Best in Building Health 2026 Winner: NEXTOPIA Sets a New Benchmark for Healthy Retail Destinations

Best in Building HealthHealthy Building ProfilesStrategies & Solutions
Written By Kenneth Einhorn

AT A GLANCE

Certification Project Teams: Siam Piwat; NEXTOPIA; Atelier Ten

Project: NEXTOPIA

Location: Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand

Award: Multi-Tenant Retail Building v3 ‍

Designing the Future of Healthy Retail
At Siam Piwat, development is driven by a vision to create destinations that elevate quality of life while shaping the future of urban experiences. This vision comes to life through NEXTOPIA, a revolutionary retail concept in Bangkok designed around the principles of sustainability, innovation, and human wellbeing.

Recognized in the 2026 Best in Building Health Awards, NEXTOPIA at Siam Paragon demonstrates how health-focused strategies can be integrated into large-scale retail environments to enhance both visitor experience and long-term asset resilience.

For Siam Piwat, pursuing Fitwel certification was a natural extension of its mission to develop future-ready destinations that prioritize people, community, and environmental performance, reinforcing its leadership as a game changer in shaping world-class destinations. The science-based framework provided by Fitwel helped guide the project’s approach to sustainable design, occupant wellbeing, and operational excellence.

Creating Retail Spaces That Prioritize Wellbeing
At NEXTOPIA, health and wellbeing are embedded throughout the design and operations of the space. Fitwel strategies support healthier environments through initiatives such as:

  • Advanced indoor air quality systems

  • Ultra-low VOC materials that promote healthier interiors

  • Active design strategies encouraging movement and walkability

  • Inclusive facilities designed for diverse users

  • Real-time environmental monitoring and communication

  • Better nutritional choices are promoted by offering healthy menu options at every restaurant and providing high-quality water refill stations.

  • The space hosts a Farmers’ Market showcasing local produce as well as upcycling workshops to foster a culture centered on health and sustainability.

These strategies help create spaces where visitors, tenants, and employees can enjoy healthier and more comfortable environments while reinforcing NEXTOPIA’s identity as a people-centered retail destination.

Differentiating Through Health and Experience
In today’s competitive retail landscape, customer experience and trust are essential.

Fitwel certification strengthens NEXTOPIA’s market differentiation by providing credible, internationally recognized validation that the environment supports health, safety, and wellbeing. For tenants, customers, and investors alike, this transparency builds confidence that the space delivers measurable performance across indoor environmental quality, active design, and social wellbeing.

By aligning health strategies with experiential retail design, NEXTOPIA creates an environment where wellbeing contributes directly to foot traffic, brand loyalty, and long-term tenant value.

Delivering Value Through Sustainable Development
Fitwel has also supported broader value creation for Siam Piwat by reinforcing the company’s leadership in sustainable development and ESG performance.

Health-focused strategies implemented at NEXTOPIA—ranging from improved environmental systems to inclusive design—enhance visitor satisfaction while strengthening operational performance and long-term asset resilience.

At the same time, these initiatives help position Siam Piwat as a global leader in people-centered destination development.

Advancing the Next Generation of Sustainable Retail
Looking ahead, Siam Piwat is continuing to expand its sustainability commitments. In 2026, NEXTOPIA became the first retail space in Thailand to operate with 100% clean energy, with plans to extend this achievement across all properties by 2030.

The company is also progressing toward Net Zero emissions for Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2050, reinforcing its long-term commitment to climate resilience and responsible operations.

Through projects like NEXTOPIA, Siam Piwat is demonstrating how retail environments can evolve to meet rising expectations around health, sustainability, and visitor experience—setting a powerful example for the future of global retail development.

Who else made this year’s Best in Building Health list? Visit fitwel.org/bibh

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Kenneth Einhorn
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