Development of Brownfield Sites: Renovation of Gewertz Square to Establish the “R&D Center for Integrated Innovation on Smart Living Solutions”

Policy and Operation

The Gewertz Building has long stood as one of the most iconic structures of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University. Named in honor of Professor Dr. Charles Ernfrid M. Son Gewertz, the first head of the department, the building once served as the Electrical Machinery Laboratory and a hands-on training space for engineering students—a role it has fulfilled for decades.

Alongside the Gewertz Building, two other adjacent buildings—the Faculty Residence Building and the Integrated Circuit Design Building—have also been part of this historic site, housing research laboratories and student club facilities for generations. After many decades of continuous use, these three structures naturally showed signs of deterioration. The surrounding area, once used for academic experiments, also bore traces of chemical residues and industrial waste typical of long-term laboratory operations.

From a Brownfield to a Brightfield: The Birth of Gewertz Square

In celebration of the 90th anniversary of Professor Gewertz, the Department of Electrical Engineering launched a comprehensive brownfield site redevelopment project to transform the aging facilities into a modern, sustainable, and innovation-driven complex known as “Gewertz Square.”

The renovation and construction began in late 2023 and were completed by January 2025, revitalizing the historic site into a state-of-the-art space that blends adaptive reuse architecture with smart, environmentally friendly design. The goal of Gewertz Square is to become a creative hub for innovation and collaboration among students, faculty, alumni, and strategic partners from both academia and industry.

A Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem

Designed under the concept of Smart Living and Smart Communities, Gewertz Square now serves as the R&D Center for Integrated Innovation on Smart Living Solutions. The center aims to integrate multidisciplinary research into real-world innovations that enhance sustainable urban living and health-focused technologies.

Strategic partners include:

Center of Excellence in Electrical Power Technology,
International School of Engineering (ISE), Chulalongkorn University,
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT),
Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA),
Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA),
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and
Private-sector collaborators such as Hitachi Energy (Thailand) Ltd., Design Gateway Co., Ltd., Lighting and Equipment Public Co., Ltd., and Silicon Craft Technology Public Co., Ltd.

Smart Technologies for Sustainable Living

Under the framework of 5G & Beyond ICT ecosystems, Gewertz Square demonstrates real-world applications of smart technology for sustainable living, including:

Home-based health monitoring systems for residents,
Smart surveillance for security enhancement, and
Peer-to-peer energy trading platforms that promote the use of renewable solar energy and energy efficiency within communities.

These initiatives not only reflect Chulalongkorn University’s commitment to clean energy and sustainable technology, but also highlight its effort to reuse existing brownfield sites responsibly—minimizing environmental impact while creating value for education, innovation, and society.

The area and the three buildings before renovation

The area and the three buildings during renovation

Innovation, Collaboration, and the Future

The R&D Center for Integrated Innovation on Smart Living Solutions is envisioned as a living laboratory where faculty, students, alumni, and industry partners co-create prototype innovations that can be commercialized. This collaborative ecosystem nurtures entrepreneurial mindsets and strengthens the university’s role as a national leader in sustainable development and adaptive reuse of academic spaces.

What once was a set of aging, contaminated structures has now been reborn as a symbol of Chulalongkorn University’s sustainable transformation—a perfect example of how brownfield redevelopment can turn a historic site into a beacon for innovation, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship.