[Consumerwide - Jinil Kang Reporter / Yohan Bok Reporter] A recent interior design and construction style is centred on environmental sustainability and high efficiency. One may be able to check out the newest trends and innovations in the construction and interior sectors at the 2024 Korea Build Week. I could witness the latest trend on the second day of the exhibition on February 22nd.

800 businesses, which include Project Modular and Precast Concrete Industry Fair, Smart Construction Safety Industry Fair, Construction and Fire Prevention Industry Fair, Korea Stone Fair, Building Maintenance and Management Industry Fair, and Air Environment Industry Fair, have participated in the Korean Build 2024 with 2700 booths. This is a 20% increase from a year prior in terms of event scale. In particular, Kyungdong Navien, HDCLabs, and Nest presented high-efficiency and environmental smart home solutions, which attracted a large number of visitors. Besides, the large three Korean interior brands, including Hanssam, LXHousys, and Hyundai Livart, target remodelling demand during the spring interior season, which is one of the peak seasons in the interior industry.

Kyungdong Navien has demonstrated sustainable future technology through the Hydrogen Condensing Boiler that is British H2 Readiness certified, which refers to a component or system's ability to work with hydrogen, such as city gas distribution mixed with 20% hydrogen, and the Condensing Aircon Hybrid, which uses heat waste after producing electricity during the summer. The Condensing Aircon Hybrid product performs freshening, cooling, and removing humidity from the air, and condensing technology, which is efficient for energy reduction, is applied. This product also provides a clean air environment by refreshing the air in the living room, shower room, bed room, and kitchen through an AI-technology wallpad. The AI wallpad was favoured by many visitors on that day. From a Northern American perspective, the Water Treatment System, which removes calcium and magnesium from water, and the Furnace Condensing Boiler, which increases energy efficiency while eliminating hazardous gas entering indoor spaces by heating water with air, are the main points of attention.

Kyungdong One has demonstrated a technology that satisfies both thermal insulation and safety by releasing products with safefoam, safeboard, and safepannel. Safefoam is a spray type of semi-non-flammable urethane that succeeded in commercialization for the first time in industry and is a thermal insulation material along with a safeboard that is used in and out of a building. Safepannel, which is ready to release this year, is a semi-non-flammable urethane sandwitch pannel and is qualified for roof fire-resistant quality.

HDClabs has presented AI-connected homepad and wallpad products from Bestin, a smart home brand.

The AI-based voice recognition homepad can control various home network devices, such as the face recognition door lock (IDL-400R), smart switch, and energy metre.

Particularly, HDClabs has presented a 24-inch electric frame wallpad that edits and prints images based on AI editor technology while functioning as an image frame without a hardware image in ordinary days for the first time. The Bestin Plus is a hyper-connectivity control solution based on a global standard, the KNX system. The house control system targets high prices for houses, aiming for three directions of smart life evolution, including service innovation through AI, building ecology systems based on global standards, and expanding space through external service connections. The service includes overall control for luxury house life by adding solar power, EV charging, and parking control functions, along with a basic function such as lighting, an electric curtain and blind, entering, and an air conditioner (heating and cooling). Furthermore, user-life-customised services are offered through home devices and system control according to space and time.

Shinmyeong Flooring has introduced Quick Step, which is a floor material brand of the Belgium Unilin company. The brand is known for making and handling materials that are environmentally sustainable and have high capacity. Shinmyeong Flooring filled a 400㎡ wide booth with this flooring material, and models walked on it with high heels, demonstrating its strength to endure without damage.

Nest has presented Mineral Floor, which is a floor that resolves the issue of wooden floor material, which is easily scratched and not efficient for water cleaning, by using a water-resistant function while eliminating PVC elements and emitting FIR (far infrared) and nagative ions that are beneficial to the human body. Additionally, Nest introduced Quartz Board, which is water- and dust-proof and non-flammable while emitting FIR, and fire-retardant louverwall, WPC, which has a long life due to its completely waterproof material without formaldehyde and a bad smell risk. LXHousys presented Super Save window and door products with high insulation capacity, which are popular among consumers living in apartments.

Rehouse stores of Hanssam have presented new release products of Hanssem at the booth targeting high-season remodelling demand. There seems to be competition among consulting experts. A variety of selections related to kitchen, shower room, and shelf were exhibited, and the rehouse designer carried out customised interior consultation, which suggested materials for each space along with a demonstration of the complete house after the construction by using the 3D design programme Homeplanner.

LX Hausys welcomed visitors with a model house exhibition space with popular products in the window and door (incl. mid-door), floor and wall material, and kitchen and bath categories. The Super Save window and door product with high insulation capacity, which is popular among consumers living in apartments, caught the most attention from visitors. Besides, Editon series floor and wall material (marble look) and a kitchen furniture product, Selection 5, caught eyes. Many interior consumers participated in a one-on-one consultation with 40 interior experts from the stores of the LXhousys Z:in Square exhibition centre in the capital area.

Livart exhibited Ritchen, the premium kitchen brand, including an island table made out of luxurious Khanstone tops, and hosted an interior consulting booth.

Apart from that, 800 businesses attracted interior consumers at 2700 booths with futuristic technology and products, such as new reusable energy, smart construction technology, and carbon neutralisation construction methods, on that day.