SilverNeedle Hospitality recently welcomed the iconic Riva Arun Bangkok hotel to its boutique collection of luxury handpicked properties ‘The SilverNeedle Collection’.
Riva Arun, uniquely positioned on the Chao Phraya river, is located in Bangkok’s preserved Rattankosin Island, the historic heart of the city. Nestled in a captivating neighbourhood of traditional houses, shops and warehouses, tastefully converted into stylish guesthouses, cafes and galleries, the architecture and interior design of Riva Arun Hotel reflect influences of “Chino Colonial” culture with a contemporary twist – displayed throughout the property in the carved wooden interiors and ornate ironwork.
Surrounded by some of Bangkok’s most treasured sites; Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha, Wat Arun, temple of dawn, the Museum of Siam and the Grand Palace, Riva Arun offers the the city’s most sought-after river views. The 25 guest rooms range in size from comfortable studios to expansive Jacuzzi suites – each with panoramic views of either the Chao Phraya River or old city.
The rooftop restaurant Above Riva serves a superb Thai menu – an infusion of local flavours, market fresh ingredients and a variety of creative influences handpicked from across the globe, against a backdrop of stunning scenes of Thai history and culture. Waterside dining is also offered at the soon to launch Riva Café – a stunning private pier, café and open-air bar serving cocktails into the evening.
Above the Riva Arun Bar in Bangkok.
A boat connects the new Riva Arun to it’s sister neighbouring property, Riva Surya. Also a SilverNeedle Collection hotel, Riva Surya boasts 68 beautifully designed rooms, adding a touch of style and charm to the once dubbed ‘Venice of the East’. The hotel has elegant dining options, a riverside swimming pool and multiple leisure facilities, all of which are accessible and exclusively available for guests of Riva Arun.
Francis Zimmerman, Managing Director of SilverNeedle Hospitality, SouthEast Asia, says: ‘Thailand is a primary growth country for SilverNeedle Hospitality and Bangkok is a continuously growing destination for international tourists. We’re delighted to apply the SilverNeedle management expertise to Riva Arun and welcome guests to this one-of-a-kind property – Riva Arun offers business and leisure travellers a unique, refined and authentic Thai experience.’
Opening offer: Riva Arun rooms and suites start at $75USD a night. Learn more by clicking HERE.
The houses will have an exclusive access road and impressive unobstructed panoramic sea views.
BPE Asia Real Estate (“BPE Asia”) and National Properties, a subsidiary of National Electronics Holdings Limited (HKSE Stock Code: 213) announced recently a joint venture for the construction of luxury detached houses in Tai Tam, the Island South District of Hong Kong.
Mark Fogle, Managing Director & Head of Real Estate for BPE Asia said, “Along with my partners Charles Lam and Malcolm Lai, we have previously completed two projects with National Properties (110 Repulse Bay Road and 56 Peak Road), which were very successful developments. Hong Kong is one of the most robust financial centres in the world and there remains strong demand for luxury housing against a background of limited new supply. In our view, National Properties has created some of the highest quality landmarks on Hong Kong Island and we are honoured to be partnering once again.”
The proposed development includes seven luxury detached houses located on a site of approximately 32,390 square feet (3,009 square metres) each to be constructed with an elegant classic design including basement carports, private infinity pool and internal elevator. The property is located in the prestigious Tai Tam area in close proximity to the beach, the American Club and the Hong Kong International School.
Loewe Lee, Managing Director of National Electronics Holdings Limited said, “The Tai Tam project exemplifies the hallmark characteristics of National Properties’ developments including spectacular views, exceptional design, a superior level of refinement and an elegant living environment. We are very pleased to once again be partnering with members of the BPE Asia team in this initiative.”
Site formation and foundation works for the project have been completed and the construction of superstructure works is ongoing. Completion of the first show house is expected in 18 months’ time (mid 2017).
