SET-listed Pruksa Holding (PSH), one of the country's largest property developers, met with the architect of Dubai's Burj Al Arab to discuss the Ivy Asoke-Phromphong project situated on Sukhumvit Soi 18.

The British architect and designer Tom Wright of WKK Architects is best known as the designer of the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, one of the tallest hotels in the world. He also designed Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, the furthest-leaning man-made building in the world, and the Ribbon of Light in Iran.

Mr Wright said consulting on PSH's Ivy brand will be a challenge because of small apartment sizes -- 28 square metres at the short end, which is tiny compared with the luxury apartments of 140 sq m that WKK normally designs.

"The trend is changing and there is probably a future for smaller bedrooms," he said, adding that he appreciates smaller apartments for their energy efficiency.

Regarding WKK's latest project is in Vancouver, Mr Wright said: "The building will be one of the most environmentally conscious buildings in the world. It follows the German principle of passive house, using almost zero energy. The 60-storey luxury apartment uses 10% of what surrounding buildings use in terms of energy."

WKK Architects is a partnership of Hakim Khennouchi and Geku Kuruvillais and has a team of 18 architects and designers based in southern Britain.

"We listen to our client to understand their needs, then produce a design-led solution that fits their specific requirements," Mr Kuruvillais said. "Our architectural approach embodies several significant design principles: inspiration, innovation, efficiency, context."