Dutch architects see thailand as regional hub through JV

Jan Bout, chairman of Royal Haskoning's management board, said that CRH would continue its operations in urban areas, buildings, infrastructure, ports, industry, ener¬gy, water and the environment.

Clients are mostly government agencies, international financial institutions and the international business community.

"We bring in high technologies to Thai people and then export them to other countries in the region," he said.

Established in the Kingdom in 1974, ChuchawalDe Weger International Ltd last week announced the change of its compa¬ny name to ChuchawalRoyal Haskoning after having been in cooperation with Royal Haskoning over the past seven years.

The 125year Royal Haskoning entered into the joint venture with ChuchawalDe Weger International (CWD) since 2001 after it took over De Weger, a firm of architects and consulting engineers from the Netherlands .

But the joint venture, which was incorporated with other founders as Chuchawal Pringpuangkeo and Design 103 Ltd, had not changed its company name until last week.

Through CRH as its network in Thailand, Royal Haskoning has a big project on its hands, the Laguna in Vietnam, which is presently being designed and is expected to be con¬structed early next year, according to Bout.

Asia is one of Royal Haskoning's targeted markets outside Western Europe, representing 5 out of 50 per cent in Royal Haskoning's nonWestern Europe contribution. In 2007, Royal Haskoning posted worldwide turnover of ¤327 million (Bt16.6 billion). Chuchawal Pringpuangkeo, chairman of the board of ChuchawalRoyal Haskoning Ltd (CRH), and also a founder of Design 103, expected to double CRH's revenues over the next five years.

He said this joint venture has given the company more confidence to provide its professional services to clients. "Two reasons for choosing Dutch people are they can work with any body and they are very good at living under the water," he said, adding that this means the Dutch have very good technology.

Design 103, the country's largest architectural firm, has been involved with architectural designs and con¬struction management services for such buildings as the headquarters of the Bank of Thailand, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bitec, the Hilton and Landmark hotels, the Kasikornbank headquar¬ters, and the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

CRH provides services in a larger number of architectural, civil and industrial projects in Southeast Asia and China, concentrating mostly on foreign investors and multinationals.

In addition, Royal Haskoning has expanded its construction manage¬ment services in the Middle East such as Dubai's Palm Island project, Oman, and Nigeria

The architectural design trend is to go for innovation. For example, in Dubai, Royal Haskoning has entered into contracts for architectural design and construction manage¬ment for the Under the Water proj¬ect and a rotating hotel project, The Great Dubai Wheel, which is being designed.

It consists of two different and parallel rotating structures, allowing for maximum panorama on one side and having a full rotation cycle of six hours on the other side.

Royal Haskoning currently employs 4,300 staff in 68 offices in 26 countries.  It provides consult¬ants, architects and engineers to advise on spatial development, infrastructure and transport, water and water management, environ¬ment, coast and rivers, harbours and maritime.