Charles Lam, Managing Director of BPE Asia said, “The Hong Kong residential property market is unlike any other gateway city in Asia. Hong Kong has a population of approximately 7.5 million people of which approximately 1.4 million live on Hong Kong Island, yet there are less than 750 single family detached or semi-detached houses located within developments of eight homes or less. Furthermore, we estimate that there is an average supply of just 15 such houses coming to the market per annum over each of the next three years.”
Keppel Land China Limited (Keppel Land China) will acquire a newly completed retail development in Jiading District, Shanghai, China, for a total consideration of RMB 500 million (approximately S$102 million).
The retail development has a gross floor area of 40,927 sm and a net lettable area of approximately 32,800 sm. It is part of a mixed-use development comprising offices, shops and residential towers. Keppel Land Retail Management, whose senior management staff has a strong track record of developing and managing numerous successful large shopping malls in Singapore, will be appointed manager.
Mr Ang Wee Gee, CEO of Keppel Land, said, “The acquisition is part of Keppel Land’s strategy to seize opportunities in key Chinese cities such as Shanghai. We will leverage our expertise, network and retail management capabilities to enhance the value offerings to this community mall in the upcoming Jiading New City Core Area, where several new residential and commercial projects are coming up.
“The acquisition, coming closely after the divestment of Life Hub @ Jinqiao, is also in line with the Keppel Land’s strategy of recycling capital to seek the highest returns.”
The retail mall is located within the Jiading New City Core Area and is directly linked to the Malu Bus terminal and the Malu Station of MRT Line 11 which connect to many residential districts in the North West region of Shanghai. The mall is easily accessible via several highways, including the Huxiang, Hujia and Jiamin Highways.
The abovementioned acquisition is expected to be completed by 1Q 2017. The transaction is not expected to have any material impact on the earnings per share and net tangible asset per share of Keppel Corporation Limited for the current financial year.
Thaihot Plaza is orientated to various transit modes and is conveniently located near a growing residential and commercial district.
Laguarda.Low Architects has designed a new retail development in central Fuzhou, China. Located at a major intersection in central Fuzhou, Thaihot Plaza is a striking, new 1.4 million-square-foot retail centre consisting of a six-storey luxury shopping mall to the south, and a large public plaza with three levels of outdoor shops and restaurants to the north.
“We are excited and honoured to have designed this destination retail and commercial complex. In this large-scale project, we sought to create a luxurious yet inviting environment, offering convenience, comfort, and lifestyle amenities for shoppers and visitors alike,” said John Low, Principal at Laguarda.Low Architects.
Thaihot Plaza is orientated to various transit modes and is conveniently located near a growing residential and commercial district, where shoppers will arrive either by foot or automobile. Amenities at the complex include a fully automated fountain with synchronized lighting and music for special water shows, an IMAX theatre and a variety of restaurant options.
The mall’s interior.
The indoor and outdoor programmes complement each other and offer a range of environments for a modern and sophisticated shopping experience. The outdoor plaza serves as the central social space of the development. Three levels of shops and restaurants surround the expansive open-air space with views of the surrounding city. Contiguous glass storefronts, wide stairs with integrated lighting, and a large LED display above the mall entrance promote activity throughout the space and create a dynamic environment.
A curvilinear skylight with horizontal and vertical glazed surfaces covers the grand atrium of the indoor mall and fills the all six levels with natural light throughout the day. Above the transparent and delicate glass volume, a dynamic metal skin wraps the building. Top grade natural and manufactured materials were used in both the interior and exterior of the mixed-use complex, creating an environment of luxury experience for shoppers. Granite stone paving and facades, aluminium framed storefronts with glass canopies, glass and stainless steel railings, and red clay tile and zinc are woven into a beautiful and unique design aesthetic.
There were large crowds at the Forest Woods show flat preview that started on 24 September.
Forest Woods by City Developments Limited (CDL) and joint venture partners, Hong Leong Holdings Limited and TID Pte Ltd, has received keen interest since its show flat preview began on 24 September. There were strong enquiries for this highly anticipated new condominium in Serangoon Central which is expected to be launched next week.
