Leading international property and infrastructure group, Lendlease, has announced a partnership to invest in data centres across the Asia Pacific region.
The partnership will be funded 20 per cent by Lendlease and 80 per cent by a large institutional investor. The initial equity commitment by the parties is US$500 million, combined with leverage will enable the partnership to invest US$1 billion in the sector. Completed assets and new development opportunities will be targeted across Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore – all markets in which Lendlease has a significant presence.
Lendlease’s integrated capability across development, construction and investment is well placed to execute on the significant growth forecast for the data centre sector. Accordingly, Lendlease has been appointed as development, construction, property and investment manager for the partnership.
Lendlease’s CEO Asia Tony Lombardo said, “A data centre platform is a strategic fit for the Group, aligning with our targeted key trend of infrastructure, our telecommunications strategy and our integrated business model. This partnership will enable us to leverage our track record of project managing, designing and building data centres with the strong growth potential for this sector, which is evolving into a mainstream real estate asset class.”
Commencement of the partnership is subject to the relevant regulatory approvals.
The 20th edition of the annual International Architecture, Interior Design & Building Exhibition (ARCHIDEX) was officially opened on 3 July 2019 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre by the Minister of Works, Malaysia, Yang Berhormat Tuan Baru Bian.
Said to be larger than ever, the exhibition took up all 10 halls of the convention centre and covered 24,000 square metres of space – an increase of 20 percent exhibition space from last year, with over 1,400 exhibition stands by 600 exhibitors locally and internationally.
Jointly organised by the leading Malaysian trade and lifestyle exhibitions organiser, C.I.S Network Sdn Bhd (C.I.S), and Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM or the Malaysian Institute of Architects), a sizable 35,000 turnout of professionals and trade visitors from over 70 countries was expected.
Bridging professionals and various representations of high-quality materials from Malaysia and the world, delegates and visitors can expect to explore exhibits from more than 20 countries and four country pavilions from China, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.
“We are proud that this platform serves as a bridge to share the latest of innovation and technologies as we move towards building this industry for our future generation of architects leading to the expansion of mutually beneficial business trades” said C.I.S President Dato’ Vincent Lim.
ARCHIDEX’s appeal lies in the ever-growing range of conference and forums. This year, the exhibition saw 62 local and international renowned speakers presenting at least 56 powerful and thought-provoking sessions in DATUM:KL (International Architecture & Design Conference) organised by PAM, the Focus Forum, The Forum @ PAM Tomorrowland Pavilion, Biz @ ARCHIDEX, and others.
Keeping the excitement level high, participants were also encouraged to join in a range of concurrent professional networking events, conferences, forums, workshops and business matching programmes.
An addition to this year’s exhibition was the Innovation Hall with its main attraction being the PAM Tomorrowland Pavilion. The Pavilion was a must-see for anyone desiring a peek into what tomorrow brings and to explore the possibilities in architectural and urban design for the future.
A long list of other activities and events were also lined-up with highlights such as the annual ARCHITALENT student design competition, Focus Forums that will feature speakers on the topics of Green Buildings and Integrated Building System (IBS) and the eagerly anticipated ARCHIDEX New Product Award (NPA) and Green Dot Award (GDA) that is held annually to recognise the best products in terms of design, innovation and sustainability.
For a full list of events and activities that took place at ARCHIDEX, log on to www.archidex.com.my for more information.
Asia’s megacities remain some of the world’s cheapest places for new construction, according to the International Construction Costs 2019 report published by Arcadis, a global design and consultancy for natural and built assets. Only four cities in Asia rank inside the global top 50 for the cost of construction while nearly all cities in China, India and Southeast Asia are ranked among the cheapest.
Hong Kong ranks 1st in Asia for construction costs, followed by Macau and Tokyo, and ranks 3rd in the world. Singapore ranks 4th in Asia but only 48th in the world, due to a slowdown in public sector construction, nervous financial markets, and also an increased number of cities in the rankings.
