Bluepoint Condos Commence Building Work

March 22, 2011 - PRLog -- Without the customary hard hats and warm rain jackets, a tropical style groundbreaking ceremony took place at sunset on March 17. In attendance were invited Bluepoint Developments Co., Ltd supporters from Phuket and overseas including architectural, construction and development teams, property sales agents, media and all-important friends.

Norwegian owners Kjetil Horgen Øiseth and Arnfinn Engeset, both took great delight in pouring the first concrete mix into the footings onsite to officially mark the commencement of construction for the luxurious and ecologically designed project. In his welcome speech, a proud Øiseth said, "The road to breaking ground had been a challenging one. We have had setbacks including both economic and environmental disasters; we are grateful that we have made it through”.

Award-winning Bluepoint architect Paul Raff was present and addressed the audience with passion and vigor giving an insight into his own personal joy that his architectural vision is finally coming to fruition.

Paul Raff Studio won the 2009 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s ‘Excellence Innovations In Architecture’ award for designing Bluepoint’s Louver Façade System, something born from a simple idea to maximize landscape views while maintaining privacy for residents. “The design of the louvered façades preserves sea views whilst providing visual privacy, but they also shade the sun. This significantly reduces energy consumption and carbon footprint,” Raff said.

The louvers are made from a composite product primarily composed of waste sawdust from the timber industry. The light gauge steel support structure facilitates locally executed, rapid and cost effective construction.


Raff reiterated the importance of embracing ‘greener’ design. "A few of the strategies to make this an unusually ecologically sustainable project include not building on a virgin site, not destroying mature trees and actually conducting more indigenous planting when we are done with this project than when we started on this site.”

“We are also layering roof tops with plants because, near the equator, the greatest energy consumption and carbon footprint arises trying to keep buildings cool. If you have local indigenous species on your roof, not only are you supporting local flora and fauna, you also shading the building creating an effective building envelope and improving climatic control.”

Other elements that will positively reduce the developments impact on climate change are local sourcing for both the construction and operation and specific water capture for both grey and potable water uses.

In conclusion, Raff referred to the passion of the key investors of Bluepoint who are a group of friends: Arnfinn Engeset, Hallvar Thoresen and Kjetil Horgen Øiseth. "Maybe this is just a condominium project, maybe just a work of architecture but really, to me, this is about loving life and being amongst friends in this beautiful place,” he said.

The low-rise boutique development will be set in three buildings each with three levels. There are one- to three-bedroom homes ranging from 107 to 240 square metres with a variety of floor plans. Along with three sea view homes, Bluepoint has nine landscaped rooftop garden penthouses and eight plunge pool garden homes.


ABOUT BLUEPOINT CONDOMINIUMS

Developed by Bluepoint Developments Co Ltd with development management by Abode Developments Co Ltd, and designed by Paul Raff Architects, the Bluepoint development comprises a total of 20 freehold and leasehold condominiums of one, two and three bedrooms. All units have a variation of private rooftop garden balconies, plunge pools gardens and are located at the southern headland of Patong, in one of the last developments on the prime western coastline of Thailand’s largest destination island, Phuket. www.bluepointcondos.com



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