Forest Woods comprises seven 12-storey blocks, most of which are within the one-kilometre radius of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) and Yangzheng Primary School, making it a major draw for families with children. Other schools in the vicinity include: Cedar Primary School, CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, Maris Stella High School, St. Gabriel’s Primary School, St. Gabriel’s Secondary School, Stamford American International School, Xinghua Primary School, Zhonghua Primary School and Zhonghua Secondary School.
The project offers one-bedroom with study to four-bedroom apartments, and single-storey five- bedroom penthouses. Unit sizes range from 506 square feet (sq ft) for a one-bedroom with study to 2,185 square feet for the largest penthouse unit. Apartments are attractively priced from S$688,000 for a one-bedroom with study unit, S$838,000 for a two-bedroom, S$1.1 million for a three-bedroom, and S$1.65 million for a four-bedroom.
Flexible Layout and Finishes for Different Lifestyles
An illustration of a 3-bedroom unit at Forest Woods.
Catering to varied lifestyle requirements, select units offer the option to customise rooms with flexible layout and configurations. For example, the Open Study concept is suitable for parents who wish to supervise their children from any part of the home. The Ensuite Study concept is ideal for working professionals who prefer to work in the comfort and privacy of his or her expanded bedroom. For fashionistas who need space for their trove of beloved items, they may opt for the Walk-in Wardrobe concept.
Home owners of all units are given a choice of either a warm or cool colour scheme for the finishes, accompanied with the finest in branded kitchen appliances from Bosch and bathroom fittings from Grohe.
Making Life Better With Smart Home Technology Forest Woods leverages smart home technology to make life better in tangible yet subtle ways. All units will be equipped with:
Smart Home Center Lite to easily control smart devices and sensors installed
Smart Door Sensor to monitor the opening of doors for added security
Smart IP Camera to monitor what is happening at home when residents are away
Smart Lighting Control and Air Conditioner Control to automate lights and air-conditioning remotely.
When Forest Woods is completed, residents can also add on the Smart Digital Lock, Smart Wall Plug, Smart Smoke Sensor, Smart Multimedia, Smart Roller Blind, and Smart Motion Sensor, for an additional cost.
Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, CDL Group General Manager said, “For a few years, no project of this size was launched in the much sought-after Serangoon Central area. We have received strong interest for this highly-anticipated launch as Forest Woods comes across as a compelling purchase for new home buyers, upgraders and investors. It has an extremely prime location in a mature estate, very near the Serangoon MRT Interchange, bus interchange and Nex Shopping Mall, with easy access to amenities, expressways and many schools. Forest Woods also offers great value at attractive pricing, and several unique facilities. We expect a good take-up when sales commence.”
Discovery Complex is situated in the heart of Cau Giay District, Hanoi.
KONE, one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry, has won an order to deliver 26 elevators to the Discovery Complex, a mixed-use development, in Hanoi, Vietnam. This prestigious development is considered to be the new highlight of modernity and sustainability.
Built upon 1.02 hectares of land, Discovery Complex is situated in the heart of Cau Giay District, Hanoi. Developed by Kinh Do TCI Group, the development consists of a 50-story residential tower, 43-story grade-A office tower and 8-story retail podium once completed in 2018.
Discovery Complex reserves four storeys to create a green zone for its residents and through adopting a smart and sophisticated design, it allows air and sunlight circulation in each apartment makes it a good living environment for its residents. It also boasts of facilities such as a swimming pool, a professionally operated gym and fitness centre, spa and kindergarten.
KONE will be delivering 22 energy-efficient KONE MiniSpaceTM elevators, three KONE scenic elevators, one KONE TransysTM freight elevator and KONE PolarisTM Destination Control Systems. 12 of the KONE MiniSpaceTM elevators boasts of a travel speed of up to 5m/s and all 26 elevators are connected to the KONE E-LinkTM remote monitoring solution that provides real-time information and statistical reports on equipment performance, as well as facilitates rapid resolution deployment to ensure operational quality.
