Rivalry sharpens quest for creativity

“We decided to expand our investment into Thailand’s property market after seeing a business opportunity to do so, particularly because we have our own innovative means of developing condominiums that differentiate us from our competitors in the Thai market,” Shinwa Group director Tomoyasu Yamabe, who is also co-chief executive officer of W-Shinwa – a joint venture between the group and Thailand’s Woraluk Property – said during an interview after presenting its innovative design at a condominium in Osaka last week.
Shinwa Group’s innovative condominium design technology is called Runesu, which has been copyrighted by the Japanese company.
Runesu design-construction technology entails a beam being converted into a floor and a floor into a beam, to create up to 40 per cent more space for use as an under-floor storage room.
A steel sigma beam is used to support the floor at the top of the storage area, with the whole innovative process proving to be a way to build more space into condominium units, where space is normally at a premium, he said.
The sigma beam used in the Runesu process is designed to carry a weight of up to 200 kilograms per square metre, which is sufficient for use as a condo floor, he added.
Following the successful use of Runesu technology in Osaka, Yamabe said the company was confident about using it in its first condominium project outside Japan, the Bt1.2-billion Runesu Thonglor 5.
Construction of the Bangkok project is due to commence in the second quarter of this year, with completion scheduled for the final quarter of 2018. 
The project comprises 156 units, 30 of which will be designed as Runesu units. 
The units will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom types, with usable space of between 29 and 65 square metres.
The eight-storey building is designed under the modern theme by Thailand’s D-Line Architect practice, with Japan’s IAO Takeda Associates Architects appointed as adviser.
“We advised designing Runesu Thonglor 5 under the theme of ‘in touch with nature’, by focusing on function, modernity and a timeless concept … Most of the buildings in the Thonglor area are painted white, as a result of which we advised the use of white and natural brown for the fa็ade of the building,” Yamaguchi Takayuki, executive officer of IAO Takeda Associates Architects, said during an interview at the firm’s head office in Osaka last week.
Runesu Thonglor 5 is the first building in Thailand for which his company has been engaged as architectural adviser, following its successful involvement in the design of buildings in Japan and China, he added.
Wichai Chula-Olarnkun, co-CEO of W-Shinwa, said the joint venture planned to open the project for bookings in the second quarter at a starting price of Bt4.9 million per unit.
The company will seek to attract both domestic and foreign buyers wishing to live in Bangkok, especially Japanese buyers who have already experienced Runesu-style condominiums in Japan, he said.
 
Japanese-standard features
Besides using the Runesu design concept in 30 of the units, Japanese-standard design is also used in other rooms at the project, such as a new bathroom system whereby the floor can be dried within three minutes, and Kara Kara Tile, a new tiling technology from Japan that helps control moisture and prevents dust motes, Wichai said.
The project’s facilities have also been designed with the environment very much in mind, comprising a green area, as well as such features as an onsen swimming pool from Japan, golf practice area, automated parking system, and security system.
“We believe Runesu Thonglor 5 will change the thinking behind building condominiums in Bangkok, as developers have to be concerned about function, space and innovation to meet what customers demand, given a limited amount of land – and a limited space within each unit,” he explained.