A new district in the heart of Tokyo designed by Heatherwick Studio has been opened by the Prime Minister of Japan. The project, known as Azabudai Hills, is the culmination of a thirty-year regeneration process steered by Mori Building Co. Ltd., one of Japan’s leading urban landscape developers.
The new neighbourhood is made up of residential buildings, retail spaces, a school, two temples, art galleries, offices and restaurants, all set within 2.4km2 of green, publicly accessible landscape. Heatherwick Studio is the lead architect of the public realm and podium-level architecture. The design encourages purposeful connections between commuters, residents and the public, and the 8.1-hectare district is filled with trees, flowers and water features. Meandering routes and walkable rooftop slopes invite exploration and informal gatherings.
Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio, said, “We were inspired to create a district that connects with people’s emotions in a different way. By combining cultural and social facilities with an extraordinary three-dimensional, explorable, landscape, it’s been possible to offer visitors and the local community somewhere to connect with each other and enjoy open green public spaces. This is a joyful and unique public place for Tokyo, designed to be cherished for many years.”
Tokyo is a juxtaposition of old and new architecture, with large and small buildings pressed up against each other. The design celebrates this rich mixture of layers and all the variety and intensity of the city. Residents and visitors can come together and be inspired by a new landscape that includes extensive public gardens, a central square and The Cloud event space. It is now one of Tokyo’s greenest urban areas and continues Mori Building Company’s commitment to creating garden cities where the landscape simultaneously supports nature and people.
Throughout the 30-year regeneration of this site, Mori Building Co. collaborated with over 300 residents and businesses to bring the district to life. Over 90% of the original tenants and businesses have now chosen to return to the new district. Azabudai Hills is also on track to become one of the world’s largest sites to receive the preliminary WELL certification, the highest-level LEED Neighbourhood Development certification for mixed-use developments, and LEED’s BD+C (Building Design/Core and Shell Development) certification.
As part of the development, Heatherwick Studio has designed its first school, The British School of Tokyo. At 15,000 sqm, this is the largest international school in the heart of the city. The design takes full advantage of the local climate with a seamless flow of outdoor learning and recreational spaces spread across eight levels, where students and teachers can enjoy working.
Neil Hubbard, partner and Group Leader at Heatherwick Studio said, “Over the last 10 years, we have tried to get under the skin of what makes something distinctively Tokyo, whilst at the same time adding something new that’s fresh and soft to its modern built environment. We wanted to create vistas full of variety and intrigue and spaces to explore. It’s a confluence of different families of design all brought together in one place. I can’t wait to watch people explore it.”
An estimated 25 to 30 million people will visit this new public district every year.
As the future gateway of Haikou, the Dayingshan CBD is set to become an engine of growth for the city. Led by Aedas Global Design Principal Kevin Wang, the team has won the concept design competition of Haikou HNA Center Plot D10 Retail Street, creating a new dynamic retail destination in the international tourism location. With a well-connected transport network, the project is located in the heart of the city.
“The tower aligns with the skyline, creating a consistent urban interface and ambient public space in the core area of Haikou. The design highlights the uniqueness of the building and connects with the surrounding urban context,” Kevin says.
The design redefines the retail space and circulation to create a close connection with the urban surroundings. The retail and office façade enhancement delivers a more contemporary interface of the complex. The design links the piazzas with iconic canopies, creating a multi-layered retail space and connected circulation.
Two open courtyards are created inside the retail street, featuring the anchor shops with two office towers diagonally placed at the corners. The ground and underground connect the plots as well as the terraces on the second and third floors, linking all the shops in a smooth and comprehensive circulation. The retail street on the third floor provides a 24/7 public realm to socialise through two piazzas. The bigger piazza provides abundant outdoor space for F&B, social gatherings and commercial events under all weather; the smaller one is a sunken piazza linking the corridors that creates a lively multi-layered environment with Haikou features.
The retail street provides a unique experience for shopping and entertainment, and it acts as a shelter and a public living room for interaction. With large umbrella-shaped canopies, comprehensive shading is created for visitors to walk in the outdoor area under all weather. Some of the canopies are linked and consist of greenery, enabling a pleasant pavement towards the sky corridor. The unique canopies create an iconic entrance to the retail street, delivering a photo-taking spot for the destination.