“We are very honoured to be a part of this major development in Hanoi. Sustainability is key element in the designing of Discovery Complex and KONE energy-efficient elevators will contribute towards creating an eco-friendly environment while providing a smooth people flow experience for its residents, tenants and visitors,” says Nguyen Van Vu, Managing Director of KONE Vietnam.
“Discovery Complex is a unique development in Hanoi and we want to partner with an experienced and reputable elevator supplier. We are impressed with KONE’s innovative solutions for high-rise buildings and we have the confidence that KONE people flow solutions will enhance the experience that one will have at Discovery Complex,” says Le Van Hung, Executive Vice President of Servico Cau Giay.
Schneider Electric employees will distribute more than 1,800 units of the Mobiya solar lamps in 12 countries across the region.
Schneider Electric, one of the world’s specialists in energy management and automation, recently announced the launch of “Light It Up”, its programme to bring access to electricity to rural communities across the Asia Pacific region. Schneider Electric believes that access to energy is a basic human right, and it is committed to put safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable energy within reach of a great many households, ensuring Life Is On for everyone, everywhere, and at every moment.
From mid-September to early November this year, Schneider Electric employees will distribute more than 1,800 units of the Mobiya solar lamps to rural communities in 12 countries across the region.
Economic and social development is largely driven by access to energy. However, around 1.3 billion people on this planet still lack access to modern energy today , while another one billion people have access to only unreliable electricity networks. A significant proportion of the world’s energy poor are living in Asia. In countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, the rural electrification rate can be as low as 18 percent.
Safe and Clean Access to Energy Schneider Electric’s commitment to promote sustainable development and provide safe and clean access to energy is in its DNA. In the past six years, Schneider Electric has contributed to providing 5 million people with access to energy The goal is to reach 50 million people within the next 10 years.
With “Light It Up”, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, Schneider Electric employees, as well as sponsors from Schneider Electric’s partners and customers from 17 countries in Asia Pacific have bought and sponsored a total of over 1,800 Mobiya solar lamps.
These lamps will be distributed to rural communities across 12 countries: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, connecting a total of over 1,300 families to electricity and lighting, and helping to improve living conditions for these communities.
Artist’s impression of PSB Academy’s new foyer for both students and staff to gather.
PSB Academy recently announced plans for anew city campus in Marina Square, occupying a space of more than 100,000 square feet across two floors. Designed to be an oasis of learning, the centrally located campus draws much inspiration from Singapore’s identity as an innovation hub and “a garden city” with a blend of advanced technology features in a refreshingly green environment with natural plants and lighting.
PSB Academy’s new campus will host English proficiency programmes, as well as accounting and finance and business and communication diploma, degree and post-graduate courses from university partners such as The University of Newcastle, Australia, The University of Wollongong, Australia, Edinburgh Napier University UK, Loughborough University UK and Coventry University, UK among others.
Students can look forward to spaces that are designed and engineered for both learning and leisure. In spite of the constraints of a city campus for example, there will be dynamic lighting that will automatically adjust to suit the time of day, to simulate an outdoor campus experience indoors. More breakout areas have also been planned, which provide student sample spaces for discussions in between classes, or for self-study.
The new, fully Wi-Fi-enabled, campus will provide students and staff with a glass-housed radio and television studio, a town hall, a student hub, classroom configurations which allow for better collaborative learning, acoustically-treated MBA rooms – that will not require microphones for voice amplification -and auditoriums that can seat more than 300 people, amongst other features.
Designs around these new facilities are centred on the theme of making “learning an adventure”, one that would encourage curiosity and exploration as part of their education journey at PSB Academy. These are expressed through design features inspired by natural landscapes from across the world, such as trekking trails, cliff faces and caverns.
