SERENE RESIDENCES

This residential development located in Kelana Jaya District is the first, in many years, to be planned and designed with a strong sense of comfort and living quality. The statement may come as a surprise to those who knew Kelana Jaya as an affluent district but due to its maturity, it has become over populated and crowded. In 2010, the District City Council reported that the population rate in that area has reached a ratio of 20:1 or twenty residents to a square meter of space! Although the comparison may not be fair and technically sound, the numbers are almost similar to that of the city of Mumbai in India. Because of this condition, many residential developments within this district that were built over the last two decades targeted on maximising footprints and spatial build-ups so that the high demand on residences in that area could be met. This prompted the “pigeon hole” concept where people come home to their tight living spaces with no to little external environment. Over time, the people in general accepted the discomfort created by the dense population within the area where quality living environments are lesser.

This project itself stands next to a derelict water body which happen to be the final discharge for all the retention/detention pond throughout the entire district. Therefore, the level of pollution was at the highest. Water quality test done on the pond showed that it is dangerous for even existing aquatic live let alone for human beings. The design planning and development process started from wanting to make better the surrounding environment and improving the comfort level of the people. The first step was to rehabilitate and restore the water body and ensuring that the level of the pollution to be reduced. This is not without a great challenge because it involves changing policy and community behaviour from the grassroot level all the way to the policy maker. Nonetheless, despite the challenges, great improvements were made where the derelict water body was successfully transformed into a public green space. Existing ecosystem were improved and new one came into birth making the area an oasis of nature that was unimaginable before.

Drawing inspiration from this oasis of hope, a design vision was crafted for the overall development which encompassed an area of Eight (8) acres consisting of Two (2) towers, Fifty-One (51) Floors, Four Hundred and Fifty-Two (452) Units per tower. In tandem with the local codes for an open space policy and social spatial requirement, approximately Four (4) acres of area dedicated for a centralised green area and a functional podium deck for the high-rise development. Seeing the healing organic environment that is now apparent within the new public green space, the landscape space within the high-rise development also follow suit where just like in nature every form and curves is a host to an ecosystem and a space for it to thrive. Every corner within the environmental deck is carved with functions and programme that will offer varieties of activities that will fulfill every community member’s needs and requirements. The podium facilities area in divided into two main area almost equivalent with one half mainly one water elements and the other half on greeneries and nature. These two halves then interconnected by the one hundred ninety (190) meter long lazy river. On the water elements half, an integrated water area carved on the podium consisting of Fifty (50) meter length pool, a jacuzzi alcove tucked in between the green for privacy, wading pool complete with integrated water play equipment. This equipment comes with a control button, a push-to-play button located next to each of the water area. This is to ensure that there will be no water wastage. The wading pool is also part of an integrated play area consisting of wet (wading pool), semi-dry (the dry fountain) and dry play area. On the green element’s half, due to the density and limitation of green area, an open space big enough for group activities was proposed on the roof of the Multipurpose Hall creating a unique architectural feature for the development. Other facilities provided on this facilities’ deck are the multipurpose court, herbs garden, reading pod, hammock gardens, Four (4) numbers of pavilions, spill-over outdoor lounge area for the multipurpose hall, three (3) BBQ Terraces catering for different groups.