Round façade edges of the office tower optimise the view and create a neat architectural form with the adoption of ventilated curtain walls. The lower level of the tower uses a flexible programming layout, seamlessly merging with the retail space. An unobstructed view can be enjoyed through the rooftop communal lobby up at the crown.
Kevin shares, “The design will be a new retail landmark for the city, with enhanced spatial experience on existing plot in Haikou.”
International design practice, 10 Design, which is part of Egis Group, is pleased to reveal the vision for Bintaro Jaya West District in Indonesia. Located along Bintaro Boulevard in South Tangerang, 15 kilometres from the Jakarta Central Business District, the development will become the western gateway to Bintaro Jaya Township, an emerging economic centre in the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Area. The 36-hectare greenfield land has been reimagined into an innovative community promoting sustainable living and wellness, with enhanced connections to the natural environment.
The master plan follows the 15-minute city framework, ensuring a walkable environment to encourage residents and visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the cityscape, creating a lively, human-centric community. A vibrant mix of residential, mixed-use commercial, retail, and recreational elements are strategically placed for proximity and accessibility is enhanced through design and redefining what urban life looks like.
“There’s a growing need for restorative and resilient urban environments where people can connect, and feel inspired, our vision for Bintaro Jaya West District helps to achieve that,” shares Principal of Master Planning, Peter Barrett, “the sustainable and inclusive environment, integrates complementary land uses with generous multi-purpose green spaces to create a memorable, vibrant, and self-sustainable community where you can live near where you work, with a rich array of experiences and activities, always connected to nature.”
At the heart of Bintaro Jaya West District is ‘The Oval’, a publicly accessible green space anchored by a grand lawn and multi-functional landscaped amphitheatres, serving as a space to bring the local community together through music, art, and events. A multi-faceted community experience, cafes, restaurants, retail, interactive water gardens, and public artwork seamlessly weave throughout, encouraging exploration. An elevated pedestrian walkway, boasting 360-degree views, provides a sheltered connection to the diverse functional spaces, whilst enticing visitors to The Oval.
The master plan creates a series of interweaving greenways, parklands, and linear parks to form an interconnected network of urban spaces. Existing rivers and creeks have been preserved, reimagined and integrated, creating recreational opportunities, such as water-touching experiences and riverside promenades for jogging and cycling, all seamlessly connected to the wider Bintaro cycling loop.
Resilience has been built into the masterplan, to help mitigate the impact caused by extreme weather and climate events. Open green spaces, including The Oval, are designed as part of a dry pond system to manage stormwater, and localised flooding, and facilitate groundwater recharge. Supporting infrastructure for the new Bintaro Jaya West District started construction in early 2023.
Paya Lebar Green – set to be one of the greenest, healthiest and smartest workplaces in Singapore – has been awarded the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification under the latest Green Mark 2021 scheme.
In a first for Singapore, Paya Lebar Green has also been awarded the highest accolade receiving all five sustainability badges in both New Non-Residential and Existing Non-Residential Building categories under the latest Green Mark 2021 scheme: the Health and Wellbeing (Hw), Resilience (Re), Whole Life Carbon (Cn), Intelligence (In), and Maintainability (Mt) badges across its two buildings.
Situated along Paya Lebar Road previously occupied by Certis Headquarters, Paya Lebar Green broke ground on 1 December 2022. The development comprises two buildings come 2024 – a brand new, 12-storey South building and the refurbished eight-storey North building, where the new Certis Group Headquarters will be located at. The project is jointly developed by Certis and Lendlease.
This achievement demonstrates both Certis and Lendlease’s commitment as partners to meet the “80- 80-80 in 2030” outlined in the Singapore Green Building Masterplan: the first 80 is a target to green 80% of buildings by Gross Floor Area (GFA) by 2030, the next 80 is for 80% of new developments by GFA to be certified as Super Low Energy (SLE) from 2030 and the last 80 is to achieve 80% improvement in energy efficiency for best-in-class green buildings over the 2005 baseline by 2030.
