Gamuda Gardens Wins Project of the Year in Malaysia Landscape Architectural Awards
Published on: Monday, May 29, 2023
.jpg "Gamuda Gardens Wins Project of the Year in Malaysia Landscape Architectural Awards")
The annual award which started in 2007 is organised by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM) in conjunction with the World Landscape Architecture Month. (Gamuda Land pic)
Gamuda Gardens Central Park won Project of the Year while other Gamuda Land projects bagged a total of eight (8) awards at the Malaysia Landscape Architectural Awards (MLAA 13) ceremony held at The Westin Desaru Coast Resort on 27 May 2023.
The annual award which started in 2007 is organised by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM) in conjunction with the World Landscape Architecture Month.
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Khariza Abd. Khalid, Executive Director of Gamuda Land said, “Not only do we pay attention to the details of the spaces that we create, we also look into the species selection on how it would enhance biodiversity. We create places that are not just good to look at, but also functional. We pay attention to how people can effectively use the space. For example, we place the trees accordingly to not just provide shade but we made sure that it is safe for people to walk around the township comfortably. The environment that we create will be habitable for people, plants and animals.”
She delightedly continues, “Hence, we are very proud that the work we’ve done at our townships are being recognised by a reputable landscape architecture institution such as ILAM. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to not just our consultants and partners, but also our colleagues at Gamuda Land who worked with us tirelessly to achieve this.”
A Central Park has always been the heart and hallmark of every Gamuda Land township, ever since the developer’s inception and first development in Kota Kemuning in 1995. It is where the community can come together and get to know each other.
From then, in 2018, Gamuda Land took a step further by introducing Gamuda Parks, which brings together non-governmental organisations, experts as well as consultants who work with flora and fauna, to implement continuous improvement ideas for the maintenance of the green areas within Gamuda Land towns and some of the key initiatives introduced have been among the firsts in the country.
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Examples include conducting biodiversity audits, which serve as a guide to our landscape design, tree selections and tree transplantation. The #OneMillionTrees initiative which has thus far nurtured more than 600,000 trees, catalysed by the advanced tree planting programme and the Miyawaki forest restoration method.
Khariza added, “We learned from our past projects and continue to innovate on what works well for the environment and keep improving for people to live in. This is why we are the first property developer to scientifically audit the health and monitor the growth of the natural environments of our developments in Malaysia. We are consistent with what we do because we want to truly create a sustainable environment for long-term liveability.”
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By mindfully crafting Gamuda Land townships with connected greenscapes and greenery patterned after natural forests, Gamuda Land further promotes biodiversity while combating climate change and delivering a lush environment for residents and visitors, encouraging indoor-outdoor connections.
“At Gamuda Land, we mindfully design and implement all of these at the early design and master-planning stages. We work closely with our partners, NGOs and consultants to ensure we walk the talk when it comes to sustainability – this is how we look at the details to create towns that can stand the test of time,” concluded Khariza.
The Winning Projects
Gamuda Gardens
1.Central Park (Project of the Year, Green Infrastructure Award, MLAA Excellence Award
2022 – Landscape Design Awards)
• From its humble beginnings as a monoculture rubber plantation, this 810-acre township has been mindfully transformed into a vast biodiverse ecosystem through the creation of a 50-acre Central Park. Together with the lush greenery and undulating lawns, the green lung is now a social and recreational hub for the community.
Gamuda Cove
1. Wetlands Arboretum (MLAA Excellence Award 2022 – Landscape Master Plan Awards)
• Adjacent to Paya Indah Discovery Wetlands, the 90-acre Wetlands Arboretum is a living tree museum, envisioned to be a natural sanctuary for wildlife conservation, nature research and forest fitness. Currently, there are approximately 6,500 trees planted at the Wetlands Arboretum with 80,000 saplings being nurtured on-site with priorities given to native tree species and trees with conservation importance under the IUCN red list.
• Within the Wetlands Arboretum, the Wetlands Arboretum Centre is also the first net-zero building in Malaysia that is accredited by Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE). EDGE is an internationally recognised green building rating tool developed by International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group in 2014. Aside from 100% energy savings, the Wetlands Arboretum Centre is accredited to have 94% water savings and 40% less embodied energy in materials by utilising material-efficient floor finishes, roof slabs, exterior walls and window frames.
2.Cove Iconic Offices (MLAA Honour Award 2022 – Landscape Analysis and Study
Awards (Malaysia)
• The up-and-coming Cove Iconic Offices will be an integrated working environment where people and nature co-exist. The aim is to create a ‘hyper- nature co-working space’ with optimal ecological functions.
• The project aims to recreate a tropical rainforest garden with a strong identity within biophilic context through meditative & therapeutic environment. A unique combination of retail and office experiences set within the green oasis acts as a social focus. The connection to nature stimulates the user’s sensory system that benefits their overall well-being.
twentyfive7
1.Overall Township (MLAA Honour Award 2022 – Landscape Development Awards)
• A quayside living environment surrounded by a vibrant community, twentyfive7 offers beautiful designer homes in a township with commercial opportunities, surrounded by lush greenery. The township currently comprises more than 15,000 trees with an intended amount of over 60,000 trees upon completion, which will ensure that residents and future residents will be living in a township that is with nature.
2.Central Park & Quayside Mall (MLAA Honour Award 2022 – Landscape Design Awards
(Malaysia)
• Quayside Mall is situated next to the pet-friendly, seven-acre Central Park, which serves as the centre of the township’s burgeoning community. The places around it have been mindfully planned to enable the community to grow and flourish for generations to come.
Jade Hills
1.Origami Park (MLAA Honour Award 2022 – Landscape Design Award (Malaysia)
• Situated at the central point of Jade Hills, Kajang, the 1.2ha Origami Park is an ideal spot for the community to connect and bond with one another. The site originally serves as a retention pond to prevent storm flooding during rainy seasons. Inspired by ‘Origami’, the art of folding, it integrates new changes derived from the surrounding context and blending into the daily lifestyle and culture of the community.
LAr. Mohamad Safiy Zakwan Baseri (Gamuda Parks) - Young Landscape Architect AwardsStay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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