New opportunities in bangkok real estate market

Demand for housing near Bangkok’s expanding mass transit system continues to grow as the city increases its drive to become a regional ASEAN transport hub.  The government will increase spending on the mass transit infrastructure in order to free the city from traffic jams and move people in a more efficient manner.

Townships are the future of luxury living in the Philippines

Townships in the Metro-Manila area created with input from the BPO industry are redefining the residential landscape.  Unlike private subdivisions, integrated townships usually have high-grade commercial buildings that are within a one-kilometer radius of the residential area, thus allowing greater flexibility, mobility and work-life balance. 

Rad public housing in gangnam wins national award

This innovative housing complex is marketed as an affordable housing development solution in Gangnam, one of Seoul’s most prestigious and upscale areas.  The project won the 2016 Korean Architecture Award due to the integrated design which features a high permeation of sunlight, car-free areas and a variety of community fixtures and spaces.

Capital place is jakarta’s shining future

Capital Place in the Gatot Subroto area of Jakarta expands the direction of development in the Indonesia capital.  The project is the flagship holding for Singapore’s GIC Sovereign Wealth Fund and the complex was designed to provide environmentally friendly features attractive to tenants. Companies that have already committed to space in the building include the World Bank and British American Tobacco.

Ecofirst: Mcdonald’s largest real estate project

McDonald’s will launch EcoFirst, a residential and commercial complex located in the outskirts of the Kuala Lumpur city center.  The development is being marketed as a luxurious and exclusive community targeted at the elites living in the city.  The company will invest RM 600 million (USD $142 million) in the project.

2 in 3 Asian millennials still living with parents

Two in three young adults in the Asia Pacific region between 22 and 29 have to live in family home because of high property prices.  65% of respondents aspire to own their own home in the future, with young adults in China and India having an even higher desire to move out of their parents home into their own.

Penang shop house becomes a dream second home

Not many investors would recognize the potential in a neglected mid-1980s shop house wedged between other shops in an alley.  Inspired by a  Victorian house style, this house in Penang is surrounded by sunlight, cross-breezes, and is a natural habitat for tree monkeys, iguanas, birds and butterflies.

Property boom follows MTR stations in Hongkong

Two districts in Kowloon, Hong Kong are currently experiencing a massive increase in valuation, courtesy of an expanding rapid transit line.  The Whampoa and Ho Man Tin districts have increased 95 percent and 80 percent respectively since the announcement of the new MTR lines and stations in 2009.

Myanmar bans illegal foreign-owned property in Yangon

In a move to “cool” the real estate market, the  Myanmar government has criticized the fact that there are over 100 illegal foreign real estate businesses and developments in the commercial capital of Yangon and invoked the1987 Law for Immovable Properties, which forbids the selling, leasing or transferring of property to overseas buyers.

Danang attracts foreign investors

With world-class leisure and heritage attractions allied to a friendly investment climate, the  Danang continues to grow quickly.  Currently, Japan is taking the lead in investments into the IT, education, infrastructure, tourism, and high-tech industries, while Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore are making investments into the resort residence market.

Grey skies for Singapore’s real estate

Figures for Singapore’s property market in Q3 look increasingly miserable across the board, but nowhere more so than in the private residential sector.  Private home prices dropped for the 12th quarter in a row in Q3. Prices for residential property are now 10.8%  lower than the 2013 peak.  

6 greatest interior innovators in Asia

The third annual Maison and Object Asia fair, held in Singapore showcased 6 notable  Asian talents acknowledged as innovators. This is one of the first breakthroughs for Asian tastemakers and visionaries who are shaping interior commercial and residential spaces across the region.

Shanghai’s most exciting design duo

Space pioneers Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu are charting new architectural frontiers.  They are the founding partners of the acclaimed Neri & Hu Design and Research Office, which won the Maison and Object Asia Designer of the Year award in 2015, and a spot in the United States Interior Design Hall of Fame.   

How paint could protect you from Zika 

A new paint from Kansai Paint in Japan uses synthetic pyrethroid insecticides to actively repel mosquitos and other insects. It does so by disrupting the nervous systems of the insect, including the Aedes aegypti mosquito and disabling their bites.  “With no vaccine available, prevention is key.”

Ugly no more in Philippine town

This is a first look at the newly painted  mountainside of La Trinidad township in Benguet Province.  The mountainside has been painted all of the colors of the rainbow as city officials attempt to create a unique “brand” for the township that will  boost tourism.