Local Property News | Posted by Hnin Ei Khin
A year of achievements in the real estate development sector was commemorated on Wednesday evening (23 October) at the 5th PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards 2019, presented by global brand Kohler at the Sule Shangri-La, Yangon hotel.
New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd. nabbed the ceremony’s highest prize of Best Developer, its Mingalar Mandalay project besting other nominees in all categories it competed in: Best Condo Development and Best Mixed Use Development.
“New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd. continues to be one of the most prolific and highly regarded property developers in the country, building resilient mixed-use projects with exquisite facility designs that cater to the vast lifestyle needs of live-work-play communities. Even after a decade, they have managed to infuse their passion for public social sustainability by regularly engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and philanthropic activities to help bring about positive social changes in the country,” according to the central panel of judges.
Living Square scored the Best Boutique Developer gong, boosted by three Highly Commended distinctions for its Kabaraye Executive Residence project. Of the developer, the panel of judges said: “Sustainability and passion drives the development ideas of Living Square, consistently building weather-proof facilities and sourcing furniture from local providers for many years. As a recognised developer in Myanmar, their technical and artistic expertise translates into the projects themselves, exquisitely capturing the heart and soul of the land of the golden pagodas within its immaculate regal finishes.”
Crown Advanced Construction Co., Ltd finished among the night’s biggest winners, sweeping the categories of Best Office Development, Best Retail Development, and Best Universal Design Development — all for the company’s Times City project.
Island resort developer Wa Ale claimed two of the night’s three special awards, Special Recognition in Sustainable Development and Special Recognition in CSR, the latter shared with Best Developer award winner New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd. The Special Recognition for Bank Facility, a new category, was given to uab bank Limited for uab Tower, which in turn won Best Office Interior Design.
Following the introduction of a Best Educational Development award in 2018, a prize for Best Healthcare Development was opened this year. The new honour was bestowed on the ARYU International Hospital in Yangon.
U Win Aung was spotlighted for his influential part in attracting vast investments to Myanmar’s industrial sector, most recently through his company Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings. The veteran businessman received the trophy for 2019 Myanmar Real Estate Personality of the Year presented by the editors of PropertyGuru Property Report, the official magazine of the awards.
Winners of the main categories will move on to participate at the regional PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final in Bangkok, Thailand in November, for a chance at highly coveted prizes in the “Best in Asia” categories.
Around 250 guests and members of the media attended the long-running PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards in Yangon, with 17 innovative companies laurelled at the black-tie affair.
Hari V. Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer of PropertyGuru Group, said: "We see our company’s pioneering spirit reflected in the PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards’ enduring commitment to rewarding the frontier market’s most enterprising builders and designers. As one of the longest-running programmes of its kind in Myanmar, the awards took first-mover advantage of a promising market when no one would. We are so proud to see an entire nation blossom alongside these award-winning real estate projects, which we believe are the keys to modernising Myanmar."
BDO, one of the world’s largest auditing and accounting firms, oversaw every phase of the judging process. The firm’s team in Myanmar, led by Joe Yew Chi Jee, Partner; Nang Hnin Thet Htwe, Executive; and Hong Shi Ying, Senior Manager, ensured transparency, objectivity and credibility in the awards, from the rigorous site inspections to the shortlisting of honourees.
Tony Picon, Executive Director, Picon-Deed Property Consultants Myanmar, headed the panel of judges, composed of industry experts: Andrew Moraes, Country Manager, BECA; Ben Hickson, Senior Associate, Stephenson Harwood LLP; Charm May Thu, Managing Director, Your Property Finder Company Ltd; Khin Maung Than, Chairman, Myanmar Real Estate Association, and President, ASEAN Real Estate Network Alliance (ARENA); May Soe Yu, Founder of Creative Fox Design & Build; Richard Moh, Executive Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, and Special Assistant to the Chairman, MAA Group Consulting Engineers; Dr Soe Thein, Principal Design Engineer and Consultant Project Manager; Stephen Zawmoe Shwe, Founder & Principal Architect, Spine Architects; and Zaw Myint Toe, Head of Strategy and Transformation,City Mart Holding Company Ltd.
The 2019 PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards was supported by platinum sponsor Kohler; gold sponsor Hitachi Elevators & Escalators; bronze sponsor Nippon Paint; official portal partner iMyanmarHouse.com; official newspaper The Straits Times (Myanmar Edition); official hotel The Sule Shangri-La Yangon; official magazine PropertyGuru Property Report; media partner Myanmar Insider; supporting association European Chamber of Commerce Myanmar; and official supervisor BDO.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS & HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARDEES 5th PropertyGuru Myanmar Property Awards 2019
DEVELOPER AWARDS
Best Developer
WINNER: New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd.
Best Boutique Developer
WINNER: Living Square
DEVELOPMENT AWARDS Best Condo Development
WINNER: Mingalar Mandalay by New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kabaraye Executive Residence by Living Square
Best Office Development
WINNER: Times City by Crown Advanced Construction Co., Ltd
Best Resort Development
WINNER: The Village Resort Ngwe Saung by Nay Brothers Group of Companies
Best Hotel Development
WINNER: Grand Mercure Yangon Golden Empire (Hotel) by Golden Empire (NM) Company Limited
Best Retail Development
WINNER: Times City by Crown Advanced Construction Co., Ltd
Best Wholesale Retail Development
WINNER: GaMonePwint Wholesale Mall by Ga Mone Pwint Co., Ltd
Best Mixed Use Development
WINNER: Mingalar Mandalay by New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kabaraye Executive Residence by Living Square Best Township Development
WINNER: Emerald Bay Condominium by Yangon Golden Paragon Investment Co Ltd
Best Wellness Development
WINNER: HLA Lifestyle Wellness Centre by HLA Lifestyle Group Co., Ltd
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kabaraye Executive Residence by Living Square
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Rangoon Espa by Rangoon Espa
Best Healthcare Development
WINNER: ARYU International Hospital by ARYU International Health Care Company Limited
Best Universal Design Development
WINNER: Times City by Crown Advanced Construction Co., Ltd
DESIGN AWARDS
Best Office Interior Design
WINNER: uab Tower @ Times City by uab bank Limited
Best Hotel Interior Design
WINNER: Yangon Excelsior Hotel by Yangon Excelsior
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Grand Mercure Yangon Golden Empire (Hotel) by Golden Empire (NM) Company Limited
HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Village Resort Ngwe Saung by Nay Brothers Group of Companies
Best Office Architectural Design
WINNER: Maxxcare by Maxxcare Ltd.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: A Bank Head Office Project by Ayeyar Hinthar Holdings Co., Ltd.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Special Recognition in Sustainable Development
WINNER: Wa Ale
Special Recognition in CSR
WINNER: New Starlight Construction Co., Ltd.
WINNER: Wa Ale
Special Recognition for Bank Facility
WINNER: uab Tower @ Times City by uab bank Limited
PUBLISHER’S CHOICE
Myanmar Real Estate Personality of The Year
WINNER: U Win Aung, Chairman, Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings
