Although billed as Scandinavian in style, LBS Bina Group Bhd’s latest phase of ‘Nautilus’ superlink houses does not seem to offer what most would consider as specifically Scandinavian architecture. Besides a Modernist-like cubic form that is pretty fashionable among most local developers today, anyway, there is no preponderance of pine or high-tech prefabricated parts.

It’s good that it doesn’t, actually. These homes are not set within the Scandinavian peninsular of harsh winters and high wind, after all, but the tropical lowlands of Puchong, some kilometres down from the LDP. Its exact location is on a landmass surrounded by ex-tin mining pools that is being ambitiously transformed by developer LBS Bina into the mini township christened D’Island.

Nautilus’ design in fact makes sense in the tropical climate. A central atrium runs along its three storeys, thus providing ventilation and openness. It also provides a sense of grandeur. Like Blake Carrington, you can look down upon your guests from the upper floors’ balustrades if you so wish.

In a rather Asian way, as well, Nautilus homes may easily house the elderly generation of an extended family, with a lift that runs the height of the house. It helps that that each home offers an abundance of space.

Plot sizes are generous with 95 units sized at 24′x100′, and 20 units measuring up at 24′ x 80′. These yield built-up areas which range from 4,246 to 4,791 sq ft. Prices, meanwhile, range from RM1.81 to RM1.91 million (approximately RM400 to RM425 per sq ft).

Within each home are five bedrooms, all with attached bathrooms. Three have the proportions of master bedrooms, with own balconies, and enough space to fit in walk-in wardrobes. Also included is a maid’s room with bathroom, and a powder room, cleverly tucked in beneath the ground floor staircase.

The first floor master bedroom’s balcony, in particular, is large enough to fit a dining set, garden or jacuzzi. Mirroring the indoor atrium’s vertical integration, this balcony may be looked upon by the second floor’s balcony, which in fact projects out like a cantilever encased by glass balustrades.

Like Northern European homes, this time, Nautilus shows consciousness for sustainability with provisions for solar panels, rainwater harvesting and energy efficient LED street lighting.

Nautilus’ recent launch saw visitor Kelvin Kew, admiring the show home, together with his wife and lovely brood of three daughters. “Yes I’d like to buy one unit as I like the design,” says Kew who had previously bought two of D’Island’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 houses. “It’s even more modern and the lift is a good idea, but I have to see whether my banker can lend me more money!”

D’Island is indeed slowly coming together as the township dreamed up by developers LBS Bina. The houses that make up its Apicalia first phase are taking shape while a dandelion-shaped water fountain is already splashing around on the roundabout outside. Over on the lakeside esplanade meanwhile, sculptures read on the lawn beside two special playground sets imported from Germany.

“This environment, where you see 175 acres on a 1,000 acre lake, I’ve never seen in Malaysia before,” adds Kew, who currently lives in Laman Granview, Saujana Puchong. “When we first came here, we felt like we were on a small island, surrounded by water.”

Indeed, even if D’Island doesn’t take you immediately to the Nordic highlands, it does bring you to someplace you never thought you’d be, in Puchong, and LBS Bina’s fantastic dream is slowly becoming a reality.

Source by: The Sun Daily

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Ever thought of having a retirement or vacation home in Ipoh? Most likely not.

“The whole country has underrated Ipoh,” admits Superboom Projects Sdn Bhd CEO Peter Chan. “Many people ask me what there is here and some even say it is a place to ferment!”

Superboom has confronted such skepticism ever since embarking on its luxury condominium project here called The Haven. Hugging a natural lake next to a 280 million year-old lime stone hill and virgin forest, The Haven offers 497 apartments ranging in size from 968 to 5,350 sq ft, and priced from RM600,000 to RM3 million.

“Ipoh is equidistant from Penang, KL, the highlands and Pangkor,” maintains Chan. “It’s also quiet and idyllic with lots of good, cheap food. And, believe me, people are coming to Ipoh. Try taking the electric train there, it’s always packed.”

Nearly a century after its heyday as a tin mining capital, in fact, Ipoh has seen several recent leisure developments. Besides Sunway City’s Lost World of Tambun theme park and the five-star Banjaran Hot Springs Retreat, a RM500 million animation theme park will be constructed by Australian leisure park builders Sanderson Group in northern Ipoh’s new Meru Raya technology hub.

An average price of RM600 per sq ft would more likely attract purchases from national and international buyers; such prices are rare in Ipoh. All the bells and whistles of an international destination are offered by The Haven, however, including five-level security, comprehensive fibre optic network, 10 acres of landscaping and gorgeous infinity pool which almost blends into the picturesque lake.

The Haven (pix) will also be managed by international hospitality chain, Best Western, which may market and lease out apartments on behalf of owners. This makes it convenient for investors.

“Ipoh used to be the highest per capital importer of Mercedes Benzes in the world maybe 50 years ago,” says Chan. “All that changed later.” Today, however, Chan believes that Ipoh’s misty karst hills whisper promises of recreation rather than tin, and that, as a leisure destination, this underrated town may just have some shot at regaining its old glory.

Source by: The Sun Daily

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After decades of political animosity between Malaysia and Singapore, the commercial real estate joint venture of both governments is on schedule with the recent groundbreaking ceremony of its maiden Marina One development in Marina South, Singapore.

Developed by M+S Pte Ltd, which is 60% owned by Malaysia’s investment holding arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and 40% owned by Singapore’s investment company Temasek Holdings (Private) Ltd, Marina One is a mixed development comprising two office towers, two residential towers, and a retail component, with gross floor area of 341,000 sq m.

Besides Marina One, M+S will develop another plot of land in Ophir-Rochor, near the Bugis area of the city. Gross development value of both projects has been estimated at SGD 11 billion (about RM27.6 billion).

Both plots of land were offered by Singapore for joint development in return for the land previously belonging to KTM Bhd on the island. The two countries also set up Pulau Indah Ventures Sdn Bhd, a 50-50 joint venture company, to develop two wellness property projects in Iskandar Malaysia.

“The marketing side for this project is being done by UEM Land Holdings Bhd (owned by Khazanah Nasional), while the project management side is being done by Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of Temasek), and Capitaland (the controlling shareholder of which is Temasek) for the Ophir-Rochor project,” explained M+S chairman, Tan Sri Azman Yahya on the separation of duties among the joint venture partners. “So far, the schedule of Marina One’s development has been on time, and we are pretty happy with the progress of the development. We’ve already started the piling works.”

Reclaimed from the sea, the land at Marina South was earmarked in the 90s by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority as the city state’s new global business and financial hub. The nearby Marina Bay, meanwhile, is Singapore’s 24/7 lifestyle precinct which offers world-class leisure and cultural destinations like Marina Bay Sands, the Singapore Flyer, the ArtScience Museum and the recently opened Gardens by the Bay.

Marina One was designed by Ingenhoven Architects from Germany. Its defining feature is a green open space, termed a “green heart”, in the middle of the four towers. Although surrounded by landmark buildings, the architecture firm’s founder Christoph Ingenhoven promised at the ceremony that the development will not have a “wild design” but instead be practical and space-efficient.

Like Marina One, the Ophir-Rochor project will be unveiled before the year end, said Azman. “We’ve already submitted the design for approval, as a combination of commercial, residential and hotel, as well as a small retail component. It will be another beautiful iconic design by Ole Scheeren (who designed another UEM Land project, Angkasa Raya in Kuala Lumpur).”

Dispelling talk of the two countries’ historically stormy relationship, Azman stressed that the working relationship between both countries’ representatives has been excellent. “M+S is a very commercial organisation with a very commercial objective, so we made it quite clear that our objective is to create as much value from this land that we have,” said Azman. “It’s pretty simple.”

Both sovereign wealth funds stand to gain much value from the burgeoning Singapore property market. Marina One’s residential component alone will net 1,042 units, and with surrounding new developments reported to already command over SGD2,000 (about RM5,000) per sq ft, market watchers expect pricing for the apartments to achieve SGD2500 (about RM6,300) per sq ft or more.

Commentators also expect the properties within Marina One to be marketed to foreigners as much as to locals, given its central and cosmopolitan location, with roadshows expected throughout the region.

With optimistic perceptions of the progress so far, the two countries seem to have found a balance which satisfies their respective real estate needs. It’s all smiles indeed as the previously squabbling partners now reunite and look forward to the impending birth of their first joint creation.

Source by: The Sun Daily

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A young couple’s determination to build their own house on a small plot of land in Jakarta, led them to the office of award-winning Indonesian architect Sontang M. Siregar.

Known for his minimalistic concept and industrial chic, the celebrated architect made a name for himself after winning several awards for a “micro house” he designed and built in 2007.

In Jakarta, life generally isn’t easy even if you’re from the professional class. Despite the country’s rising economic performance in recent years – IMF reported that Indonesian GDP has reached US$3,509 in 2011 – the middle-class in Jakarta still find it difficult to buy a home.

RM100,000 house  Property owner Chairi Reza, who is also an architect, was convinced that Sontang was the right person to help design his new house for the 100sq m plot that he owned. The challenge was to build it for about RM100,000.

But it only took Sontang one week to come up with a design concept and budget allocation.

“We soon agreed on the layout, material and budget. The allocation of RM100,000 would include my fee, electronic goods and the cost of building,” explains Sontang.

The result was a cutting-edge, two-storey house with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen and a porch big enough for two cars.

How on earth did they manage to build such a house?

Reza and his lawyer wife were lucky because their land only cost 40mil Rupiah (about RM13,000). This price is a real bargain in a city with over 28 million inhabitants sharing 740sq km.

Says Reza: “We bought this land from family members who were living here since the 1970s. They wanted to sell it fast and we wanted a bargain.”

Although there was an existing house, Reza and his wife knew that they wanted to build a new home. The couple took another two years to save enough money to build.

Peek-a-boo: What looks like a feature wall is actually a plywood partition. When it is opened, the space behind has a multiple-purpose function. A single guest bed can be folded into the cabinet.

Efficient design  Sontang designed the house with medical precision. The height of the ceiling is exactly 2.4m and the kitchen is just wide enough for two adults to walk pass each other.

Budget constraint: In order to save costs, the architect ensured that the height of the ceiling is exactly 2.4m which is the standard length of a plywood.

Sontang insists that such precise measurements were important to reduce the building cost while at the same time, allowing the limited space for better use.

“In the market, the length of a plywood sheet is 2.4 metres. If the ceiling is higher than that, I would have to buy at least two sheets to cover the wall with this material – that would be a waste of money, right?” points out Sontang.

In order to save money, Sontang also excluded conventional elements that he deemed unnecessary. There is no entranceway, hallway, inner walls nor living room.

“One of the most important things when designing a micro home is the storage space. The staircase in this house functions as drawers and wall cabinets,” says Sontang.

Concealed cabinets for storing toys, kitchen appliances and other accessories are effective in making efficient use of space. Thus, giving an airy feel to the house.

Cubic structure  The house facade features a plain, white wall with three square windows of varying sizes. Since there’s no visible door, anyone could have mistaken this part as the back of the house.

“This house looks oddly intriguing and that was my intention,” quips Sontang, “There’s a sense of mystery that keeps you wondering about the cubic structure. Normally, the first question is ‘Where’s the door?’”

Spacious: Concealed storage space in the hidden cabinets and cube chairs help in creating a clutter-free environment.

Clue  The first clue to finding the main door is a small garden and a line of lights that guide visitors to a lane, to the right side of the house. The path – 1.2m in width – leads to a sliding, glass door that also functions as a window in the family space.

“I purposely used a sliding, glass door to bring light into the house.

Aesthetically speaking, I also wanted to highlight the wall texture between the indoor and outdoor areas,” explains Sontang, pointing to the remaining structure of the old house outside the door.

Industrial: The architect left part of the outdoor walls unfinished. The rough space stands in contrast to the painted, white indoor surface.

Adds Reza, “On the other side of the house, is the kitchen and maid’s quarter. Dividing the family area from the kitchen is a flight of stairs that lead to the first floor, where the study and two bedrooms are located.”

Ingenious  What’s ingenious is the guest room, which is actually part of the family area. What looks like a feature wall here, is actually sliding plywood sheet, allowing the room to serve multiple purposes. A single bed for the guest can be folded into the cabinet.

In spite of the industrial finish, the house has proven to be cosier than Reza expected. He adds that the novelty hasn’t worn off after a year living here.

Source by: The Star

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