The Wow Factor. Holistic living comes naturally at Ken Rimba
January 20, 2014
BY ANGIE NG
Holistic living comes naturally at Ken Rimba
THERE are many ways to woo property buyers with the right “wow” factors and developers can make it to their favourite list if they do the necessary research and legwork. In today’s increasingly competitive market, standing out from the rest of the industry players is important in order to become a choice developer with top of brand advantage. Needless to say, they need to ensure that the basic needs and comfort ofresidents are high up on their “to do” list and should not be compromised.
The main concerns of residents are safety and security, accessibility to basic amenities and conveniences, affordability plus a wholesome environment for their families. It is not enough for projects to just be aesthetically pleasing with good layout design, but they should also be functional and practical.
The escalating cost of living fuelled by utility hikes are seeing more Malaysian households watching their expenses. Reducing utility bills has become a priority.
For Ken Holdings Berhad, championing the green crusade has become its way of building value into its housing projects that help to promote “sustainable and affordable” lifestyles for its buyers.
Not merely paying lip service to the green cause, the company has gone down to the basics to ensure that the whole chain of its building processes are green-compliant.
Ken Holdings group managing director Sam C.S. Tan, a civil engineer by training, is the main driver in steering the group towards the building of more environmentally sustainable projects. Ken Rimba, its flagship eco-green residential project, is based on sustainable building technology encompassing 60 acres in Section 16, Shah Alam.
Tan says the green-compliant initiatives start from the project’s conceptual design, construction, material sourcing to the building and operational stages. The RM1bil township will comprise a total of 496 landed residences, 873 condominium units, 46 pool villas, 109 units in the commercial centre and an upcoming boutique hotel upon its completion in 2018.
The multi-pronged measures are being pursued diligently and no stone will be left unturned, Tan assures. This is indeed a worthwhile proposition for people to be able to enjoy a well designed yet naturally holistic township where buildings with natural cooling effects help to promote cost savings.
Naturally cool
Ken Rimba Legian Residences and Ken Rimba Jimbaran Residences both have north-south orientation for better natural ventilation while large glass doors and windows ensure the optimisation of natural light in the home which reduces the need to turn on electric lights.
Instead of using traditional red bricks that retain heat, cavity blocks are used to create the cooling effect in buildings. “100% of our habitable spaces are day-lit. The breathable roof and adjustable glass louvred windows facilitate air flow and ventilation. Breathable roofs work by allowing heat that is usually trapped in the roof to escape and dissipate. “This tangibly reduces the heat that would otherwise spread into the house via the roof,” he said. Rainwater harvesting for the garden and car porch areas will cut back on water usage. Besides that, it has put a lot of effort in the landscaping works of the development.
The linear green walkways at the side and back lanes beautify these otherwise often neglected areas, attracting more visits from residents thus resulting in less chance of neglect. These extra community gardens cultivate a sense of community and a “grow your own food” mentality. Ken’s vision is to develop and nurture this development into a thriving and bustling township. It aims to grow the area from a predominantly industrial suburb into a piece of residential paradise. The green features in Ken Rimba include a recycling centre, cycling paths and compost bins for recycling organic waste into fertiliser for the landscape.
Ken Rimba Condominiums
Ken Rimba Condominium 1 & 2 is the first high-rise residential development within Malaysia’s 1st Multiple Award Winning Green Township. Ken Rimba promises to take the country’s green buildings to new heights with its latest, highest rated green building awards.Ken Rimba Condominium 1 has obtained the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore or BCA’s Green Mark Gold Plus (Provisional) Award and GreenRE Gold (Provisional) Award. Ken Rimba Condominium 2 meanwhile, has set a benchmark by being awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum (Provisional) Award.
Despite the skyrocketing prices of residential properties in the Klang Valley, the Ken Group extends a golden opportunity for first time home buyers to own an affordable, high-rated green development with facilities fit for top boutique hotels. With prices starting at RM357psf or RM399,000 for a three-bedroom unit measuring a generous 1,119sq ft, Ken Rimba Condominiums 1 will be one of the best value condominiums in the Klang Valley.
Ken Rimba is a rare example of a township linked to public transportation, with the Padang Jawa KTM station located nearby, via a covered walkway.
Targeted for preview after Chinese New Year, the project has received over 3,000 registrants, all eager for a chance to own this value property.
According to Tan, to achieve the Green Mark Platinum certification, Ken Rimba Condominium 2 needs to maintain optimal thermal comfort throughout the site.
“To achieve this, we have reduced the building footprint to create tall, slender towers of varying heights. Orientating buildings at 30 degrees to the prevailing wind results in wide breezeways which promote airflow and cools the site.”
The University College London engineering graduate certainly knows what he is talking about. His experience of over three years spent as a consultant in London has given him a wealth of knowledge about green compliant buildings, something he wants to share with his industry peers here in Malaysia.Tan is impressed with how the building fraternity in the UK are proactively engaged in promoting the adoption of green-compliant building methods. “In London, all buildings have to have green rating certification to ascertain their market value. A building’s green rating depends on how economical its energy consumption is, and how naturally functional they are.”
Ken’s 33 years of expertise in the construction sector lends credence to the company’s ability to translate its green aspirations into reality, making clean capitalism a priority in its business ventures. It has achieved carbon neutral status through investments in a plethora of projects that award corporations carbon credits to offset against their existing carbon footprints.
To Tan, walking the talk is important in promoting the green culture in his organisation. And, with such dedication, property buyers can look forward to more eco-friendly developments from Ken Holdings.