The Sheraton Kuching Hotel, nestled in the heart of Kuching, Sarawak, represents a harmonious blend of modern elegance and cultural sensitivity. Designed to cater to both business and leisure travelers, the hotel stands as a testament to sophisticated architectural design while reflecting the rich heritage and natural beauty of its surroundings. The hotel design focuses on creating spaces that encourage gathering and connection which is in line with its international hotelier brand, Sheraton’s global ethos, "Where the World Comes Together."
The design of the Sheraton Kuching Hotel is inspired by the concept of bridging the multi-cultural Sarawakian aesthetics with contemporary luxury. The vision was to create a welcoming and refined environment that integrates seamlessly with the vibrant urban fabric of Kuching, while paying homage to the cultural and natural context of the region. Moreover, the hotel's prime location near cultural landmarks and the Sarawak River further complements its design vision.
Despite the hotel’s strategic location, the relatively small plot of land size posts a challenge to the overall hotel’s space planning. Maximizing and effectively utilizing space is crucial in designing a luxury hotel tower on a less-than-one-acre site.
The 21-storeys hotel tower sits on podium levels that houses the main hotel lobby, dining areas, versatile meeting and event spaces as well as back-of-house service areas. Its design is focused on creating a seamless transition from the public space to the private spaces of the tower above. Guests drop-off at the welcoming porte cochère with a high ETFE membrane canopy roof shaped in a form of two semi-circles weaved together, which is further enhanced by curve and straight roof truss as both structural and design feature. At night the canopy roof lights up and creates a contrast from the day. The main hotel lobby features an expansive, open-plan layout with high ceilings and full height curtain wall that invites abundant natural light, creates a sense of openness and an inviting atmosphere for guests.
By the use of a concave layout, the spatial planning of the hotel rooms at each level are seamlessly aligned with views either towards Kuching city or the Sarawak River, with floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall enhancing the overall guest experience. The topmost floor of the hotel offers outdoor spaces such as an infinity pool and outdoor seating sky bar for guests to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the cityscape.
The architectural form of the Sheraton Kuching Hotel features a sleek, modern silhouette complemented by a concave floor layout. The building's façade incorporates a dynamic interplay of glass, steel and natural stone elements, creating a contemporary profile while the curvature from the undulating floor layout reflects the organic form of the Sarawak River. The curtain wall facade follows through the concave layout by segmented double-glazing and horizontal sun shading device of aluminium composite panel material at each floor. The facade design is further enhanced by horizontal and vertical steel elements created from weaving patterns paying homage to the tradition of textile weaving from the Sarawak indigenous tribe.
Double layer roofing system and double-glazed curtain wall with low-e glass and thermal break are used for minimizing solar heat gain, enhancing both thermal and acoustic insulation for user comfort and building performance. The combination of solar control, thermal insulation, and acoustic performance contributes to the building’s overall energy efficiency.
By blending contemporary luxury with traditional Sarawakian elements and embracing sustainable practices, the design not only reflects the dynamic spirit of Kuching but also contributes to the city’s architectural narrative, establishing the Sheraton Kuching Hotel as a landmark of elegance and cultural appreciation.
The new Honda showroom in Kuching, Sarawak, is a significant addition to the city's automotive sector, showcasing Honda's dedication to providing comprehensive automotive services in one location. As the largest 3S (Sales, Service, Spare parts) center in Kuching, this two-story facility is strategically situated in Petra Jaya, offering convenient access to residents on both sides of the Sarawak River. The showroom occupies a carefully chosen plot of land spanning 4,694 square meters, with a built-up area of 2,339 square meters, reflecting thoughtful site selection and planning.
The design and construction of this facility are grounded in the architectural principle of 'form follows function,' ensuring that every element of the building serves a practical purpose while enhancing the overall user experience. The triangular shape of the land presented unique challenges that required the design team to engage in meticulous spatial planning during the early schematic phases. The resulting layout is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing and welcoming for both clients and customers.
The building is divided into two distinct components: the showroom and the service center. Given the service center’s larger spatial requirements, it was positioned on the eastern side of the property. This strategic placement maximizes available space and allows for efficient workflow and customer access. The showroom, prominently facing the main road, is designed to attract attention and invite visitors with its expansive façades of curtain walls. These curtain walls are a key architectural feature, filling the showroom’s double-volume car display area with natural light, enhancing the visual appeal, and reducing the need for artificial lighting.
The use of curtain walls and horizontal louvers together blurs the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces, offering an open and airy atmosphere. This thoughtful integration of natural light, shading, and open spaces greatly enhances the spatial experience for both workers and customers, creating a welcoming and pleasant environment that aligns with Honda's standards of quality and customer satisfaction.
In addition to the curtain walls, horizontal louvers were integrated along the façade to further optimize the building’s energy efficiency and comfort. These louvers serve to regulate the amount of sunlight entering the showroom, preventing excessive heat buildup while still allowing ample natural light to filter through. The combination of curtain walls and horizontal louvers creates a dynamic and adaptive façade that not only looks modern and sophisticated but also contributes to a more comfortable indoor environment. This design choice supports Honda's commitment to sustainability by improving energy efficiency and reducing the building's overall carbon footprint.
