MALAYSIA LANDSCAPEARCHITECTURE AWARDSStarSpecial

THE STARWednesday 30 April 2014

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Wednesday 30 April 2014 StarSpecial �

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By Tee Lin Dee

HELICONIAS sigh in the sun-shine while the trickle ofwater fills the quiet of the

afternoon.All around, lush greenery

abounds, blanketing the land withan inviting calm.

This is Verve Suites, the muchtalked-about address in Mont Kiara.

The chatter is about to growlouder now that the residence haswon an award in the MalaysiaLandscape Architecture Awards.

It is impossible to walk intoVerve Suites without admiring itslandscape.

Its gardens and stillness havesoothed many stressed and broken-hearted souls.

Designed by Nicole Van DenSteenhoven, her landscape bril-liance has resulted in a serenejungle in the middle of busy KualaLumpur.

“What we have done is cre-ate a lot of niches and areas forpeople to hang out,” said VanDen Steenhoven, who has beenexperimenting with plants since herchildhood.

“When designing, we must findout the needs of people who willbe using it. We always try to findout what they want and then createpossibilities. Design must be mal-leable.”

She has been successful in thatendeavour as residents are seenreading, chatting and relaxing inthe recreational areas throughoutthe day.

The tasteful landscape is a tempt-ing invitation to all who walk by.

Each area has been thoughtfullydesigned to provide enjoymentwhile remaining fully functional.

At the Level 5 podium, wheretrees and plants stand in lush pride,Van Den Steenhoven’s brilliance is

on display.An example is the podium heated

pool which gives respite on a chillyday.

Then there’s the wet and dryreflexology area in the midst oftrees and plants.

For those seeking some peaceand quiet, the cosy reading pavilionwhich oversees a pond and a layerof greenery offers solitude andtranquillity.

And there’s the Gardens ofConcentrico – a stunning cityjungle on the 31st floor of theVogue Tower.

“We have more than 27 spe-cies of trees and 47 species ofshrubs here. The four layers of aforest are featured here – canopy,shorter trees, low shrubs andground plants,” explained Van DenSteenhoven.

“The design is more introvertcompared to the other sky lounges.”

To allow the trees to grow well,a specially constructed perforatedmetal screen around the gardenswas constructed to reduce the effectof the wind at this height.

Also included in the developmentis a marvellous hydro gym.

Verve Suites comprises fourdistinct towers, featuring 933 fully-furnished designer suites and foursky lounges – Vertigo Sky Lounge,Hypercubes Sky Lounge, Gardens ofConcentrico and the Versilica SkyBeach.

Also designed by Van DenSteenhoven, each sky lounge isaccessible to all residents andprovides different recreationopportunities.

Verve Suites definitely bringsresidents closer to nature.

Over 100,000sq ft of the devel-opment make up recreational and

landscaped areas, a testament tothe developer’s determination tobring pleasure to residents.

Delighting customersWinning the Malaysia Landscape

Architecture Awards will no doubtput the spotlight on low profiledeveloper Bukit Kiara Properties(BKP) and its group managingdirector Datuk N. K. Tong.

Prior to BKP, Tong was theexecutive director of Sunrise Berhadwhere he was actively involved intransforming the once rubber tree-land Mont Kiara into a well-heeledneighbourhood.

“I’m most grateful for this awardas it is a recognition for the teamafter years of perseverance. I’mhappy for them as well as for ourcustomers. When we started out,we wanted to create somethingspecial, something that would standthe test of time. We wanted toensure that our customers wouldenjoy living here,” said Tong.

Enjoyment is one thing, butensuring that it is sustainable isimportant. Not many developershave been able to do this.

“From day one, we asked our-selves, what would make sensefor this? What would be the mostcost-effective way to add value?We could choose to put in a lot ofexpensive things and then makethe customer pay. Or, we couldchoose to delight them. We chosethe latter. The focus has alwaysbeen on the customers. Awardscan take care of themselves.

“Our core strength has alwaysbeen innovation, where we giveintrinsic value at a manageable cost.To do that, one has to be innovative.After all, if it’s too expensive, it’s nolonger value for money,” said Tong.

> See PAGe 6

StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014 MLAA �

Greenery in the city

The wet and dryreflexology areaoffers anatmosphere ofcalm and peace.

Take in the spectacular view from the Vertigo Sky Lounge.

Tong posing at the Sky Beach at the topof the Vox Tower.

� MLAA StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014

> FROM PAGE 5

The more trees a developmenthas, the cleaner the air and theslower the heartbeat.BKP knew that landscaping was

key in creating a special develop-ment.“The older the landscaping gets,

the better it becomes because itgrows. Anything green slows downyour heartbeat and relaxes you,”said Tong.“There is a lot of tender loving

care required when it comes tolandscaping. We spent a lot here,even bringing in mature trees fromnurseries.“We bought the trees when they

were young and let them grow intheir nursery.“We then brought them over

when the trees matured. This costsmore, but we need to think for thelong-term as well as for ease ofmaintenance.“We start with the right ingre-

dients, conditions, budget and theright frame of mind for mainte-nance.“Landscaping mustn’t just look

good today. It must look evenbetter tomorrow and in the yearsto come.”

The power of greeneryGreat landscaping has an innate

effect in bringing out the beauty inpeople.At Verve Suites, residents love

hanging out and getting to knoweach other.“When we started this nine years

ago, we wanted to do somethingthat would bring people together.At the time, social media wasn’t abuzzword yet.“But what we created has, in

essence, brought real estate and thevirtual media together.“We have a social media for

Verve Suites which is very active.We have achieved this because weprovide a lot of support in terms ofmanagement and services.“The facilities allow our residents

to connect. The landscaping cer-tainly makes a huge difference. I amsure that without the landscaping,we would be just another concretejungle.“Landscaping helps a develop-

ment. As a developer, it’s verytempting to cut corners on land-scaping. Instead, we spend a lotto gain the immediate impact.“Many things in a development

are revenue-generating, but not thetrees and not the gardens we havecreated. But what they do is createa wonderful effect.“For landscaping to be impactful,

the management has to be pas-sionate about plants. While we hadNicole, we also needed the supportof everyone else to see to its suc-cess.“Workers had to be very care-

ful once we brought a plant in.Everyone had to be mindful to cre-ate a safe zone,” said Tong.

Sustainable environment“Let’s be honest, all developments

destroy the environment,” saidTong.“Having said that, how can we

minimise that effect?”A lot has been spent on creating

a sustainable environment at theVerve Suites.Low VOC paints and aluminium

formwork (substituting plywood)

were used during construction.This translates to aluminium

being recycled 1,000 times beforeit is used to make a can.In landscaping, it’s not just about

its aesthetic effect – it’s also aboutfunctionality.“We could have chosen to use

artificial fertilisers and syntheticsin our plants and it would lookgood for only three to six months.“Tending to plants is very much

like tending to a baby. You can’tmake them grow fast and whenthey catch a disease, you need togive them rest and tender, lovingcare.“There is R&D going on all the

time. What we are doing may notbe immediately noticeable, but wehave taken pains to give some ofour plants a 1.5m soil foundationand make sure they “grip hands”underneath.“All these take effort, especially

during the initial stages. But shouldthere ever be a storm, our plantsand trees will stand strong. It maybe more expensive in the beginning,but we are future-proofingour landscaping.“We believe in innovating on the

cutting-edge, not on the bleedingedge. In whatever we do, it has tobe cost-effective and safe.”Verve Suites is all about bringing

delight to customers. To do thatrequires the software and hard-ware. The interaction would be thesoftware while the units and shopsare the hardware. Landscaping is abit of both.“When you feel good about space,

magic happens. People becomefriendlier, you feel more neigh-bourly.“The whole team was really

engaged in reaching this goal andwe carried this through fromconstruction to delivery.“All of us lead busy lives. We

wanted to create a lifestyle that letspeople play hard – and what wehave created attracts people who

celebrate life.”

Impacting societyone person at a timeDevelopments in Malaysia

have been praised for its highinternational standards andcertainly, Verve Suites has donewell in bringing a little moresophistication to living standards.“It is not just a beautiful develop-

ment, it also bears meaning.“Our biggest contribution as a

group would be that we encourageresidents to take on this passionfor well-being and theenvironment.“If we can teach residents about

landscaping, value and well-beingthrough our social media andfacilities, we can grow Malaysiaone person at a time,” Tong added.

Landscapingmakes all the differenceHave a splashing time inthe infinity pool at theHypercubes Sky Lounge.

Van Den Steenhoven says that in designing, one must first find out the needs of thepeople using it.

The hydro gym at the Gardens of Concentrico.

� MLAA StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014

StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014 MLAA �

UrbanhavenThe Linear Park at Puteri

harbour, Nusajaya, is plannedas an integrated urban water-

front and marina developmentoffering a panoramic view of theStraits of Johor.It aims to redefine luxury living

while offering boundless invest-ment opportunities. Located nextto Kota Iskandar, the developmentoffers a world-class and luxuriouslifestyle community with excep-tional waterfront living, dining,entertainment, the arts and culturein a safe and postcard picturenatural setting.It will be an ideal location for

global or regional commerce andevents, with state-of-the art facili-ties and a business friendly environ-ment.The master plan visualises the

development as an iconic water-front location with quality environ-ment and structures that comple-ment each other, integrate well intothe surroundings and contributetowards a rich, vibrant and textured

waterfront precinct – a place thatis engaging, contemporary andculturally relevant.The objectives are:• To enhance the identity of the

waterfront.• To create amenities for all

groups of people.• To promote a sense of commu-

nity within the urban spaces.• To adopt safety and security

measures through environmentdesign.• To promote environmental

sustainable designs and use ofresources.The Urban Design Guidelines

of this development focuses onfive precincts within the water-front development – Nakhoda,Laksamana, Tanjung, Bahtera andPuteri precincts.For the submission of this

Malaysian Landscape ArchitectureAward 2013, the area of focus isthe development of the public openspace component of the Laksamanaprecinct.

The public open space acts as agreen lung and can be used forpublic festive gatherings and events.It is the centre of gravity for all

the open spaces in this precinct.The guiding principles of this

development, especially those thatrelates to landscape, are as follows:• Landscape elements that

respond to local cultural conditionsusing materials, textures and formsthat celebrate the Malaysia nativelandscape.• Creating a bold and contempo-

rary tropical landscape theme.• Creating landscapes for a variety

of uses such as large public gather-ings, special events, celebrationsand as pedestrian circulationcorridor.• Develop strong indoor/outdoor

relationships between commercialand retail and the adjacent publiclaneways and plazas and residentialand the adjacent gardens to activateand enliven the public domain.• Use trees, structures, water

features and plants to create

cool microclimates.• Provide a clear delineation

between public and private useswhile encouraging passive surveil-lance to increase security.• Create destination landscapes

at key locations as focal points.• Create a landscape that will

evolve into a multi-layered andengaging place.

Landscape approach forthe Laksamana precinctin relation to publicopen space• Open drainage system for storm

water management before it isexpelled into the harbour.• Drop structures in the wetland

system to slow down velocity ofwater using natural stones.• Strong linear geometry in the

parklands as an expression ofwater movement.• Using trees to emphasise the

linear geometry and provide shadefor the pathway system.• Strong visual and pedestrian

links with adjoining developmentparcels to integrate the open spacewith developed space.• Meandering pathway system

follows the watercourse and con-nects the park to the adjacentdevelopment.• Adjacent cultural facility is

located in a park setting to comple-ment the park.• Wetland planting will be domi-

nated by regenerated native vegeta-tion to enhance biodiversity andcreate habitat for indigenous fauna.• Pavilions within the park

provide opportunities for informalrest areas or meeting areas.• Landscape spaces that are

carved into the wetland vegetation.• Pedestrian connection to Private

Marina waterfront occurs under theroad.• Major linear bridge connection

across the wetland connects thepark to the waterfront.

■ For details, look out for theadvertisement in this StarSpecial.

Linear Park at Puteri Harbour,Nusajaya, offers a world-class andluxurious lifestyle community.

Linear Park is a place that is engaging, contemporary and culturally relevant.

Linear Park isan ideallocation forglobal orregionalcommerceevents.

Trees, structures, water features and planting create cool microclimates

StarSpecial� Wednesday 30 April 2014 �

StarSpecial� Wednesday 30 April 2014 �

11@MONT’ Kiara is the resultof an idea to create somethingnew, different and unique for

Sunrise Bhd in Mont’ Kiara.The “rotunda” building form is

semi-organic and due to the terrain,has resulted in complex “multi-layered” landscape spaces.Its concept is to link these layers

with a combination of water, plantsand light.Forcing a formal landscape into

the open spaces within and aroundthe building did not seem practi-cal and the developer decided toadopt an organic and “fluid” designapproach.This allows the landscape to

effortlessly penetrate and permeatethrough the open spaces.The developer gained inspira-

tion from the behaviour of fluidsand how they scatter, coalesce andmove through spaces and acrosssurfaces.Fluids are physically represented

by pools and water features andrepresented in abstract in the formand layout of paving and features.Water is used as a transfer mate-

rial to allow light to penetrate andconnect the levels vertically.The organic nature of the design

lends itself to a contemporary inter-pretation of “Art Deco”, which hasbeen used as an influence in com-

bining the main materials of stone,steel, glass, wood and plants intoan iconic, stylish and contemporarydesign.This will be a “Design Hallmark”,

unique to 11@Mont’ Kiara.The developer was given a free

reign over the design of all com-ponents within the open rotundaspace and wanted to explore theconcept of “stacking” landscapeelements to get the most functionaluse out of limited space.This design process resulted in

the creation of a “floating” pool,where instead of a vessel floatingin water, the water is in a vesselfloating in space.The elevated lap pool resembles

a space ship hovering above themain environmental deck.Multiple circular acrylic panels

allow light to penetrate through thepool, creating functional and natu-rally lit spaces below.A cluster of panels above the

car park central void allow light tocascade and penetrate into thecentre of the car park structure.All these come together to make

the vision and concept of thedevelopment a reality as a new andunique development in the market.

■ For details, look out for theadvertisement in this StarSpecial.

10 MLAA StarSpecial, Wednesday 30 April 2014

Uniquehomeaddress

11@Mont’ Kiara is a new, different and unique development in Mont’ Kiara.

A combination of stone, steel, glass,wood and plants creates an iconic,stylish and contemporary design.

Green spaceis a vital partof thedevelopment.

The main entrance to 11@Mont’ Kiara. The elevated lap pool resembles a space ship hovering above the main environmental deck.

Wednesday 30 April 2014 StarSpecial 11

WheN you come home toSetia Sky Residences, it’slike coming home to your

very own tropical paradise.envisioned as a luxurious sanctu-

ary in the city, Setia Sky Residencesoffers not just the amenities foundin the world’s best tropical resorts,but also features palm trees, crystal-clear waters and blue skies.Setia Sky Residences comprises

four residential towers situated on2.4ha of land strategically locatedalong Jalan Tun Razak.The gleaming 40-storey towers

are arranged in an eye-catchingcurvilinear design.The landscape design was

inspired by the terraced paddyfields of Bali as well as the works oflegendary Brazilian landscape archi-tect and artist Roberto Burle Marx.Together, the organic lines and

shapes of the Balinese countrysideand Marx’s modernist art gave birthto a landscape that responds to thecurving profile of the architecture.In Malaysia, Marx is best known

for designing the KLCC park.Therefore, the landscape design

pays tribute to the iconic buildingthat put Malaysia on the worldarchitectural map.

A resort in the skyThe landscape design is best seen

in the two one-acre Sky Decks, eachof which bridges two towers atLevel 5.

> SEE PAGE 13

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A tropical oasis in the city

Breathtaking viewof Kuala Lumpur’sskyline from theSky Club.

When you think of Setia Sky Residences, picture palm trees, crystal-clear waters and blue skies.

View of thepoolside terracefrom above.

The Sky Club features a Jacuzzi, lap pool, wading pool and children’s pool.

When it comes to a home,what’s outside is as impor-tant, if not more so, than

what’s inside.Living in the modern world,

the way people keep their homesreflects their busy lifestyles, forexample, the lack of gardens onmost landed properties.

While not everyone has a greenthumb or enjoys mulching, trans-planting and fertilising, it cannotbe denied that a well-landscapedgarden brings a sense of peace andtranquility.

At Setia eco Park, the concept ofliving in harmony with nature is aserious matter.

The project began in 2004 withthe novel idea of incorporatingnature into an urban neighbour-hood.

At that time, SP Setia decidedthat this project will be the onethat brings change to the propertyindustry.

And the one person to bring sucha change is none other than SPSetia’s chief executive officer DatukKoe Peng Kang.

Koe said: “When we first started,I realised that if people want theirhouse to look nice, they will be will-ing to pay for it. even their cars are

taken care of beautifully. Yet, whenit comes to their gardens and land-scape, people just don’t care.”

however, he knew that if he wereto create a beautifully landscapedtownship, people would want tobe part of it.

Koe insisted that in order for

this idea to work, there should be avariety of landscape and flora andfauna.

Planting different kinds of specieswould need nurturing and certainlymaintenance.

> SEE PAGE 14

Place to relax and enjoy a spectacular view

> FROM PAGE 12

each Sky Deck is designed toresemble the sinuous lines of aMarx painting from a bird’s eyeview.

The organic layout takes theform of a lush tropical garden witha water feature that meanders thelength of the Sky Deck, featuring aJacuzzi, 50m lap pool, wading pooland children’s pool.

A cascading water wall lendsmore visual interest as it fills theair with the soothing sounds offalling water.

From the quiet semi-enclosedprivate spas to the expansive deckarea and cosy pavilions on the Sky

Deck, there’s a visual treat in storefor you.

Trees are planted in abundanceall around the Sky Deck to createcool, shaded areas so that you canenjoy the outdoors in comfort.

Imagine relaxing on a deck chairby the pool under a leafy canopy,it is like you’re on a holiday at atropical island resort.

The lush lifeMore than 40 species of mostly

native plants can be found through-out Setia Sky Residences, from theground level to the Sky Deck andthe Sky Club on Level 33A.

These were selected not just fortheir aesthetic effect, but also for

its low maintenance, resistance todrought and hardiness.

The landscape design of theSky Deck can even be seen at theground level.

In addition, two to three metresof lush plantings around the peri-meter create a place where every-thing is soothing and peaceful.

At the entrance to residence,frangipani trees are planted tomake a statement.

At the upper levels, plants arealso used to create a striking effect.

Sculptural plants in contain-ers are placed at strategic pointsthroughout the Sky Club.

The objective is to bring residentscloser to nature without compro-mising on the magnificent views ofthe city’s skyline, which includesthe Petronas Twin Towers.

Setia Sky Residences has becomesynonymous with luxury. Setia Sky

Residences has been awarded theMalaysia Landscape ArchitectureAward 2013 for excellent landscapeplanning and development in theproperty development category.

■ For more information, call thesales and marketing departmentat 03-2714 5252 from 9am to 6pm(Mondays to Fridays) and 10amto 6pm (weekends and publicholidays).

Imagine relaxing on a deck chair by the pool under a leafy canopy – it is like you’re on a holiday.

A spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur city from the Sky Villa.

Living closer tonatureRymba Creek features avariety of tropical plants.

Koe: I realisedthat if peoplewant theirhouse to looknice, they willbe willing topay for it.

Every nook andcranny hasbeen filled witha variety oflocal tropicalspecies.

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Beautiful and tranquil surroundings

> FROM PAGE 13

But first, Koe needed the munici-pal council’s approval. Although thecouncil was helpful, it lacked thebudget to maintain the landscape ofthis 320ha of prime freehold land.SP Setia then decided to under-

take this responsibility on behalfof the council.When planting began, every nook

and cranny was filled with a varietyof local tropical species.This move gave local tropical

species a chance to show off theirbeauty.In the end, the landscape turned

out looking like a typical tropicalgarden. For example, Rymba Creekfeatures many different species oftropical plants, with many unfamil-iar varieties.The eco-park was designed to

allow birds from the nearby BukitCherakah forest to fly low andhover at the parks.Furthermore, the lakes are freshly

stocked with fish but fishing is

not allowed.Although there are many pools

and streams within the eco-park,there are not many mosquitoes asthe fish feeds on mosquito larvae.“We can’t just be interested in

profits – it comes to such an extentnow where we need an ecologicallybalanced environment,” Koe said.SP Setia strives to work towards

preserving the environment.“You don’t disturb it, but you

keep it beautiful and people wouldpay a premium for this lifestyle.”After 10 years, Setia Eco Park has

lived up to its reputation – RymbaCreek was recently awarded theMalaysian Landscape ArchitectureAward 2013 for excellent landscapeplanning in the property develop-ment category.The awards are presented by the

Institute of Landscape Architects.

■ For more information, contactthe sales and marketing officersat 03-3343 2228 or e-maileco-sales@spsetia.com.my

The eco-park issituated nearbythe BukitCherakah forest.

At Setia Eco Park, the concept of living in harmony with nature is a serious matter.

Rymba Creekwas recentlyawarded theMalaysianLandscapeArchitectureAward 2013.

There are many pools and streams within the development.

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