Norman Foster started Foster + Partners, an international architecture firm, in London in 1967. In other parts of Thailand, an Apple shop with a tree-like column as its centerpiece was just constructed. A quartet of aluminum-clad buildings in Qatar and the renovation of an abandoned gas plant in Madrid into offices are among the studio’s current projects.
Foster + Partners has shown a concept for a residential master plan in Bangkok that has a vast forest. The Forestry project, which will be built on the outskirts of Bangkok, will be a “pioneering development” that will bridge the growing gap between urban and family life, with an emphasis on health and welfare.
The master plan focuses on supporting the community and supporting the cohabitation and reconnection of multigenerational families with Thailand as a model for healthier, happier urban life. The new architectural proposal by Foster + Partners will be built on “smart city principles,” with autonomous cars, smart meters, and sensor networks included throughout the master plan. F&P, Foster + Partners’ local studio, designed the project (Thailand).
“Traditional Thai families frequently have strong intergenerational ties that are being strained due to the demands of urban life, with the younger generation moving to the city for work while the children and older members of the family remain at home,” Sunphol Sorakul, Partner and Director, F&P, said (Thailand).
“The Forestia’s floorplan is inspired by the arrangement of traditional Thai houses to produce a contemporary interpretation in the form of flexible communal spaces, focused on health and environment, that can extend and adapt as the family’s requirements increase,” Sorakul explained.
The property is divided into two zones by Foster + Partners: the northern parts will house more city-level public operations, while the southern section will be predominantly residential. The Foster + Partners studio will create “a big forest” in the heart of the land, which will define the spirit of the development.
This forest will highlight the beneficial interaction between our built and natural surroundings, as well as an emphasis on healthy living in harmony with nature. There will be lots of lush vegetation around the whole development in the master plan, with a variety of planted areas enabling a variety of experiences and purposes inside the forest.
Residents and tourists will be surrounded by deeper green spaces as they go around the property, providing a sense of escape into an urban sanctuary, according to Foster + Partners. “The Covid-19 epidemic has brought the concept of healthy living into sharp light.”
“The Forests concept is built on the foundation of establishing a healthy interaction with nature. Visitors may see how the development fits in with nature from the main entrance,” the studio added. The Forest Pavilion, an “experience hub” displaying the vision of the project’s idea through immersive and interactive activities aimed to represent The Forestias lifestyle, will also be included in the master plan.
A canopy walk will be included in the pavilion, which will be an elevated platform that extends into the middle forest green, allowing visitors to get up and personal with nature. The Forest Pavilion, according to the studio, connects the site’s more public-oriented northern portion with the residential south. There will be a variety of dwelling styles on the southern section of the land, ranging from high-rises to cottages, to appeal to a diverse clientele.
Three ‘Whizdom’ high-rise condominium buildings will be built in this section, which is designed to ideally accommodate tiny family units. The designs include low-rise condominiums called “Mulberry Grove” that bring inhabitants closer to nature, as well as cluster-home dwellings called “Mulberry Grove Villas” for extended, multi-generational families that want to live close together in various houses that are readily connected.
Another residential style, The Aspen Tree, is created to meet the unique requirements of senior citizens and includes lifelong care services. The ‘Six Senses’ apartments, which are super-luxury villas, are the icing on the cake.
“By visibly decreasing boundary walls and hedges and establishing shared amenities that enable people to join together as a community, the blurring of borders at the neighborhood level is achieved,” Foster + Partners stated. The master plan’s design is inspired by the bustling streets of old neighborhoods, with the goal of “creating an indefinitely expandable pattern of buildings and social spaces,” according to the team.
“For example, the basic construction element — the courtyard – lies at the core of every property in the Mulberry Grove villas.” The company noted, “This allows the structures to define the street border.”
Multiple communities are focused around a huge public area that is a common resource for everybody, and the intersections of these streets form plazas for the neighborhood. The Forest Pavilion, an “experience center” in the first phase of the concept, will have interactive displays that reflect the neighborhood’s concept, as well as an elevated path through the trees.
References | Foster + Partners
Architect News. 2021. Foster + Partners unveils a master plan for the forested neighbourhood in Bangkok. [online] Available at: <https://architectnews.tumblr.com/post/652079100933144576/foster-partners-unveils-masterplan-for-forested> [Accessed 30 May 2021].
World Architecture Community. 2021. Foster + Partners’ new residential-led masterplan for Bangkok features a large forest at its center. [online] Available at: <https://worldarchitecture.org/article-links/evcge/foster–partners-new-residentialled-masterplan-for-bangkok-features-a-large-forest-at-its-center.html> [Accessed 30 May 2021].