Mr Paul Chong, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Certis, shared, “We set out right from the start to make this redevelopment of our headquarters an example of what we can achieve when we bring together technology and experience to create long-term, sustainable solutions fit for the future of working patterns and the needs of our people. I’m glad we have secured this certification by BCA in recognition of our efforts and look forward to helping raise the sustainability standards of both buildings new and old across Singapore and beyond.”
Ms Ng Hsueh Ling, Managing Director, Lendlease Singapore, added, “Paya Lebar Green represents our wider global effort to reach our Mission Zero goals of Absolute Zero by 2040. Bringing our development expertise and Certis’ technology together, we will make Paya Lebar Green an exemplar not just of our joint green commitments, but one where we prioritise occupants’ wellbeing and productivity.”
Mr Ang Kian Seng, Group Director of the Environmental Sustainability Group at the Building and Construction Authority, said, “Green buildings have a good return on investment over their life cycle, and they also help cushion building owners from the heightened risk of volatile energy prices. With more than 100 Super Low Energy buildings to date, we are seeing more developers and building owners striving to achieve higher energy performance using innovative design and technologies. With features such as hybrid cooling and onsite photovoltaics (PV), supported by an advanced smart facilities management platform, Paya Lebar Green is the first building to attain all five sustainability badges under Green Mark 2021. It demonstrates that going beyond Super Low Energy standard is achievable for both new and redevelopment projects.”
Lendlease will bring its expertise in green and sustainable construction with a focus on minimising environmental impact by reducing direct carbon onsite emissions, recycling building materials, and using low embodied carbon materials and renewable energy sources. The project is slated to attain more than 80% overall recycling rate for construction and demolition waste.
Visitors to Paya Lebar Green can expect various tech-enhanced health and well-being features drawn from Certis’ Smart Facilities Management capabilities. The buildings will offer embedded solutions such as enhanced filtration systems and bi-polar ionisation, IoT sensors measuring occupancy, and optimising light levels and temperatures for a comfortable yet sustainable working environment while providing environmental data analytics for continuous operational efficiency improvements. The embedded smart and sustainable solutions will help achieve greater energy performance for the buildings.
Aside from its quality indoor environment, Paya Lebar Green will also feature biodiverse, vertical greenery. Paya Lebar Green has also received other accolades beyond the Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification. Paya Lebar Green South has received the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) WELL Core Silver pre-certification, which attests to the development’s commitment to sustainability, health and well-being and people-centric design, and the WiredScore Platinum certification for digital connectivity, which is the global accreditor’s highest-awarded rating. Paya Lebar Green North has received the WiredScore Gold.
Alexander Vorobyov’s new restaurant, BENUAR by The Toy Moscow, has opened at VLADIVOSTOK Grand Hotel & SPA in Russia, along Vladivostok’s Korabelnaya embankment. BENUAR was conceived as an extension of Moscow-based The Toy project but without direct associations. A fine dining place by day, it turns into a restaurant with a show programme by night.
The idea came from the location – the seaport – so the space is bright with a vast glass area that aims to remind diners of Mediterranean Cipriani restaurants. Balanced by textures, materials and space interiors, customers are made to feel comfortable, just like at home or on a yacht. In fact, two walls of the restaurant open onto a parapet behind which the seashore begins; this allows diners to feel relaxed, assuring them that the restaurant meets their highest expectations.
Once they walk through the glass doors, customers find themselves in the lobby that’s reminiscent of a rosewood box. After passing through a small welcome passage, they find themselves in a bar. The bar’s facade is finished in onyx and decorated with spectacular lightning. The lounge, by contrast, is bright with high ceilings and big windows. A glass outbuilding adjacent to the lounge is a winter garden, where you can find tables as well.
The place’s atmosphere is festive and elegant without pretentiousness thanks to a variety of objet’d’art – think a funny, two-metre blue Micky Mouse in the selfie zone and “hands” in the lounge, that are pulling heavy velvet curtains.
BENUAR’s main feature is that it’s a place for business meetings and the gathering of friends. It can easily turn into a restaurant with exciting show programmes come nightfall. The scene is equally visible from all the tables. There is a separate benoir lodge for VIP guests, which lends the restaurant its name. Seven-metre ceilings shape the mezzanine level, complete with tables, sofas, chairs and excellent views.