The annual report, Arcadis’ International Construction Cost 2019, details and ranks the relative cost of construction in the world’s major cities, helping guide companies towards a higher long-term return on investment for construction projects. Arcadis has also expanded the report for 2019, summarizing the costs in 100 cities, including 18 in Asia, up from the 50 covered in 2018.
The report found that the majority of Asian cities are significantly cheaper with relative construction costs affected by currency fluctuations, commodity prices and increasing demand for development in some growing economies. These changes have seen the relative cost of building in Asia markets decrease significantly compared to other regions. Significant factors for the reduced costs include lower wages, more accessible construction materials, and more land available at lower costs.
In China, however, despite being a relatively cheaper market for new construction, Arcadis expects that higher interest rates and increases in material and labour costs will likely lead to a rise in construction costs over 2019.
According to the report, this year’s cooling off across the global economy will also have an impact on construction markets. These include a tightening of financial conditions, a volatile supply of materials and costs, and downside risks on construction demand. Construction companies and their clients will need to make smart decisions focusing on innovation, benefits to citizens and sustainability in order to consolidate long-term success.
Download the full report here for the complete rankings and other findings.
For GROHE, water is not only a source of joy, but also a precious resource. Globally, access to clean drinking water is not a matter of course; it often takes a back seat to public perception given the good water supply of industrialised countries in the Western part of the world. On 22 March 2019, the World Water Day initiated by the United Nations wants to remind people of this issue, indorsing this year’s motto of “Leaving No One Behind – Water and Sanitation for Everyone”.
Sustainable Use of Water Is an Integral Part of the GROHE Brand As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sanitary fittings, GROHE’s mission is to develop intelligent technologies that enable people to consciously and sustainably use water. The World Water Day’s approach regarding the availability and sustainable management of water is an integral part of the GROHE brand’s sustainability goals.
“GROHE’s goal is to design and manufacture products that enable users to safely and responsibly use the resources of water and energy. In addition, we are constantly striving to conserve resources within and beyond our operations,” said Thomas Fuhr, GROHE executive director operations and responsible for sustainability at board level.
Water Systems for a Sustainable Water Experience Without Plastic The water system GROHE Blue Home offers still, medium or sparkling water that is tasty, filtered and chilled to the optimum drinking temperature and comes directly from the striking kitchen faucet, combining convenience and enjoyment both elegantly and sustainably: Time- consuming water purchases, annoying hauling of water crates or disposable plastic bottles are a thing of the past.
With GROHE Blue, a family of four avoids an average of 600 plastic bottles per year, which also benefits the environment: CO2 consumption is reduced by approximately 61 percent compared to bottled water and there is less plastic and packaging waste.
Filter Faucets for Safe Drinking Water from the Tap Worldwide While it is a matter of taste in many regions of the world, there are also countries where water directly from the tap cannot be used for every purpose due to its insufficient water quality. Therefore, bottled water often replaces available tap water when it comes to everyday use in the kitchen. GROHE Blue Pure filter faucets feature state-of-the-art filter technology provided in two different versions by the BWT brand, offering maximum taste and safety directly from the faucet.
The Ultrasafe version eliminates chlorine, biocides, pesticides and bacteria, making water that was not drinkable in regions with poor water quality now safe to drink. GROHE Blue Pure allows unrestricted use of tap water provided from official utility suppliers in any kitchen or bathroom for applications without any restrictions.
Intelligent Water Management for Sensible Use of Water With intelligent water security systems like GROHE Sense and Sense Guard, GROHE has set the foundation for a smart water security and water management system. A future groundbreaking innovation will allow the water consumption of a house or apartment to be exactly trackable and customers with input of their water and energy prices to receive a precise statement of their costs.
This not only ensures full control of the valuable resource of water, but also offers the opportunity to adapt user patterns and to use water more consciously. Hence, the GROHE brand not only cares about cautiously using water but also offers customers the opportunity to make conscious decisions about their daily use of the precious resource by applying digitised product properties.
