As many parts of the world are becoming an aging society – where more than 20% of the population are older than 60 years old, we need to rethink how we build our city for everyone to live meaningfully after retirement.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2024
Second Award | Private Landscape (Built)
Project Name: Jin Wellbeing County
Category: Private Landscape (Built)
Studio Name: Shma Company Limited
Design Team:
- Design Director: Prapan Napawongdee
- Landscape Architect: Napajorn Srichatsuwan, Worawe Jamsomboon, Pawida Bualert, Prueksachol Chutchawanchaiphan, Thita Cherdkiadtikul, and Supika Sukjamsai
- Horticulturist: Supaluk Paorik and Tanee Sawasdee
- Construction Manager: Thitiwat Chintanavitch
Area: 20,518 sq.m.
Year: 2020
Location: Pathum Thani, Thailand
Photography Credits: Panoramic Studio
Other Credits:
- Client & Developer: Thonburi Wellbeing Co.,Ltd.
- Architect: Openbox Architects co., ltd
- Interior Designer: PIA Interior co., ltd., Fine Dec co., ltd.
- M&E: Mitr Technical Consultant co., ltd.
- C&S Engineering: Wisit Engineering Consultant co., ltd.
- Main Contractor: Siam Multi Cons Co., Ltd.
- Softscape Contractor: M.J.Gardens Co.,Ltd.
Seeking a new typology of future communities, ‘Jin Wellbeing County’ has become the first senior oriented mixed-use development in Thailand comprising residence, commercial unit, and hospital. Its planning focuses on 3 principles – ‘Sustainable Nature’, ‘Physical Wellbeing’, and ‘Sense of Community’, responding to seniors’ needs. Diverse activity dynamics are designed through ‘Retreat’, ‘Engage’ and ‘Create’ concepts which enhance all-round living experience. Together with our initial research on “The Seven Dimensions of Wellness,” marking beneficial approaches for aging life, all aspects are embedded in the landscape design to truly achieve “Community in the Ravine Forest.”
Located in the Chao Phraya Flood Plain, the site of Jin Wellbeing County in Pathum Thani, the suburb of Bangkok, is previously known for agricultural lowland, which gets flooded seasonally. Nonetheless, as time passed by, the area gradually became urbanized by rows of buildings, housings, and infrastructure, leaving the possibility of severe flooding.
By blocking the flow of water, Bangkok and its suburbs have faced critical phenomena such as 2011 Thailand Floods and regular flash floods during the rainy season. As a result, Jin Wellbeing County is designed thoughtfully with a consideration to the public and surrounding site, by adopting “Polder System,” which helps retain water before releasing to public amenity, apart from doing typical landfill methods. This approach potentially helps maintain flood in urban areas, leading to a resilient living, if used in every site around the city.
Despite the full-phase masterplan with all mixed-use facilities, the project is now completed within 58,332 square meters of Phase I which comprises Jin Wellness Institute and Thonburi Burana Hospital and Low-rise Residential Cluster 1 and 2. The project exclusively offers 22,485 square meters of green spaces – both on-ground and on-structure, which equals to 40% of the site area, exceeding the 30% standard requirement.