Universal design a key feature in the new campus
PSB Academy’s new campus environment is also built for simple and intuitive use, with barrier-free concepts aimed at making the new facilities accessible to its diverse and cosmopolitan student community. The school’s location is in itself a perk for all commuters—they can now enjoy with a direct route to school from City Hall and Promenade MRT, the latter of which is only a 5-minute, completely sheltered walk in air-conditioned comfort.
Wheelchair-friendly features for example, have been built into classrooms, lecture theatres and auditoriums. For added convenience to school services, there will also be e-payment and ticketing systems—a first for the school—that will help students make appointments with academic staff or student services.
In a bid to make learning online and offline a contemporary, seamless experience, the school will also be launching a new version of Moodle, an e-learning platform, across all its classrooms. This learning platform gives educators, administrators and learners access to a single robust, secure and integrated system that automatically syncs video recording of lessons and lectures with the school’s scheduling systems to create downloadable content for student access to more online learning and revision material.
Academy of the Future
PSB Academy is seizing on this opportunity to unveil its next phase of transformation as a leading education institution for higher learning for Singapore and beyond, with a new marketing campaign for the new campus, titled “Future Academy”. The theme reflects the Academy’s mission to groom and equip students for the future economy.
Artist’s impression of the library, which provides students ample spaces for discussions in between classes, or for self-study.
“With our expansion into Marina Square, we are taking PSB Academy’s unique brand of industry-ready education to the heart of Singapore’s city centre. Our new campus is a destination that will offer a fun and enriching education experience for our students. The future of learning needs to be one that is fully attuned to the needs of the future economy, and a campus experience that is reminiscent of a continuous adventure of learning, one which inspires students to make connections, collaborate and co-create,” said Derrick Chang, Chief Operating Officer, PSB Academy.
“In our vision as a Future Academy, we, along with our world-class partner universities, will be breaking new ground into more areas of academic teaching and student-learning as we continue to gear up our graduates with an industry-ready education to thrive in our Smart Nation and beyond.”
“We look forward to welcoming PSB Academy to Marina Square, and are confident that both students and staff will enjoy being at the heart of the city. We are proud to offer the convenience of many facilities in and around their new city campus, where they can expect to create new memories, as they also break ground into fresh possibilities in quality higher education,” said Ms Chan Yien Mei, General Manager, Marina Centre Holdings Pte Ltd.
The campus move is slated to start from the fourth quarter of 2016. To find out more, click HERE.
Royal Philips has strengthened its commitment to improving the lives of people in Asia Pacific with its new state-of-the-art Philips APAC Centre in Singapore. Guests of Honour Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister of Trade and Industry (Industry), and H.E. Jacques Werner, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore attended the opening ceremony. Housed in Toa Payoh, the new 38,000-square-metre office building brings together Philips’ innovation and design expertise and business-creation capabilities to better serve the company’s business growth and address healthcare needs in the region.
Globally and in Asia, people are increasingly looking for ways to be healthy, to live well and to care for themselves and their families at home. To address these needs, collaborations and partnerships between healthcare professionals and corporate enterprises are imperative to delivering innovative solutions across the health continuum.
“Our new Philips APAC Centre – that will house our APAC headquarters and innovation activities – serves as a gateway to the region. Singapore, with its strong pool of skilled talent, is critical to us as we are increasing our focus into health technology. Our business is going through a transformation – from a supplier of individual medical and consumer products to a provider of integrated health technology solutions and services. This means that our facilities and ways of working need to transform as well,” said Fabian Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Philips ASEAN Pacific.
The Centre was built and designed with Workplace Innovation (WPI) in mind.
“We are confident that the new Philips APAC Center will be a critical node in Philips’ global innovation network, serving as a platform for Philips and its partners to co-create new digital healthcare solutions for Asia, from Singapore,” said Ms. Thien Kwee Eng, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board. “Its establishment will reinforce Singapore’s capabilities in design, digital innovation and healthcare, as we build a future economy based on innovation and value-creation.”