Arup, a global design and consulting firm, announces two new additions to the senior leadership team with the appointment of Andy Hodgson, as Singapore’s Advisory Services Leader and Tony Chan, as Associate Principal, Southeast Asia’s Cities and Planning team. Together they will support the firm in expanding its capabilities across Southeast Asia, furthering the aspirations of the Arup Future Cities Hub.
Andy Hodgson
“Andy and Tony both bring strong experience working in Asia, furthering our mission to deliver the best quality work for clients and shape better cities across the region. They are both solid integrators of multidisciplinary teams and have a long track record of leading sizeable projects and successful teams. We are excited to have them on board,” said Marianne Foley, Consulting Sector Leader, Arup.
With more than 17 years of experience in infrastructure advisory, Hodgson specialises in providing strategic counsel to a range of clientele including developers, investors and government institutions. As the Advisory Services Leader at Arup, he will help clients across the region formulate infrastructure strategies, assess technical and commercial viability of investments, unlock enterprise value and set long term plans to achieve economic development aspirations. He previously served as director and regional transport advisory lead for Atkins Acuity in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
“I am delighted to be joining Arup at such an exciting time for infrastructure development across Asia. Arup is an established leader in delivering large, technically challenging and strategic city-shaping projects globally. I’m really looking forward to building on Arup’s reputation with my range of experience in this area.
Tony Chan
With a strong background of 19 years in sustainable urban development, Chan specialises in leading multidisciplinary teams to efficiently integrate masterplanning and urban design with infrastructure projects. Tony joins from CPG Singapore and was previously a founding member of Arup’s Planning, Development and Design team in Shanghai, where he led various award- winning projects. Tony has since played a key role in a number of pivotal projects across the region such as the creation of the Eastern Economic Corridor in Thailand.
“With cities facing a myriad of physical and geopolitical challenges, I’m looking forward to help clients define and develop urban projects that can be delivered in an integrated and resilient manner. Arup’s commitment to shape thriving, healthy and successful cities is very aligned with what I hope to achieve in this space,” elaborated Chan.
The 2019 edition of Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology (GEBT) ended on a positive note on June 12th
Held concurrently with Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE), the two trade fairs attracted 172,856 industry professionals from 133 countries and regions, a 4% increase from last year. 243 exhibitors were featured at GEBT this year.
Continuing its long-standing support for the building sector, GEBT’s insightful fringe events again provided a professional platform for the industry to envision the future of building technology, with topics ranging from communication protocols to healthy buildings and AIoT.
Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Co Ltd shared, “The 16th edition of Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology has come to a successful conclusion. As digitalisation becomes more adopted in China, we are witnessing the exponential growth of intelligent technologies which have unleashed the endless potential of smart buildings and homes. GEBT has grown with the industry throughout the years, maintaining its position with stability, adaptability and sensitivity toward market trends. We bring together industry corporations and professionals at our fringe programme to share innovative concepts. And to help visitors stay afloat in this constantly changing market and grasp new business opportunities, we have also introduced new forum topics such as healthy buildings this year.”
Exploring new building technologies at GEBT forums
This year’s GEBT forums invited industry leaders to illustrate the latest developments in the building sector, with hand-picked topics ranging from healthy buildings to smart homes and intelligent hotels. Highlights included the ‘Development of Healthy Buildings and Intelligent Hotels Summit 2019’, which shed light on how buildings could be brought one step closer to people’s lives by encouraging a user-centric approach. And the ‘AIoT+Scene Setting for Smart Space Summit’ featured Tencent Smart Property, Alibaba Cloud, China Mobile and other renowned industry brands who discussed how AI redefines IoT, and the implication in a household context.
Comments from exhibitors
“This is our fourth year exhibiting at GEBT. Compared to other exhibitions, GEBT has a more specific audience and responds effectively to the upcoming trends in building technology. I also noticed an increasing number of overseas buyers in the past two years. Only a few hours after the fair commenced, I had already received inquiries from two overseas visitors. I believe GEBT’s overseas visitors are all quality buyers, as their visit to China demonstrates their eagerness in purchasing.”
“We have returned to GEBT this year after a very successful exhibition in 2018. This exhibition is well positioned, attracting buyers and exhibitors from the smart home sector. As it is held concurrently with GILE, we are able to connect with customers outside of the audio manufacturing and sales industry, expanding our client base. GEBT is one of the key exhibitions in China’s smart home industry with quality buyers from the industry. We have made a lot of connections, while some even placed orders onsite. We will definitely exhibit in GEBT next year, and we hope the exhibition will show us even more stellar results.”
Mr Gavin Liang, General Manager, Teibar China/Amina Technologies (Shanghai) Ltd
Comments from visitors
“I have been here for the last six years, and we are here to see if China is up to speed with the requirements that the Western world is looking for, and the answer to that is: yes they are. Technology has rapidly expanded within the electrical component industry, and it has been growing for the past six years. The longer I keep coming, the better this fair has become, as well as the quality of the exhibitors.”
Mr Philip Neill, Head of International Operations, Lucilite Led Ltd
“I have been participating in this exhibition for over a decade. As one of the key exhibitions in the industry, GEBT encompasses almost all smart home-related products and technologies, and I could discover the latest trends here which clearly indicate my future direction of work.”
Mr Zhang, Sales Director, Shenzhen Boke Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Comments from speakers
“Most of the seminar attendees here today are industry professionals, and the solutions Zigbee Alliance offers are exactly what this group of people are looking for. In this seminar, both we as speakers and the attendees are able to learn critical information which encourages communication between both parties. And as an exhibitor, we have noticed that visitors are significantly more knowledgeable than before as they mostly came with questions instead of just browsing. It shows that GEBT has reached a new high in the industry in terms of quality.”
Dr Wilma Su, Chairman, Zigbee Alliance China Member Group
“As a cloud computing service platform, Alibaba Cloud is in touch with a considerable amount of end users, hence, we have a better understanding of the end users’ needs. Through the forum, we want to share with them our understanding of scene settings and the changes brought by IoT and AI. This forum is also an excellent opportunity for different manufacturers to meet and improve understanding, eventually solving the problems that users are facing collectively. As GEBT and GILE are held concurrently, numerous smart home and lighting brands which reflect the market trend were displayed.”
Mr Johnny Li, Product Manager, Product Division-Solution Product Team, Business Group-IoT Business Unit, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence
Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology and Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition are headed by the biennial Light + Building event in Frankfurt, Germany (8 – 13 March, 2020).
Messe Frankfurt also offers a series of other Light + Building technology events worldwide, including the Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology (SIBT), Shanghai Smart Home Technology (SSHT) and the Shanghai International Lighting Fair (SILF), which will be held from 3 – 5 September. Additionally, Light + Building fairs are also held in Argentina, India, Russia, Thailand and the UAE.
The next edition of Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology is scheduled to take place once again from 9 – 12 June 2020 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. For more information on Light + Building shows worldwide, please visit www.light-building.com/brand. To find out more about GEBT, please visit www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cn or emailbuilding@china.messefrankfurt.com .
The 2019 edition of Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology (GEBT) returns from 9 – 12 June at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. Offering a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art developments in electrical engineering, intelligent buildings, and smart homes, the fair’s diverse event programme will shed light on the latest discussions in the industry. Held concurrently with Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE), the two fairs are expected to welcome over 165,000 industry professionals.
Emerging trends in technology are being recognised by the Chinese government as recent development plans encourage the improvement and interconnectivity of infrastructures, alongside the practical implementation of big data, IoT, and AI. Currently, China’s RMB 400-billion integrated intelligent building market is supported by its nation-wide network of over 5,000 industry-related businesses. The intelligent building sector’s growth is being further spurred by new policies on technology and construction, not to mention the ongoing endeavours of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Greater Bay Area plan.
