'One Bangkok' and SCG embrace circular economy principles for ambitious property development project

The 104-rai (16.64 hectares) project is coming up on the corner of Wireless and Rama IV roads, co-developed by Frasers Property Limited in collaboration with the country’s leading construction material conglomerate, Siam Cement Group (SCG). The project aims to create premium office buildings, hotels and retail spaces as well as luxurious residential buildings with combined usable area of 166,400 square metres.

Both companies recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to manage the project using sustainable construction practices under the circular economy principles in four aspects: Use of precast walls made from recycled concrete from foundation piles, use of Q-CON sound barriers made from recycled lightweight bricks, waste management in the construction site, and turning food waste into fertiliser.

The MoU aims to reduce the use of resources and manage the waste created by the construction and building maintenance, a challenging task in a large-scale construction project in urban areas. Both Frasers Property and SCG hope that their cooperation will help raise construction industry standards in terms of sustainability that can be applied to projects of any scale.

Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Frasers Property Limited, said: “One Bangkok is a masterpiece project of Frasers Property that strives to set a new standard in design and sustainability for Thailand’s property landscape. We have been working with SCG, our strategic partner in creating value to the project by laying a groundwork for sustainable construction under the circular economy principles."

“This endeavour is in line with Frasers Property’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emission target within the year 2050 under the company’s sustainability policy," he said.

"Frasers Property is committed to driving the industry forward by integrating environmentally friendly practices and social responsibility into our value chain that covers investment, design, development, and operation of our property projects. We aim to achieve efficient usage of energy and resources while using modern techniques and tools to tackle energy- and environment-related problems,” he added.

Nithi Patarachoke, president of SCG’s cement-building materials business, said: “The expansion of the construction business in Thailand has resulted in increasing amount of waste materials. As a leading manufacturer and distributor of building materials, SCG is implementing the circular economy principles by developing new products and services that help minimise construction waste. For example, we have come up with a new concrete mix formula to manufacture ready-to-use concrete sheet from leftover concrete from construction sites."

“Under SCG’s holistic construction waste management plan, we believe that the One Bangkok project can help raise the standard of the construction industry to be more environmentally friendly by becoming the 'Green Construction'. This will help promote the sustainable development of Thailand’s infrastructure in the future, due to the simple concept of 'turning waste to value’,” he added.

The MoU signed by Frasers Property and SCG covers four aspects of sustainable construction management:

▶︎ Using scrap concrete from cutting foundation piles to manufacture precast walls for use in the One Bangkok project 

The move aims to reduce waste and dust particles from the construction site by implementing a new crushing technique on foundation piles’ caps that will allow the scrap concrete to be recycled into precast walls to be installed as the external wall of buildings in the One Bangkok project.

▶︎ Holistic construction-waste management plan

Frasers Property has assigned SCG to be responsible for the sorting and management of wastes from the construction site of One Bangkok, including construction waste, toxic waste and food waste from the start of the project. SCG will use the latest technology to track the amount of waste in real time to plan a waste management strategy accordingly and ensure efficient waste management throughout the construction site.

▶︎ Use of leftover lightweight bricks to manufacture Q-CON sound barriers

SCG will use aggregating machines to turn leftover lightweight bricks into a mixture to manufacture Q-CON sound barriers to be fitted at the tunnel wall leading to One Bangkok's entrance. This will be Thailand’s first commercial-scale use of recycled concrete waste to make Q-CON sound barriers.

▶︎ Use of food waste composter machine to turn food waste into fertiliser 

The One Bangkok project will install food-waste composters that are widely used by leading establishments worldwide to turn food waste into soil fertiliser for the project’s gardens and parks. These composters operate in a closed-circuit system to minimise unwanted odour and can decompose food waste into fertiliser in 10 hours. The finished fertiliser has been tested for safety, is free of germs and contains necessary minerals as per the Department of Agriculture’s requirements. In the early phase, the composters will be used mainly to manage food waste from construction camps, while later when the project finishes, they will be installed throughout the project areas.

To emphasise its commitment to becoming an environmentally friendly and socially responsible project, One Bangkok will also join the Thailand Sustainability Expo 2022, which will be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok from September 26 to October 2. Organised under the concept of "Sufficiency for Sustainability", the expo will feature exhibitions, seminar sessions on sustainability, showcases of world-class innovations for society and the environment, as well as a variety of activities.

One Bangkok is a 120-billion-baht fully-integrated district and Thailand’s largest private property development project, comprising five premium office buildings, five luxury and lifestyle hotels, three luxury residential towers, four interconnected retail precincts, and art and cultural hubs located on a 104-rai (16.7-hectare) plot at the corner of Wireless Road and Rama IV Road.

One Bangkok aims to achieve Thailand’s first LEED for Neighbourhood Development Platinum standard. Additionally, all five premium office towers and a residential tower will be built to WELL Platinum standards, setting a new benchmark for green and sustainable developments for Thailand.

The first phase is scheduled for opening in the last quarter of 2023 with full completion in 2026.