What is Singapore by Design ?

by PhilStar Global

Robbie Antonio

The Formica Kvadrat pavilion at SingaPlural uses upcycled formicat in a creative way to form a multi-use shelter.

Singapore is becoming a focal point and center for design, culture and the arts.

I have a long love affair with Singapore, mainly because it was my home for the entire decade of the 1990s. Life there was great because everything worked, it was safe to live in, you could get anywhere quickly because of a super-efficient transit system, and the place was rich with public parks and open green space. All of this is by design, so when offered the chance to visit again last month, I took the opportunity and brought my better half, Twink, who I actually first met in the Lion City.

The main reason for the trip was to attend the events of Singapore Design Week (SDW), including its flagship International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS) and SingaPlural. The annual event is organized by the Design Singapore Council and also counted nine key events, eight of which were partnerships with the National Heritage Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, aside from several industry partners.

Design is everywhere in this UNESCO-designated Creative City of Design, but the first thing we did upon arrival was to eat. We had lunch at Hawker Chan in Chinatown. The restaurant brags a Michelin star and offers yummy soya chicken rice and char siew comfort food at reasonable prices. From there, we took a quick tour of the nearby new Six Senses Duxton Hotel, which is an adaptively re-used boutique hotel designed by noted British designer Anouska Hempel.

We then checked in at the new Novotel Hotel at Stevens Road, a short distance from the main shopping high street that is Orchard Road. The hotel’s millennial-chill laidback interiors were complemented by great food and access to two infinity-edge pools overlooking the lush landscape of this quiet district.

This is the fifth edition of SDW. I’ve attended once before, but this year’s offerings have been expanded and the theme of design broadened to several districts in Singapore.

In the next few days I attended the Inaugural Brainstorm Design conference at the Marina Mandarin. The meet is a partnership of the organizers with Time Inc. Brands, part of the Meredith Corporation. The confab was led by the editorial teams of Fortune, Time and Wallpaper. Sixty global thought leaders in design, business and public policy talked on ways design and entrepreneurship were transforming businesses, communities, and everyone’s lives.

Among the several interesting talks were with noted furniture designer Patricia Urquiola, maverick Filipino real-estate wunderkind Robbie Antonio, Grab, Wallpaper’s New York editor Pei-Ru Keh, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Mark Dytham co-founder of PechaKucha.

(Left)The fantastic Juan Luna exhibit at the National Gallery drew thousands. (Right)Hawker Chan is a one-star Michelinr estaurant for Singaporean cuisine.

We next attended the opening of the main design event SingaPlural. This was held at the National Design Center on Middle Road. The center is an adaptively re-used colonial building and provided a great setting for a slew of exhibits of Singaporean designers and industry partners like Ren Yee of UNstudio, Infuud Asia by Kki Sweets that is offering a new way for tourist to enjoy Singaporean cuisine, Arttd’inox, a lifestyle brand who are working with local designer Wai Tim of Trigger design for really quirky stainless-steel pieces.

Of course, the main anchor event was the International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS), a long-standing trade show of SDW. Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran gave the opening speech. Ernie Koh and Mark Yong of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council and the IFFS also were in attendance. An announcement was made that the next edition of the IFFS would be held at the Marina Sands Expo and Convention Centers, which will make an attractive destination for next year’s visitors.

At IFFS there was an embarrassment of riches in the way of furniture from the world. We also met JP Lasco, a young Boholano designer who had previously worked with Kenneth Cobonpue and was now on his own. He was one of 12 finalists for the Furniture Design Award for his creative Bench Screen in 2017. He exhibited a few more equally handsome pieces at the IFFS.

Asia News Roundup: Razer Acquiring Fintech Firm MOL Global, Nio To Set Up $500M Auto Fund

Razer co-founder Min-Liang Tan (center) / Photo credit: Razer

Here’s what happened in tech today and this weekend.

Fintech

Razer to fully acquire MOL Global (Singapore). The gaming lifestyle company today announced its intention to acquire Malaysian fintech firm MOL, a move that comes after it bought a 34.9 percent stake last June. Razer wants to get the remaining 65.1 percent of MOL Global’s issued share capital for a cash consideration of approximately US$61 million. The proposed merger, which is subject to approval from MOL Global’s shareholders, will combine the two companies’ virtual currencies: Razer’s zGold and MOLPoints by MOL. (Razer)

Soft Space raises series B funding from Sumitomo Mitsui (Malaysia). The Malaysian fintech startup reported the closing of a series B investment with Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company – a subsidiary of Tokyo-headquartered financial giant Sumitomo Mitsui – paving the way for its entry into the Japanese market. The investment is seen as positively spurring Soft Space’s business growth opportunities in Japan and the wider region. (Soft Space)

Ecommerce

Nykaa scores US$11.3 million, claims US$453 million valuation (India). The beauty e-tailer secured the investment from several family offices and high-net-worth individuals. Nykaa – which is said to hold 33 percent of India’s online market in beauty products and services – claims it is “EBITDA-breakeven” and is aiming to be profitable by FY2019. The startup said it would use these latest funds to enhance retail distribution to boost its private-label offering, which currently comprises less than 10 percent of its revenue. (The Economic Times)

Transportation

Nio to set up US$500 million venture fund (China). The electric-vehicle maker’s VC arm, Nio Capital, is building the offshore fund to invest in new automotive technologies worldwide. Also known as NextEV, Nio – which has raised funding from Baidu, Lenovo, and Tencent, among others – was one of the first companies to be awarded a license to test autonomous vehicles in China. The Shanghai-based startup is said to be planning a US$2 billion IPO in America later this year. (Bloomberg)

Mobike claims shift from “rapid to responsible” growth strategy (China). On Earth Day, the Chinese bike-sharing firm said it would stop distributing new bicycles in areas considered to be oversaturated with dockless hire bikes. This was one of the company’s first public announcements since being taken over by Meituan-Dianping in a US$3.4 billion deal earlier this month. Mobike also plans to share data with the Chinese government to help improve urban planning processes and has committed US$15.9 million to improving its user credit scoring system, which punishes or rewards cyclists according to their conduct while using its service. (TechNode)

Health and well-being

Doxper secures US$1.1 million funding (India). The startup, which helps doctors manage outpatient records, said it will use the capital to expand to Southeast Asia, the UK, the Middle East, Brazil, and South Africa by early next year. It’s already piloting overseas operations in Bangladesh and Nigeria. Vidal Healthcare led the pre-series A round, having joined Doxper’s August 2017 seed round alongside Capier Investments, Globevestor, and a number of angel investors. (Inc42)

Property and real estate

Revolution Precrafted lands US$300 million Caribbean deal (The Philippines). The maker of prefab homes has expanded into the Caribbean market with an exclusive dealership with NOVO Development, a real estate company based in Trinidad and Tobago. The partnership is the first part of a multi-phase plan to develop up to $1 billion of property in the region’s growing housing sector. (Revolution Precrafted)

Social media

“Fake news” is also a problem for WeChat (China/US). WeChat-focused news providers in the US tend to favor emotive topics such as immigration and race relations over more general issues like employment and healthcare, according to a study by Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism. Researchers also found that news published on WeChat was rife with sensationalism and misinformation when compared to both English- and Chinese-language mainstream media. Echoing similar controversies involving Facebook and Twitter, the Chinese app’s low barrier to entry “has generated a profusion of content publishers native to the platform and intense competition for attention,” and “the abundance of revenue-driven content published, coupled with partisan forces” makes it “especially vulnerable to political misinformation,” said the report. (TechNode)

Revolution Precrafted founder among 25 BuiltWorld Pioneers

by The Philippine Star

Robbie Antonio, the founder and CEO of unicorn propertytech startup Revolution Pre-crafted, has been chosen as part of BuiltWorld’s first-ever Mavericks Report: “25 Pioneers Who’ve Transformed The Built Industry,” a recognition of the most influential movers and shakers in the fields of global architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and re- industry (RE)

BuiltWorld is a global online re source for players in the AEC and RE industries.

The prestigious accolade puts Antonio alongside some of the most esteemed luminaries in real estate, venture finance, architecture/design, construction, engineering and software solutions. These include Tesla founder Elon Musk, Pritzer-award winner Frank Ghery and American unicorn founders Adam Neumann of Wework and Michael Marks of Katerra, among others.

“We are humbled by this citation from BuiltWorld. We feel so honored to be part of such esteemed individuals who have helped transform their respective industries, and helped create a better, more modern world,” Antonio said.

Revolution Precrafted is a company that manufactures, supplies and ships limited edition, design driven prefabricated homes, pavilions and other related structures. The company has partnered with 73 of the world’s most preeminent ar-chitects, designers and artists from around the world including Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, and Christian de Portzamparc, among others.

Robbie Antonio

“In order to disrupt the land-scape, you have to be more innovative and you have to take more risks. Creating luxury prefabricated homes was a big challenge because before the company, people don’t really associate prefabricated homes and structures to quality and luxury. But we saw the opportunity to create something different and we took the risk. The payoff has been quite re warding,” Antonio added.

Since its inception in 2015,Revolution Precrafted has since become the fastest company to reach startup status in Southeast Asia, valued at $1 billion.

It has bagged close to $6 billion worth of projects, including $1.1-billion Batulao Artscapes in Nasugbu, Batangas and the $350-million Revolution Flavorscapes project in Mexico, Pampanga.

In March, the company announced its $3.2-billion partnership with Seven Tides to build condominiums, apartments and hotel villas on nine islands at “The World” project in Dubai. The company also signed a deal with Myanmar’s KT Group for the supply of homes and retail structures for the $1.2-billion Okkyin mixed development project in Yangon.

 

Related Links: About Robbie Antonio , Contact

Revolution Precrafted founder among 25 Built World pioneers

by The Philippine Star

Robbie Antonio

Robbie Antonio the founder and CEO of unicorn propertytech startup Revolution Precrafted, has been chosen as part of BuiltWorld’s first-ever Mavericks Report: “25 Pioneers Who’ve Transformed The Built Industry,” a recognition of the most influential movers and shakers in the fields of global architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and re-industry (RE).

BuiltWorld is a global online resource for players in the AEC and RE industries.

The prestigious accolade puts Antonio alongside some of the most esteemed luminaries in real estate, venture finance, architecture/design, construction, engineering and software solutions. These include Tesla founder Elon Musk, Pritzeraward winner Frank Ghery and American unicorn founders Adam Neumann of Wework and Michael Marks of Katerra, among others.

“We are humbled by this citation from BuiltWorld. We feel so honored to be part of such esteemed individuals who have helped transform their respective industries, and helped create a better, more modern world,” Antonio said.

Revolution Precrafted is a company that manufactures, supplies and ships limited edition, design driven prefabricated homes, pavilions and other related structures. The company has partnered with 73 of the world’s most preeminent architects, designers and artists from around the world including Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, and Christian de Portzamparc, among others.

“In order to disrupt the landscape, you have to be more innovative and you have to take more risks. Creating luxury prefabricated homes was a big challenge because before the company, people don’t really associate prefabricated homes and structures to quality and luxury. But we saw the opportunity to create something different and we took the risk. The payoff has been quite rewarding,” Antonio added.

Since its inception in 2015, Revolution Precrafted has since become the fastest company to reach startup status in Southeast Asia, valued at $1 billion.

It has bagged close to $6 billion worth of projects, including $1.1-billion Batulao Artscapes in Nasugbu, Batangas and the $350-million Revolution Flavorscapes project in Mexico, Pampanga.

In March, the company announced its $3.2-billion partnership with Seven Tides to build condominiums, apartments and hotel villas on nine islands at “The World” project in Dubai. The company also signed a deal with Myanmar’s KT Group for the supply of homes and retail structures for the $1.2-billion Okkyin mixed development project in Yangon.

A Famous Architect Has Designed a Museum in France That’s Tailor-Made for Private Collectors

by ARTNET

The Musée des Collectionneurs in Angers could be the first in an international network of collectors’ museums.

Are you a major collector who wants to show off your art, but aren’t interested in bankrolling your own museum (or loaning or donating to a public one)? Now, you have a third option: The Musée des Collectionneurs, a kind of joint exhibition space for private collectors. The first such space is now taking shape in France—with heavyweight backing.

New York-based Steven Holl Architects and the developers Compagnie de Phalsbourg are building the first Musée des Collectionneurs in Angers, at the edge of the Loire Valley. The space will be devoted to making “premier” private collections accessible, a spokesperson for Holl’s firm told artnet News. “It’s an answer to collectors who cannot build their own museum, but want to share what they have with the public.”

(The scheme isn’t the first to offer a less pricey alternative to a full-blown private museum: Last year, collector and developer Robbie Antonio announced plans to produce prefabricated, modular museums designed by starchitects.)

Rendering of the museum entrance. Courtesy of Steven Holl Architects, Compagnie de Phalsbourg and XO3D.

Jean-Jacques Aillagon is a consultant on the Angers project. A former minister for culture, Aillagon advises the billionaire collector François Pinault and famously brought Takashi Murakami to Versailles when he was in charge of the palace outside Paris.

The designers believe the innovative concept is the first of its kind, and while the exact details are still to be announced, we are told there will be no more than four collector shows a year. Compagnie de Phalsbourg hopes to deploy the concept internationally and forge a worldwide network of collectors’ museums, artnet News understands.

The project in Angers includes a boutique hotel alongside the new museum. A call for cutting-edge designs was first launched last year as part of the “Imagine Angers” initiative, a public appeal for submissions geared towards transforming the city on the western edge of the Loire Valley into a cultural hub. 

The competition stressed that proposals should work with the city’s architectural and historical quirks and offer environmental sustainability. It generated 48 proposals for several emblematic sites owned by the city. The museum and hotel will be on the river Maine opposite Angers’ historic castle. 

Rendering of the museum’s entrance from the inside. Courtesy of Steven Holl Architects, Compagnie de Phalsbourg and XO3D.

Holl impressed the jury with his design of a geo-thermally powered museum. According to a statement from the firm, the design for the more than 5,000-square-foot museum was inspired by the historic Chateau d’Angers, which was built by King Louis IX in the 13th century on the foundation of an even older fortress from the ninth century. 

The museum, which neighbors the city’s biggest theater, Le Quai, will include gallery space for both permanent and temporary exhibitions, education and storage facilities, as well as an atrium for events.

Rendering of the hotel. Courtesy of Steven Holl Architects, Compagnie de Phalsbourg and XO3D.

The design for the adjacent hotel, which is connected to the museum by a rooftop restaurant, was apparently inspired by a 14th century tapestry known as the “Apocalypse Tapestry,” which is on show across the river at the Chateau d’Angers.

PH Company Secures Billion-Dollar Deal With Dubai Firm

by The Filipino Times

A local designer and supplier of prefabricated structures in the Philippines has set a $3.2B deal with Dubai firm Seven Tides to develop parts of “The World” located in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

The World is a collection of 300 artificial islands which represent the world’s continents and countries, reported Inquirer.

Robbie Antonio, founder and CEO of Revolution Precrafted, said that the developers aim to build two-to-three bedroom luxury apartments and villas in the area which will be priced at $150,000 to $1.5 million.

Antonio added that developments are set to happen in nine islands in The World soon and that the construction will begin in the so-called Coronation Island.

The company currently tries to broaden their market by being more price sensitive. The current target markets are home buyers from Russia and Europe.

Aside from targeting the Russian and European market, Revolution Precrafted also plans to reach 20 more countries in the next 12 months, including Myanmar and other key markets in Southeast Asia.

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Related Links:  Contact Us, About Robbie Antonio 

Revolution Precrafted Ties Up With Myanmar Conglomerate

by The Philippine Star

Revolution Precrafted founder and CEO Robbie Antonio (middle) and KT Group executive director Deborah Kyaw Thaung (right) sign the partnership agreement, while KT Group director Harriett Kyaw Thaung looks on.

MANILA, Philippines — Revolution Precrafted, one of Southeast Asia’s strongest unicorns – or startup companies valued at over $1 billion –  has tied up with Myanmar conglomerate KT Group for several projects, including the $1.2-billion Okkyin City riverside property in Yangon.

“We are excited to announce our agreement for the manufacture, shipping and installation of prefabricated homes to Myanmar, one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. We are also pleased to partner with KT Group, one of the most influential and respected diversified companies in the region,” said Robbie Antonio, Revolution Precrafted founder and CEO.

The non-exclusive agreement involves the manufacture and supply of prefabricated homes in key developments in the historic city of Yangon.

Antonio said Revolution Precrafted has agreed to build residential projects in the Okkyin mixed-used development project, which would cost at least $350 million to develop.

The Okkyin project will include a jetty pier, sports and recreation facilities, bus terminal, green parks, a school, a student accommodation, a business park, a sports hotel, and a riverfront retail and commercial pop-up network.

Aside from Okkyin, Antonio said Revolution Precrafted is also in talks with the KT Group to develop other land assets in Yangon.

Revolution Precrafted intends to build 36-square meter Origins and 23 square meter Crib basics for Myanmar homebuyers. These are simple, sleek but functional prefabricated homes that can be completed in three to six months.

“We believe that these mid-market prefabricated homes will appeal to a significant chunk of the Myanmar population,” Antonio added.

“Myanmar is an emerging economy with 53 million people. We want to take advantage of this sizable market and make it a cornerstone of our regional expansion, especially now that the country is also opening itself to global trade and investments,” Antonio added.

He said Revolution Precrafted’s entry into the Myanmar market is a key milestone that strengthens the companys expansion to Indochina and the rest of the world.

Established in the 1950s, KT Group is one of the largest diversified firms in Myanmar. Its core business is real estate and property development but has since expanded into energy, trading, investments and agriculture. It has also expanded to included branches in Bangalore, India and Kunming, China.

On the other hand, Revolution Precrafted, launched in 2015, is a tech-based property company that disrupted the global architecture, design and art industries through its design-forward homes, pavilions, hotels, furniture, glamping structures, and soon, office spaces.

Still the only unicorn startup in the Philippines, it has in less than two years already partnered with 72 of the world’s preeminent architects, designers and artists, solidying its position as the leading developer of branded precrafted homes.

It is the brainchild of Antonio, son of Century Properties founder and chairman Jose Antonio, who became the youngest person in the Forbes Philippines 50 Richest last year.

PH Prefab Firm Bags Myanmar Deal

by Miguel R. Camus, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Revolution Precrafted, a homegrown supplier of prefabricated structures, is expanding to Myanmar.

The company, founded by Filipino businessman Robbie Antonio, said it had signed a nonexclusive deal with Myanmar’s KT Group to build and supply prefabricated homes in Yangon. This includes the $1.2- billion project Okkyin City, which is being positioned as Myanmar’s landmark sports and internet hub.

“We are excited to announce our agreement for the manufacture, shipping and installation of prefabricated homes to Myanmar, one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. We are also pleased to partner with KT Group, one of the most influential and respected diversified company in the region,” Antonio said in a statement.

“Myanmar is an emerging economy with 53 million people. We want to take advantage of this sizable market and make it a cornerstone of our regional expansion, especially now that the country is also opening itself to global trade and investments,” he added.

Revolution Precrafted claims to be the country’s only unicorn startup given its more than $1 billion valuation.

Myanmar is among a string of countries the firm said it was targeting this year. Earlier this week, it sealed an agreement with developer Seven Tides to build luxury homes in Dubai’s The World project.

Antonio noted in the statement that Revolution Precrafted had agreed to build residential projects in the Okkyin mixed-used development project. This would cost at least $350 million to develop.

As noted, the project would generate a total of $1.2 billion in sales. It could go higher if Revolution Precrafted agrees to build high-rise properties, the statement noted.

The Okkyin project will include a jetty pier, sports and recreation facilities, bus terminal, green parks, a school, a student accommodation, a business park, a sports hotel, and a riverfront retail and commercial pop-up network.

“We believe that these mid-market prefabricated homes will appeal to a significant chunk of the Myanmar population,” Antonio said.

The company’s other projects include the $1.1-billion Batulao Artscapes and the $345-million Revolution Flavorscapes residential communities, both in the Philippines. Batulao Artscapes consists of 8,520 homes while Flavorscapes will have at least 7,100 prefabricated homes.

 

Myanmar’s KT Group Inks Deal With Philippine Unicorn Revolution Precrafted To Build Prefabricated Homes in Myanmar

by Si Thu Aung (iMyanmarHouse.com)

Philippine unicorn Revolution Precrafted, one of Southeast Asia’s strongest unicorn companies, has signed a dealership agreement with Myanmar’s KT Group for the manufacture and supply of prefabricated homes for the property market in Myanmar.

“Myanmar people like Philippines approach in new ways about the housings. They choose the houses compatible with its own culture. We were awed to become the business partners with the Revolution Precrafted which produces the gorgeous prefabricated homes in the World. We will start to build the prefabricated homes in the next three or six months,” said Deborah Kyaw Thaung, Executive Director of KT Group at the agreement signing ceremony of Revolution Precrafted and Myanmar’s KT Group for the economic resurgence in Myanmar held on March 14.

The construction of prefabricated homes is less expensive, saves time and is able to choose the custom design, he added.

“We are excited to announce our agreement for the manufacture, shipping and installation of prefabricated homes to Myanmar, one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. We are also pleased to partner with KT Group, one of the most influential and respected diversified company in the region,” said Robbie Antonio, founder and CEO of Revolution Precrafted.

Revolution Precrafted is the only unicorn startup company in the Philippines, valued at over $ 1 billion. In less than two years after its inception, it has partnered with 72 of the world’s preeminent architects, designers and artist, solidying its position as the leading developer of branded precrafted homes.

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Related Links:  Contact Us, About Robbie Antonio