Moreover, “buildings should be designed with waste-disposal systems, with the goal of zero waste having equal importance to the building’s beauty,” said Dr. Jin Anotai, a lecturer in the department of environmental engineering at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.
At a time of high competition when prospective buyers are comparing homes in the same location that cost about the same, an environmentally friendly design could be the deciding factor for customers. At the same time, on the supply side, developers have started to reduce their construction costs by cutting waste. This will push them to employ innovative construction processes. Prefabrication systems and smaller home and condo units are also trends on the rise.
Thailand’s leading producers of construction materials are very much in tune with these shifting market demands. Siam Cement Group, for example, features a policy of green products accounting for at least 30 percent of its sales, meaning the company has to launch new innovative products every year. To support this endeavour, the group plans to double its annual research and development budget from an average of 0.5 percent of sales to 1 percent within the next three to five years.
Siam City Cement, another leading construction material firm, is also offering green building products to the market. The company benefits from technology transferred by its major shareholder, Switzerland’s Holcim group. Meanwhile, the multinational Italcementi group, which holds a major stake in Asia Cement, also plans to release materials that are less toxic, and more energy and resource-efficient.