Glazing, which makes the space feel light and airy, is combined with full soundproofing, thanks to numerous curtains and draperies. These act as interior decor and make rooms fully soundproof and shady when needed. The interior, combined with the author’s cuisine – its main emphasis in the capital of Primorsky Krai is, naturally, seafood – is the only restaurant of this level in the city. It is truly a sight for those who want to spend time dining meaningfully.
In the ‘City of University’, Aedas Executive Director Kelvin Hu has led the team to create a world-leading campus in Wuhan. The project is located adjacent to the Huazhong Ketaicheng, offering a cradle to cultivate the next generation in an all-rounded learning environment. Kelvin says, ‘To maximise the learning efficiency, the design integrates the key elements to equip the students’ academic studies, presentation ability and social skills. The campus connects to the community seamlessly, providing a comprehensive environment for the youths to grow with knowledge and interpersonal skills.’
A cradle for science innovations
Through the metaphor of breeding knowledge for generations to come, the campus is an interconnected space positioned as the ‘origin of technology’, with different parts of it representing a section of a vibrantly growing plant, together forming a thriving ecosystem of knowledge. Starting from the gate, the main school campus can be found to signify ‘A Bud of the Future’ as an integral part of the system where growth happens.
Moving inward, high-end ecological residential towers are placed along the ‘City Vine’, providing modern residences suitable for contemporary living. The ‘City Forest’ is placed at the northernmost of the plot to include technology headquarters as a stage to cater for the technology elites. With a clear layout stitching various functions, the design also offers a seamless connection to the surrounding community, nurturing the next generation to innovatively create and develop in technological aspects within the well-planned environment.
A stage for the students to shine
The cascading terraces embrace the greenery and sports ground in a U-shaped academic building to form an enclosed courtyard. With such a design, a theatre-like environment is mimicked with the athletic tracks acting like a stage and the academic building acting like a theatre’s seating area. It symbolises how the vision of the school is to serve as a platform for students to thrive and shine with their talents, preparing them towards a path to becoming a high-tech elite.
An enclosed spacious courtyard is created, providing a humane ambience while the classrooms are filled with natural sunlight to offer the students pleasant conditions to learn and recreate. The northwestern side of the athletic tracks opens up and forms a dialogue with the local urban context, showcasing a friendly interface facing the community.
The stadium and canteen are placed underneath the elevated sports ground, creating more public areas for greenery and social gatherings. The multi-function hall is placed above the sports ground, as a connector between the school and community. The glass curtain wall of the stadium injects an urban street view into the interiors, forming a placemaking hub for the city.
An energetic campus for collaboration
With efficient layout and spatial planning, the design creates two open communal spaces for collaboration. One of them closely connects to the academic buildings, while another one merges with the recreational amenities and fronts the community. The spaces create a social hub for the students to equip their communication skills and enhance their social understanding of the urban context and local culture.
The courtyard brings greenery into the interiors, further extending the biophilic vibrancy to the permeable terraces. The integration of nature creates a lush outdoor environment for students to interact after classes. The shared spaces seamlessly connect with the elevated sports ground, creating vertical multi-functional areas for the campus.
Facing the community, the public realm provides amenities like the stadium and library, serving the public as a recreational urban oasis. With well-planned circulation, both communal spaces are lined with privacy to ensure the students’ safety, creating a safe co-working environment for the student body and the public alike. Utilising the urban interface, the campus includes comfortable pick-up zones for parents.
Breeding for the future
The school’s vision aims to create personalised education to activate the students’ potential with a blended teaching model. To stimulate curiosity and to include outdoor interactive learning zones, the adaptive design includes science parks, botanical gardens, badminton and table tennis fields, a multimedia learning centre and extra-curricular corners. It is bound to provide an all-rounded campus to support and nurture students in a comprehensive way.
Kelvin shares, ‘We have designed an integrated campus, adding another institution landmark to the district through a hybrid of technology and ecology. The Wuhan Central China Science & Ecological City Primary School project will be the birthplace of fostering and advocating innovation and critical thinking. Connecting with the community, the campus is set to spread knowledge and vibrancy to the surroundings.’
Satoshi Konagai, Leader of LIXIL Water Technologies in the APAC region, shares insights regarding LIXIL’s strategic approach to delivering diverse yet consumer-centric designs that captivate while paving the way for future innovation.