Sharing her expectations ahead of the show, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Co Ltd, said: “As technology, including big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and IoT are becoming more widely used in daily life, the digitalisation of the building industry is more effective than ever before. This has led to continuous advancements in the intelligent building and smart home sector. In sync with market trends, the 16th edition of Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology will join hands with the industry to discuss influential topics such as AI, IoT, real estate, smart cities, intelligent hotels, system integration, and for the first time, healthy buildings. Leading the industry in search of new trends, it is the fair’s goal to capture emerging opportunities in the market with pioneering innovations.”
This year’s exhibition welcomes the presence of renowned exhibitors from China and overseas. Some of the intelligent building and smart home brands at this year’s show include: KNX, Zigbee, HDL, The Chint, Ezviz, Lonon, Anjubao, Weiyu, UIOT, ARW, TOT, Belede, ZK-Link, Eastcato, Gubei, GEEKLINK, Rishun, YINCHAO, Sisiware, Hope, Video-star, Nedfon, Tender, PCI-SUNTEK, Tuya, AST, Lammin, Kejie, Mantunsci, Teibar, LITEPUTER, Menred, DAJIN, ZhiHuiYun, Wanlang, Acematic, CHUGUAN, Lierda, BINTHEN, EaseMore, MenuiLife, WINTOM, Jilai, Homelan, Zhongdian, Taichuan, Shanutec, and Turning-right.
Industry leaders unveil the latest developments Led by digitalisation and improved integration, sectors such as intelligent building and smart homes are open to countless new opportunities, which can eventually reshape the building industry. GEBT is the ideal professional platform to reflect this changing environment through its wide-ranging fringe event programme and influential exhibitors. At the forefront of the sector, GEBT invites leading industry players each year to share their insights through various fringe events, forums, and conferences.
Some of the presentations include ‘Development of Healthy Buildings and Intelligent Hotels Summit’ by Greater China Hotel Engineer Association, ‘AIoT+Scene Setting for Smart Space Summit’ by QJ.Smartech and ‘Zigbee—Mature & Advanced Standard Connecting Now & Future’ by Zigbee Alliance.
For detailed information on forum topics, schedules and venues, please visit the fair’s official website.
BASF’s new smartphone application, MyConcrete is now available in Asia Pacific, allowing instant access to information on concrete properties. Intended for contractors, engineers, architects and producers, the free MyConcrete app serves as a channel to a range of information on the fundamentals of concrete use.
The app includes items such as concepts and design factors, provides answers to questions on concrete slump, air, finishability and set time and offers information on BASF products for concrete producers.
“MyConcrete is like having a textbook in your hand,” says Viswanath Mahadevan, Director of Admixture Systems Business Management, BASF Construction Chemicals Asia Pacific. “We want our customers to get the information they need, when they need it, wherever they are. With MyConcrete on their mobile devices, they’ll always have access to information about our products and how to use them – allowing them to achieve better productivity.”
MyConcrete app’s includes a Surface Evaporation calculator to determine the risk of shrinkage cracking and a Concrete Temperature calculator for freshly mixed concretes, which help professionals understand the effects of ambient conditions on concrete. Local weather conditions are considered in the calculators based on GPS or chosen location.
MyConcrete can be downloaded free of charge from Apple and Google Play stores by searching for “MyConcrete”. The app is available in English, Japanese and Vietnamese.
In March 2019, Trimble introduced the latest versions of its structural Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions for the construction industry: Tekla Structures 2019, Tekla Structural Designer 2019, Tekla Tedds 2019 and Tekla EPM 2019.
Trimble’s solutions support professionals in the structural steel, precast and cast-in-place concrete industries with a Constructible Process, an innovative approach for the digital transformation of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) workflows.
