Chula’s sustainable land development Restoring the Suan Luang-Sam Yan district BLOCK 33: Residential & Wellness

Property Management of Chulalongkorn University (PMCU) has 1,153 rai (184 hectares) of land under its sustainable development plan with a commitment to make environmental impact the priority consideration of any development. One of its ongoing projects is the development of the Suan Luang-Sam Yan commercial district into a smart city with green building design, creating integrated green spaces and a quality living residential area that will evolve into a learning space.

The project aims to create a group of environmentally friendly buildings from abandoned and dilapidated commercial buildings, or so-called brownfield sites. The new residential and commercial area, called Block 33, will be part of an environment that will also include a Wellness Center and Medical Hub. Located next to the CU Century Park, it is conveniently connected to Chulalongkorn University and existing communities, providing an appropriate link between history and innovation.

Before

After

Block 33 [ https://pmcu.co.th/?page_id=10315 ] consists of residential buildings for the general public, university personnel and students, as well as commercial buildings and offices. As part of the Suan Luang-Sam Yan district development plan, its landscape and architectural designs are in line with smart city and green building concepts. As the site is connected to the CU Century Park, the catchment and green areas are integrated as one and blended horizontally and vertically, creating a complete ecosystem.

The project plan includes a village system that brings green spaces closer to residents. It also features smart and green building management of air-conditioning and cooling systems, using eco-friendly building materials, designing sun shades to deflect sunlight from all directions and thus reduce heat coming into the buildings. The project takes into consideration the sustainability of maintenance systems and mitigation of urban heat island effects by designing unblocked wind flow throughout the site.

In addition to adhering to the university’s policy on sustainable development goals, the Block 33 project also conforms to new construction and major renovation criteria set by Thai Rating of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (TREES), a system developed by the Thai Green Building Institute.