PATTAYA: Mario Kleff, a German architect with Thai citizenship, has started construction on several massive villas. At least three villas will have living areas between 1,600 and 3,000 sqm, and ten villas between 600 and 1,000 sqm.
The architect became known in Pattaya for his exceptional residential designs, realized through his own construction company, Wandeegroup. For over 10 years, the construction department in Pattaya has referred to "Mario beams," meaning cellular beams, a construction technique from England that the designer introduced to Thailand in 2007. The first multi-story residential building using this technique was Park Royal 2, completed in 2010.
In early 2022, Mario Kleff built a 2,500 sqm villa equipped with massive steel beams. A 48-meter-long cellular beam was installed between two columns, with cantilevers over 19 meters on each side – a new record in residential construction in Thailand.
His current projects are equally spectacular – five villas and a hotel are being built on Lieb Tang Rodfai Road, one villa in Naklua near the highway access, and seven villas at Mabprachan Lake. Concrete beams up to 30 meters long are being produced, with prestressed foundations used for the first time. Prestressed concrete is known, but prestressed foundations have been rare until now.
The design was developed in collaboration between Mario Kleff and Dr. Songkiat Matupayont. CPAC supplied a special cement mixture, and the stones come from Lampang in northern Thailand. Concrete of this quality had previously only been available for high-rise buildings or bridges outside Thailand.
Once these villas are completed, Mario Kleff will have set new benchmarks again. Asked why such complex and costly construction methods are necessary, he replies:
“It is very difficult to convince high-rise developers to improve design and construction quality. With villa construction, however, there is an opportunity to change direction and excite residents about a modern Pattaya.”