system in The River would be required in Australia."
While foreign consumers are keen to buy into green developments, how has public opinion among Thais changed? "We're taking the initiative that Thai market will become more and more aware" of the issue, Young says. "It's an evolution. 15 years ago in Australia, where I'm from, environmental concerns weren't at the forefront. But then at the personal level people became more involved. It started with households, then it went national. We think the same transformation will happen here."
In a bid to ensure that the verdant trees of the Raimon Land logo are an accurate reflection of their own green principles, the company has undertaken steps to model sustainable practices closer to home. The firm is working with the Plant-A-Tree Today (PATT) Foundation, a UK charity. "We've taken a corporate initiative to offset our own emissions," Young says.
Charlotte Filleul, Phuket Sales Manager at CB Richard Ellis, says that developers in Thailand are "realizing that certain buyers will appreciate" green design. Developers in Thailand are "started to turn their attention to the issue," she says. While developers in the Kingdom might not be as environmentally conscious as their counterparts in other countries, she says, CB Richard Ellis tends to be forward-looking, as they're headquartered in the United States.
CB Richard Ellis is involved with several eco-friendly projects in Phuket. The Laguna Phuket is a past winner of the Green Leaf Award, given by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to organizations dedicated to preserving Thailand's environment. Built on a former tin mining area, The Laguna Phuket has adopted energy conservation measures and environmentally-sensitive practices.
Another green project is Phuket's upcoming Village Coconut Island, where motorcycles and cars will be banned and where foliage will be used, when possible, rather than fences or walls. In addition, plants and trees moved to construct villas are re-planted elsewhere or moved to an on-site nursery until they’re needed for future use. And West Sands Phuket will feature organic gardens and solar energy. At Hidden Oasis, another future Phuket development, rainwater will be collected for use in watering, and all exterior lighting -- in addition to hot water heating -- will be provided by solar generators.
Like Raimon Land, CB Richard Ellis is aiming to practice what they preach: at the end of May, their corporate headquarters announced the company's goal to become carbon neutral by 2010. The firm also said they plan to assist their clients with carbon reduction programs.
Bangkok's War On Air Pollution: A Success Story
Utter the word Bangkok to someone who's not familiar with the city, and you may well evoke some unsavory descriptions. It’s sweltering, people say. Or it's crowded. Or the traffic is nightmarish. Depending on your perspective, those might all be valid complaints. But the Thai capital is often subject to a largely undeserved reputation: that it’s highly polluted.
While it may be true that the City of Angels is not on par, in terms of environmental controls, with some other Asian cities, many people fail to recognize that the city has come a long way in the last ten years. In fact, as an International Herald Tribune article headlined "Bangkok's template for an air-quality turnaround" pointed out a few months back, the steps that Bangkok leaders took to lessen air pollution might well serve as a model for improvements in other cities.
The change in Bangkok has been brought about by a group of dedicated policymakers who instituted a series of efforts aimed at cleaning up the air. All taxis, for example, were switched to run on liquified petroleum gas. And tax incentives have helped to rid Bangkok of masses of highly-polluting two-stroke motorcycles over time. And while the Kingdom didn't even have emissions standards before 1992, its protocols are now similar to those in European countries. Remarkably, air pollution has been lowered despite a 40 per cent increase in the number of vehicles over the last ten years. Air pollution levels in Bangkok are now better than in other Asian metropolises such as Shanghai, Beijing, New Delhi, and Jakarta, though the air here is still dirtier here than in places like Singapore and Tokyo.
Other measures that have helped include the construction of the Skytrain and the MRT. This has lessened the number of cars on the street as commuters opt for public transport. And Bangkok's ample green space -- which, seen from up high, often constitutes a greater area than one might expect -- is also beneficial. And geography favors the Thai capital, too: the city is not in a valley, where smog might sock it in. And there are no coal-fired power plants nearby to spew pollution.
Article courtesy of Asia Property Report