The new Philips Toa Payoh campus is set to deliver innovative solutions across the health continuum through the following world-class facilities:
The Philips Continuous Care Monitoring Room is where healthcare professionals remotely monitor the health of home-based patients with advanced cloud-based healthcare equipment and solutions. Philips’ solutions leverage data that enables predictive and timely interventions, delivering accurate answers at the time of need, and detecting issues before they become critical. These pioneering technologies are able to optimise the utilisation of public health resources by reducing the need for hospitalization and empowering healthcare professionals with new ways of delivering care for their patients.
The Health Continuum Space has the capability to simulate multiple health-medical scenarios at the same time – from a mock hospital all the way to a patient’s home. The space enables prototyping of new solutions that help make a meaningful difference in the future of patient care. Through the simulation of these different environments, Philips is able to demonstrate and test new workflows that can then be used to build future healthcare models.
The Philips Learning Centre is fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment such as MRI and X-Ray machines, laboratories and classrooms. Here is where healthcare technicians and practitioners can enrich their knowledge and have first-hand experience handling and operating Philips medical equipment.
The Consumer Care centre comes equipped with a user-friendly digital platform where visitors can conveniently access Philips product information, ratings, and reviews in real-time. Purchases can also be made in the center through the online store. The centre will host cooking classes, new product launches, product demonstrations and more, allowing visitors to fully experience the Philips suite of products that promote health and well-being.
The building is equipped with Philips’ own LED lighting systems.
In addition, the building is equipped with the company’s own LED lighting systems. Beyond sustainable features like energy-savings and a lowered carbon footprint, connected lighting with Philips PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) is built into areas where higher interaction levels are expected. Facilities management efficiency is improved with less mains wiring since the same cable can serve as the phone line, Internet cable and power cable simultaneously. Remote management of these lighting systems also means increased productivity and personalised control.
The Centre was built and designed with Workplace Innovation (WPI) in mind, a new way of working that encourages collaboration. With the aim to reduce carbon footprint, the new building now houses employees who used to occupy four buildings, with facilities that foster an activity-based collaborative work culture – a vivid manifestation of Philips’ business goals and role as the regional headquarters. The open-concept design of workplaces and the use of collaborative digital technologies enable employees to be more flexible and agile, in turn enabling them to be more productive, inspired and creative.
The development is set to become the biggest health campus in the Middle Eastern region.
KONE will install 130 elevators and escalators at the Adana Integrated Health Campus Project in Adana, Southern Turkey. The development is set to become the biggest health campus in the Middle Eastern region, comprising of three hospitals with a total capacity of 1,550 beds.
The main hospital consists of four patient tower blocks surrounding a common core and will have 1,300 beds. In addition to serving as a general hospital, it will include specialised hospitals for oncology, cardiology and cardiovascular disease, women’s and maternal health, and pediatrics.
The development will also include a physical therapy and rehabilitation hospital as well as a high security criminal psychiatric hospital. The campus will house health support facilities, a commercial area, a helipad, a technical unit building, and a combined cooling, heat and power plant.
Staff, patients and visitors will be able to move around the earthquake-protected buildings using 100 KONE MonoSpace® elevators, four KONE TranSys(TM) freight elevators, and 26 KONE TravelMaster® escalators.
“We are proud of this deal, which allows us to offer our eco-efficient technology for this state-of-the-art health campus,” said Pierre Liautaud, Executive Vice President for KONE South Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Ensuring the smooth flow of people is of utmost importance in hospital settings, where no one has time for unnecessary delays. We are happy to be able to offer our solutions for the benefit of everyone on the campus.”
The Turkish Ministry of Health project is set to become the world’s biggest base-isolated structure and will sit on 1,512 isolators, or flexible bearings, which will minimise building movement during an earthquake. The main contractor and architect of the project is RMI RONESANS MEDIKAL TAAH.INS.A.S and the project is due for completion at the end of December 2016.