The Asia Pacific region holds significant importance in the realm of water technology, especially in post-pandemic times when hygiene and cleanliness at home are increasingly valued. LIXIL, a leading company in this sector, recognises the region’s demand for innovative bathroom and kitchen solutions that fill various needs. Here’s how the brand is spearheading the development of its water technology business in the Asian Pacific region by focusing on delivering high-quality products that are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing. Discover how LIXIL’s unwavering focus drives its design prowess and fuels a transformative wave in the world of water technology.
Q: What is the role of LIXIL’s water technology business in the company’s overall mission, and why is the Asia Pacific region significant to this?
A: LIXIL is a purpose-driven company that is committed to making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. We make pioneering water and housing products and solutions that solve everyday, real-life challenges that touch the lives of over one billion people across the world. Our water technology business makes up about 60 percent of LIXIL’s nearly US$12 billion global revenue. Consumers trust in our brands and solutions to create better homes, bathrooms and kitchens. Through our focus on consumer-centric design, quality and innovation, we have developed numerous industry-leading products and technologies that deliver an exceptional consumer experience with superior hygiene and comfort.
Q: How important is the APAC region to LIXIL’s water technology business, and what unique challenges and opportunities does it present?
A: LIXIL has a presence across the Asia Pacific region, which is an important market for us. The solid regional fundamentals with thriving economies, growing consumer spending and rapid urbanisation is driving demand for bathroom and kitchen solutions that suit local preferences and lifestyles. LIXIL meets these diverse consumer needs through a multi-brand, multi-category portfolio approach with our power brands, American Standard, GROHE and INAX.
For example, our American Standard brand appeals to first-time homeowners, young families and growing households looking for dependable, well-designed products. With complete bathroom solutions in modern aesthetics, our designer and architect business partners can plan in confidence for their projects.
On the other hand, we note a growing trend for personal wellness – physical and mental –which has become much more important after the pandemic. Consumers are increasingly looking to transform their bathrooms from a functional area into relaxation or wellness spaces, where they can retreat to relax, rejuvenate or recharge from their busy lives.
To meet this need, we have developed the GROHE SPA sub-brand, as a premium solution that transforms the bathroom into an oasis of well-being. With modular configurations and personalised shower settings, GROHE SPA offers consumers unique flexibility and freedom to create their own showering experience. This new water experience encompasses all the senses: from calming sounds with different water volumes and spray types, to visual beauty with carefully selected colours and finishes, providing unique tactile experiences with different materials, activating their sense of smell with relaxing and healing scents of essential oils.
By engaging all five senses, GROHE SPA products promote holistic well-being and enable consumers to create their own personalised home oasis for relaxation and rejuvenation. We plan to officially launch GROHE SPA in the region towards end-2023.
Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the demand for water technology products and services in APAC? How is LIXIL adapting to meet these changing needs?
A: The pandemic has had a mixed impact on the demand for bathroom and kitchen products and services in the Asia Pacific region. While the pandemic has led to a temporary slowdown in some sectors, such as property development and hospitality, it has also led to an increased demand for products that prioritise hygiene and safety at critical touchpoints in the home, office and in public.
LIXIL has responded by developing new products and technologies that focus on hygiene and safety such as touchless faucets and soap dispensers, as well as smart toilets with automatic cleaning, disinfection functions and anti-bacterial technologies.
For example, to ensure hygiene and sanitation in public places, our American Standard HygieneCleanTM system includes innovations such Double VortexTM flushing design for efficient flushing while conserving water, Aqua CeramicTM anti-stain technology and ComfortCleanTM antibacterial technology.
Q: Can you discuss any new products or technologies that LIXIL is currently developing or plans to release in the near future?
A: In our consumer-centric observation and research, we note that the bathroom and kitchen industry in the region is recovering, driven not only by economic recovery but also by consumer needs, which are shifting along three macro trends:
The first trend is around health and well-being, where consumers are spending more time at home. More attention to physical and mental health and well-being. They increasingly view the bathroom as a spa or wellness area. Secondly, sustainability has become a key word for our industry, especially for the hospitality segment. Consumers are demanding brands and products that help the planet without compromising the customer experience. Finally, we observe that rapid urbanisation is placing pressure on transforming the one-function room into a multi-functional living space. This creates an urgent need to reimagine and plan innovative solutions for better homes.