Tekla Structures 2019 delivers enhancements, improvements and new features that enable smoother workflows, more precise control and improved productivity, including:
Geometry improvements for describing curved structures, such as bent plates and staircases that boost productivity and eliminate the need for workarounds.
New automated features for model-based drawing production and upgraded precast production data exports, which support more streamlined design communication and information transfer from detailing to production.
Rebar detailing enhancements, such as rebar rounding at the model, set and modifier levels, which allow more intuitive control and efficiency when detailing and documenting reinforced cast-in-place concrete.
Cast-in-place (CIP) concrete workflows for improved Pour Unit, which make it easier to create reliable, structured pour takeoffs, reports and drawings.
CIP concrete formwork tools that are upgraded and simplified to boost detailed and efficient formwork workflow.
Tekla Structures 2019 includes new tools such as Revit Export, an extension which brings greater flexibility when working with .rvt files, and the Design-to-Cost tool, which supports faster value engineering and more economical precast solutions.
A new Bridge Creator extension, which makes early design phase workflows faster and easier, has also been introduced as part of a new customised bridge designer role and ribbon menu containing productivity-boosting bridge design tools.
Improvements in drawings include annotation cloning for faster and easier creation of general arrangement drawings, more intelligent handling of drawing views, improved dimensioning productivity and increased support for a wider variety of BIM objects. It is also now easier to meet office standards for documents and drawings, with enhanced Drawing Content Management and aligned marks.
Tekla Structural Designer 2019 introduces updates around flexibility and interoperability. The new Core Walls feature enhances real-world simulation and constructible core wall modeling, and new and improved export features focus on data interoperability with Tekla Structures and Autodesk Revit. In addition, the interface and usability for users of Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Structures have been fine-tuned for a more aligned experience.
Tekla Tedds 2019 offers even better integration with Tekla Structures, meaning more convenient design management for users of both Tekla products. Users can also now create even more professional BIM design documentation and use Tedds calculations to create professional PDFs.
Tekla EPM 2019 introduces an advanced model-based viewer that brings productivity gains through enhanced collaboration and real-time visualization for steel fabrication management. The earlier versions of Tekla EPM are known as FabSuite.
To learn more and to download Tekla 2019 versions, visit www.tekla.com/2019.
Kinestral Technologies, Inc. recently announced that its Halio® smart-tinting glass product has passed the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) testing procedures according to the ASTM E2141-06 test methodology required to meet the ASTM E2953standard for electrochromic product durability, becoming the only next-generation product to meet this recognized industry benchmark.
During the NREL testing, Halio windows were subjected to 50,000 switching cycles over a period of six months at temperatures averaging 185°F (85°C). The extreme conditions had negligible impact on product quality and switching performance: Halio’s visible light transmission was virtually unchanged in the clear and tinted states, and Halio still looked like traditional glass in its clear state and still tinted to neutral gray in its darkest state. Further, switching speeds remained up to 10x faster than similar products on the market.
“To achieve Halio’s performance, our scientists and engineers invented new materials and device physics that didn’t exist when electrochromic products began to enter the market 20 years ago,” said Howard Turner, co-founder and chief technology officer of Kinestral. “Manufacturing was also a prime consideration as we developed Halio to make sure we avoided the production issues faced by first generation producers. Today, we not only have the most beautiful and durable smart tinting glass product on the market, but we also have the largest, most efficient, and most scalable manufacturing facility in the world.”
Halio smart-tinting glass is available exclusively through Halio North America and Halio International, joint venture companies formed by Kinestral and AGC, Inc. the world’s largest glass manufacturer.
“We partnered with Kinestral to bring to market a compelling occupant experience,” said Marc Van Den Neste, chief technology officer of AGC, Inc.’s Building & Industrial Glass Company. “This ASTM durability certification confirms Halio’s quality, and that it’s the right smart-tinting glass solution for our customers.”
Kinestral’s next-generation smart-tinting glass technologies and processes are protected by over 100 granted and pending patents worldwide. Production of Halio commenced in late 2018.