Forte teams up with ANS to advance product refinement strategy

On June 20, Shanghai Forte signed a joint venture agreement with ANS, an internationally renowned design firm, earmarking further advancement of Forte s product refinement strategy.

Since inception, Forte has been adhering to a product-oriented philosophy and has committed itself to the exploration in product research, development and design. In 2006, Forte became the first developer in Shanghai to unveil an energy-saving and eco-friendly house, and took a lead among its peers in product R&D.

Planning and design are the soul of architecture, and will make or mar a project, said Mr. Fan Wei, chairman of Forte at the signing ceremony. While attaching importance to product R&D as well as planning & design, Forte has constantly introduced new concepts and provided the market with quality products. The equity partnership with ANS will initiate pro-active participation of architects as opposed to their normal practice of passive involvement. Forte s product quality, as a result, will benefit from more refined design and management.

ANS International Design & Consulting Pty. Ltd. is a multi-disciplinary international design company founded in Australia. ANS offers expertise services in urban planning, architectural, interior and landscape design, as well as pre-development consultation.

Commenting on the co-operation, Mr. Terry Cai, Managing Director of ANS, added that ANS was pleased to team up with a trustworthy partner with mutual understanding. He believes that Forte can provide a better platform, and the tacit understanding between the two parties will enable full play of design talent and lead to excellent and popular products.

We have seen successful cooperation of this kind before which was proven to be a win-win solution, said Mr. Zhao Longjie, President of Shanghai Real Estate Industry Association. Compared with more common contractual strategic relationship, equity cooperation between developer and designer will lead to a closer partnership with mutual understanding. With the developer providing first-hand information on market demand, the design company can offer better services, and the market will benefit with premium products.

To further advance its product refinement strategy, Forte will undertake more investment in product design and R&D, offer more demand-driven products, and establish its brand image of For Better Living.

So far, ANS has started providing pre-development consulting services for Forte s Tianjin Center and the exhibition hall for private-owned enterprises at the upcoming World Expo, a project sponsored by Fosun Group, Forte s parent.