These macro trends are influencing consumers to seek out fittings and fixtures that act as smart, intuitive helpers that simplify everyday routines – as the borders of the bathroom and bedroom, as well as the kitchen and living room, are dissolving. We have the responsibility to offer bathroom solutions with our industry partners that address these macro trends that influence consumer needs and contribute to improving property value.
In addition to the GROHE Spa regional launch, we also have an active pipeline of new products for 2023, including the new American Standard LOVEN collection, which is a complete bathroom solution designed with full-sized features in a compact footprint. It is very suitable for urban apartments and condominiums.
Q: How does LIXIL ensure that its products are both high-quality and affordable for APAC consumers?
A: The LIXIL brand portfolio includes American Standard, GROHE and INAX with a range of products and solutions from entry-level to luxury offerings. We strive to make our products and solutions accessible to as many consumers as possible
Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we practise the Japanese manufacturing principle of Monozukuri – this focuses on manufacturing excellence and quality. We have also invested in a global manufacturing network and a resilient supply chain, including plants located in Asia Pacific.
This setup helps us respond effectively to changes in consumer demand, provide dependable aftersales support and spare parts availability. These important investments are to provide consumers and our industry partners with the assurance of high-quality products and solutions that are durable, dependable and contribute to improving property value.
Q: How important is collaboration with others in the water technology space? How does LIXIL approach partnerships and collaborations?
A: Partnerships and collaborations are important ways for LIXIL and our partners to address industry-wide and increasingly global issues around hygiene, sanitation and clean water.
In March this year, we updated our environmental strategy that outlines how LIXIL will tackle key environmental issues – climate change mitigation and adaptation, water sustainability, and contributing to the realisation of a circular economy.
With the updated Environment Strategy, we want to reduce our CO2 targets by evaluating our total emissions, including Scope 1, 2, and 3, protect water – one of the most precious resources – and focus on circular solutions that can have a positive impact on our planet; aiming at waste reduction from our facilities, resource efficiency, circularity throughout our products along the value chain.
We see like-minded industry partners, governments and NGOs pursuing some or all of the same goals. This creates mutual understanding and fertile ground for partnerships and collaborations to happen with different stakeholders.
A recent example is where LIXIL, together with many other government organisations, manufacturers, and civil society partners such as World Health Organization and the International Water Association, founded “A Global Pledge to Protect Drinking Water from Lead” at the UN 2023 Water Conference. In this movement, LIXIL works collaboratively with our partners to protect public health and safety and reduce lead exposure from drinking water and achieve lead-free drinking water by 2040.
In addition to addressing social and environmental issues, we also collaborate with other brands to improve the design of products for our customers. GROHE SPA recently partnered with Caesarstone, a global company known for producing high-end engineered surfaces, to create faucet handles with their durable quartz designs, offering a curated range of customised options for architects and designers. The Atrio and Allure Brilliant Private Collections can be paired with Caesarstone countertops for a cohesive bathroom design.
Q: What is LIXIL’s vision for the future of water technology, and how does your team plan to stay at the forefront of innovation in this space?
A: As the three macro trends continue to impact our industry, we will need to develop new solutions backed by innovations to address issues that impact end-consumers and our industry partners. We continue to focus on being consumer-centric to better meet consumers’ diverse needs.
We consciously embed consumer-centric thinking in our research, design and manufacturing processes to meet the diverse needs of consumers across all markets. Applying this approach throughout our business creates relevant, purpose-driven products and we are excited to develop solutions that improve the quality of life and solve real-life challenges faced by consumers in their daily lives.
About Satoshi Konagai
Satoshi Konagai is the Leader for LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) Asia Pacific. He is responsible for leading, developing, and accelerating LIXIL’s water technology business across Asia Pacific, a region poised as LIXIL’s future growth engine.
Satoshi joined LIXIL in 2016 where he was instrumental in establishing Asia Regional Logistics, and developing warehouse functions to build the foundation of operations in the company. He also led end-to-end supply chain initiatives such as manufacturing relocation and synergy creation value chain development. Apart from this, he also supported the Asia CEO to drive strategic initiatives across markets.
Satoshi has skilfully unleashed synergies in LIXIL by removing structural barriers and bringing together businesses and people around a common purpose to further accelerate LIXIL’s growth. He has worked with over 200 members across regions to establish synergy functions and also streamlined operations under Monozukuri.
With over two decades of consulting and management experience in multinational organisations, Satoshi held senior positions at BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP (BCG) and UBS Securities Japan, Investment Banking Division. He has a master’s degree from IMD Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Keio University.
Completed in 2022, the Aedas-designed Chengdu Damofang project represents the future of Chengdu by utilising personalised technology and aesthetic scene creation as its design concept. In view of the rising aesthetical standard nowadays, the design combines culture and art which has created the benchmark for the urban commercial space.
Standing in the south of the city, the project is located in the Jiaozi Park Financial and Business Zone with a convenient transportation network. Adjacent to the Cultural Centre, the project site is an important hub that combines the cultural and commercial aspects of Chengdu. With a deep understanding of the market and the master plan, the project is designed to focus on spatial planning based on developing a sense of experience, ambience and trendiness. Unique scenery is designed to strengthen its commercial position and develop the blueprint for future commercial development.
‘The shopping mall is sitting adjacent to the theatre. By incorporating art and culture into commercial, the project is providing consumers with a vibrant, personalised and immersive shopping experience,’ said Aedas Global Design Principal Ken Wai. Themes, culture and wellness are logically presented and distributed throughout the interior, which has overcome the site’s constraints and blurs the boundary between the indoors and outdoors.
To effectively use the high ceiling of the sunken plaza, an enormous tree-like LED installation is placed at the North entrance. It displays customised videos and becomes a popular photo-taking spot. The outdoor natural scenery is extended into the interior space that seamlessly links the indoors and outdoors to support the transit hub. A glassed-in tropical forest chamber and the lushly decorated façade are designed to maximise both the aesthetic value and practicality, as well as to create a night-time scenery complemented by commercial activities.
The fluid void edges with lighting effects create a vibrant atmosphere for the shopping arcade. Natural lights penetrating through the ceiling deliver a bright and amicable space where people feel that they are walking in a tropical forest. A simple and elegant ambience is created by integrating various light and warm-tone colour materials. To fit in with the needs of the new generation, functional spaces are scenarised to cater to various consumer groups, such as beauty and kid-themed areas, creating a vibrant and trendy destination in Tianfu.
HERA Bathroom recently unveiled its highly anticipated Experience Center, located in Grantral Mall and Complex on Macpherson Road. The 2,800-square-foot space is a major milestone for this made-in-Singapore brand focused on compact urban spaces that have grown at a breakneck pace since its establishment in 2017. Visitors can soak in the wide range of modular bathroom solutions, conceptualised for end consumers and designers alike. Additionally, they can play at being spatial designers to create their dream bathrooms through nifty features.
At the heart of the HERA Bathroom Experience Center is an empty space that projects life-size bathroom CAD file floor plans with the click of a mouse, allowing homeowners to design their bathrooms physically. Mix and match from the extensive selection of products to create more than 1,000 combinations. These include bathtubs to waterproof vanity cabinets, mirrors, basins and taps in a wide array of colours. This immersive experience promises to reduce the stress of renovations by letting homeowners mock up their bathroom fittings and furniture to easily envision what it will look like.
Customers who have purchased Build-to-Order (BTO) HDB apartments will have it even easier. Running along the length of one side of the Experience Center are booths, two of which are built to BTO bathroom specifications. A third is sized to HDB Executive Condominium dimensions, and the fourth and last one is to a standard condominium unit. Multi-award-winning designer Cris Cheng of Etcetera Design is responsible for the design of the Experience Center. It embodies the spirit of a workshop, where concrete walls are complemented with metal racks and industrial-style track lights. In the middle is a large communal table where customers can sit and discuss the creation of their bathroom designs.
HERA Bathroom prides itself on offering modular bathroom solutions for compact urban spaces, especially BTO apartments. It is the brainchild of Singaporean entrepreneur Lew Eeling, who aspires to give modern women the opportunity to design their own private sanctuary that they can start their day in and return to after a long day. She conceived the brand after spotting a lack of bathroom amenities catered to female consumers. Undeterred by her lack of training in design, she boldly went on to conceptualise the products it carries today.
