theSun Property December 2015

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ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 11, 2015
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For the love of naturePART1
> Eco-sustainable designs and concepts
of S P Setia’s KL Eco City
WITH environmental
degradation still a
major issue around the
globe, theSun
commends and highlights a couple
of property developers and their
development projects that have
received recognition and won
awards for adopting various
processes, designs and concepts
that do not negatively impact the
environment.
An award-winning development
to take note of is KL Eco City which
was awarded the BCAGreenmark
Gold certificate. The development
project also won an award under
Best Green Development at the
Southeast Asia Property Awards
2015 held at the Shangri-La Hotel in
Singapore in Oct 2015.
WHERE PEOPLE AND
ENVIRONMENT CONNECT
KL Eco City is a mixed
development project which is
helmed by the S P Setia Berhad
Group. The development is under
way and sits on what was the
former Kampung Haji Abdullah
Hukumvillage. Said to be a “world-
class city-within-a-city exuding
extraordinary architectural
boldness”, the landmark
development, once completed,
will boast:
three residential towers;
a serviced apartment tower;
three corporate office towers;
12 boutique office blocks; and
one retail podium featuring
public and private gardens with
amenities, retail, parking, a
mosque and a relocated cultural
building that combines with the
Mid Valley and Gardens
developments.
Spread across 25 acres of prime
land, KL Eco City is renowned as
the first integrated green luxury
development anchored by prime
commercial offices, high-end retail
outlets, world-class serviced
apartments and plush residential
towers. The design blueprint is the
work of internationally-renowned
Jerde Partnership International,
which has its headquarters in the
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US. The company focuses
on creating places where
people love to go and want
to come back to. Unique is
Jerde’s design approach,
named “co-creativity” –
briefly explained as an
experiential environment
where people connect and
experience the place.
Other architects working
on this project include
GDP Architect, GRA
Architect and BEP Akitek.
THE SETIA BRAND
Holding the reins to this
project is S P Setia. It has
under its belt, projects all
over the country – in
Selangor, Kuala Lumpur
and Putrajaya, Penang,
Johor and Sabah, as well as
abroad in Singapore,
Vietnam, Australia, China
and the United Kingdom.
Having established a
sterling reputation in the
property development
sector, S P Setia is famed
for its commitment in
creating environments
that balance out the four
areas of human activity –
live, learn, work and play.
Its developments all
centre on this concept, yet
can be segregated into
three “ranges” depicting
mass townships under the
“Setia” label; an up-market
segment under its “Duta”
tag; and its “green”
offerings as in KL Eco
City, that carry the “Eco”
title.
S P Setia Group has
been a harbinger of
environmental issues. In
2008, the company began
commemoratingWorld
Environment Day (WED),
intending to create public
awareness on critical
environmental issues. It has since
formed partnerships to champion
the green cause, even engaging its
property development buyers and
communities outside its
developments through its “Eco
Runs” to increase awareness on
environmental degradation and
sustaining the environment.
S P Setia also upholds its
corporate social responsibility
(CSR) charter in which it declares
its commitment – “Building
sustainable communities for all”.
This is carried out through its
various social and charity-based
works via the S P Setia Foundation.
KL ECO CITY
There are three residential towers
under the company’s KL Eco City
label. These consist of Vogue Suites
1, 2 and 3. Vogue Suites 1 is expected
to be completed in January 2017. It
offers a 60-storey tower comprising
708 residential suites, complete
with luxurious lifestyle facilities
across four levels and 90,000 sf.
Fromone-bedroom to one-plus-one
and two-bedroomsuites, to lofts –
these choices of living spaces range
from650 sf and 3,800 sf.
Themaster plan Jerde created
for KL Eco City features a vibrant
destination that integrates
transport hubs andwalkways with
links, high densitymixed-use
spaces all in an open-air landscape
that reflectsMalaysia’s rich
ecosystems. The tower elements
are said to be lifted off the podium
and made to create shade and
stimulate natural ventilation which
help moderate the climate through
the communal green terraces that
link throughout the entire
development project.
Its central location also creates
social synergy, integration,
convenience and efficiency of
shared transport. The development
combines diversity of uses to create
a lively, complex and rich city
district that is easily accessible,
created to optimise views, vistas
and open spaces. Simple yet elegant
built-forms facilitate carefully
considered infrastructure, modern
recreational amenities and
sustainable utilities. Lush greenery
and tropical gardens are included
wherever possible in the blueprint
– at street levels, on podium roofs
and elevated decks within the
towers even.
Energy efficient escalators and
elevators are expected to be
installedwithin the development.
Said to be able to take loads up to 50
stories in 50 seconds, this is only
one of many state-of-the-art
engineering, energy-efficient and
high-performance smart
technologies incorporated in the
development design.
BCA GREENMARK
A benchmarking scheme aimed at
achieving a sustainable built
environment by incorporating best
practices in environmental design,
construction and green building
technologies. Buildings are rated
according to key criteria which are:
1) energy efficiency;
2) water efficiency;
3) environmental protection;
4) indoor environmental quality;
and
5) other green/innovative features
that contribute to improved
building performance.
There aremany benefits in
choosing a “green home”. While
the BCAGreenMark scheme helps
reduce water and energy bills,
improves indoor environmental
quality and healthy living, and
reduces potential negative impact
on the environment – there are
social and economic benefits to
choosing a “green home” too.
Followour column next week on
another “green icon”.
S P Setia’s Vogue Suites 1.
An artist’s impression of S P Setia’s KL Eco City.