Eeling’s decision to go down this road was made on the back of her producing OEM bathroom fittings for award-winning brands across Europe and Asia, through her firm Eilumina Resources founded in 2009 in China. With direct access to manufacturing capabilities, it allows her control over the entire process, from production to logistics and on-site installation. It also means she has complete visibility over the quality of the materials used to create HERA Bathroom’s products, ensuring consistency in the high standards she imposes and offers to the markets.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eeling took the opportunity to accelerate the business as people turned inwards and focused on turning their homes into wellness havens. In particular, she promoted her signature product, the “HDB bathtub”, a standalone tub small enough to fit into a HDB bathroom, without compromising on comfort and style. More importantly, it fulfils HDB’s conditions and does not require a permit to install. Easily set up in 30 minutes with no hacking required, it brought a piece of affordable luxury to the market, allowing HERA Bathroom to occupy its own niche in the over-saturated sanitaryware industry.
“We have come up with a creative space that democratises bathroom design. The HERA Bathroom Experience Center is the first of its kind that allows customers to be designers for a day. We encourage them to mix and match from our complete and comprehensive range of signature bathtubs and modular products. Ultimately, we want to be their partners in helping them come up with their dream bathrooms,” said Eeling.
Australian architecture and design firm Architectus, international studio Henning Larsen and global consultants Arup have been chosen as the winning consortium to transform the Canberra Theatre Centre into a vibrant, multi-event, all-inclusive space that will, in consultation with First Nations peoples, be the anchor project for the future of Canberra’s Civic and Cultural District into an internationally recognised arts precinct.
The design vision for the Canberra Theatre Centre is an environment that reflects and represents diverse cultures and voices. An internationally recognised cultural precinct with impeccable design credentials that serves as a new community meeting place for Canberrans, and a home for artists from across the globe. The winning tender included early preliminary designs that depict a new theatre building with a bold and sophisticated façade treatment, and which references to the formal landmarks of Canberra.
Architectus Principal and Public Sector Leader, Dr Stephen Long said, “Our collective is thrilled to be working alongside the ACT Government to deliver a world-class experience that has the potential to fuel the creative spirit of Canberra.
“We will approach the design process through the lens of the audience and the performers. We will continue to work from the inside out to create a National theatre with an international reputation. We will also work from the outside in to create a theatre that is enmeshed in the city and landscape, one that holds its place in the context of Canberra’s ensemble of National culture and arts buildings and brings vibrancy to the Canberra Civic and Cultural District. We seek to create a project that is an exemplar of elegance, function and sustainability.”
Henning Larsen Partner and Design Director, Viggo Haremst said, “We are honoured to have been selected for the renewal of the Canberra Theatre Centre. Our design ambition is for the centre to become a national landmark and an international destination, drawing artists and audiences from around the world to Canberra’s new cultural heart.
“Together with Architectus and Arup, we’ve approached the design with great care considering the architecture and all other elements of design to create a vibrant and inclusive place that honours the history and beauty of the land. A cultural hub that celebrates the community, its diverse heritage and artistic expression, where people come together to share in the power of performance and storytelling.”
Arup, a world leader in theatre planning, will collaborate with Architectus and Henning Larsen to ensure the theatre has the form and function required to support the highest level of national and international touring shows.
Arup Australasian Arts & Culture Business Lead, Hannah Slater said, “We are excited to be working in collaboration with Architectus and Henning Larsen on this landmark project that embeds dialogue and creation in the civic heart of Canberra.
“Our design approach will provide the opportunity for the project to knit the stories of this place into the city through establishing a transparent, connected and inviting Centre. Arup provides diverse technical engineering skills and detailed Theatre Architecture expertise, contributing to the realisation of this ambition.”
The team shares a long history of delivering globally significant cultural projects including the multi-award-winning Harpa Concert Hall in Iceland by Henning Larsen and Arup, and Architectus and Arup collaborated on the recently opened Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney Modern Building. Architectus and Henning Larsen also work together on several high-profile commercial projects in Sydney and Brisbane.