In summary, the new Honda showroom in Kuching is a testament to innovative design and strategic planning. The facility is functional, modern, and customer-centric, meeting the needs of both the company and the community it serves while emphasizing energy efficiency and environmental consciousness.
Lucent Residences
161 Units of Link Villas
Design Concept Statement
Background – ’25 hours in a Day’
We were inspired by the ‘25-7’ concept of the Township; which aims to promote a vibrant, playful lifestyle beyond the conventional 24 hours in a day. Therefore we believe that the residential home typology can be elevated to reflect this philosophy, hence implemented concepts such as multi-façade, bold materials and massing into the Architectural language of this project.
Architectural – ‘Plug & Play’
The design narrative is to create a ‘plug-&-play’ form of landed idea for the 3-storey Hero Units, where multi-façade configurations were studied to achieve the most feasible arrangement, both in terms of aesthetic and budget. The gable-end form takes center stage to provide a visual focal point; while the more modernist cubed form provides balance to the overall streetscape
For the Basic Units, the similar forms were trickled down into 2-storey versions that embody the similar design philosophy – bringing the entirety of Luxura as a whole.
Materiality – ‘Roof as the Hero’
Our selection of the steel as the main roofing and cladding component to achieve this design vision was evident - Bluescope steel allows us to execute the sleek, modern Architectural Design that accentuates the meticulously-detailed termination techniques in a modern home facade; as they say: ‘the devil is in the details’ Every nook and cranny of the façade was paid attention to: from the C-channel fascias, to the gutters and the metal coping elements.
The selection of metal roofing also blends in harmoniously, complimenting well with other modern materials chosen such as the aluminium louvers, the granite stone feature walls – all in all, allowing our modern gable home vision to come to life.
Sustainability & Innovation – ‘Metal in Nature’
In terms of sustainability efforts, the ‘solar-ready’ link homes allow for seamless transition to the homeowners, whom can take advantage of the dedicated pitched roof areas with reinforced trusses to be fixed with the solar panel of their choosing.
The steel roof covering coupled with the lightweight proprietary zincalume roof trusses, were able to allow us to achieve a luxurious 4-meter height clear ceiling space at the first floor, with generous attic space above – which creates a thermal buffer that insulates and gradually reduces heat gain into the home during more sunny days.During more rainy days, the homeowner also benefits by having a sloped roof profile which is able to efficiently draw water to the rainwater harvesting system provided.
Experience Gallery & Show Village
Design Concept Statement
Background – ’25 hours in a Day’
We were inspired by the ‘25-7’ concept of the Township; which aims to promote a vibrant, playful lifestyle beyond the conventional 24 hours in a day.
Place-making is an important element, and starts with the first structure in Twenty-five.7 – the Experience Gallery; and despite its smaller stature compared to its surroundings, the bold use of colors draw people in with ease.
Architectural – ‘Striking Icon’
The vibrancy of the development starts with the Experience Gallery, where a long span structure is designed to house a double-volume space.
The roofing material had to be discreet, functional, and sleek to allow the bright, striking façade to be highlighted as the focal point.
This application of the steel roofing shows how important the roof covering element is to the success of the project – complimenting but also adding value.
Planning – ‘Feather-like Open Plan’
The striking contrast between the bright façade and airy planning is evident when first entering the experience gallery – where the high ceilings and column-free planning are only made possible with a roof covering that is lightweight, almost feather-like to present a structural marvel.
Sustainability & Innovation – ‘Metal in Nature’
In terms of sustainability efforts, the gentle pitch of the roofing allows for solar panels to be installed with ease, with termination methods that are sleek and pleasing to the eye.
Flanked by the central lake, the landscape spills over to the surroundings; with the double volume spaces getting the prime vantage point to the nature beyond.
Community – ‘Shelter that Brings People Together’
Due to its central location- the experience gallery receives much footfall; hence the importance to view the space as a focal place-making element.
Crowds are drawn to attractions, open play spaces, and most importantly, shelter. The metal-cladded form is synonymous with the Twenty-five.7 branding, and the Experience Gallery is the first of its many kinds in the township, implementing a fresh aesthetic at its time – allowing communities to come together and form a long bond between Man and Building.
Puchong has sprinted forward in the last 25years from being a rough and tumble PJ outskirt into a convoluted urban mix of traffic and buildings.
Located behind IOI Mall with a pristine quarry lake 100m is a 350-acre undeveloped plot, a huge contrast of tranquillity and serenity amidst this chaos, surreal to see migratory birds descending for rest.
The developer aspires to build a community and bring home their slow-paced idyllic Kampar charm to an urban context. Puchong Legenda Perling is the first phase of 3 storey terrace houses in this new township based on 20 x70 feet narrow lots legacy from the unbuilt past.
The arrival at the site is an Immediate contrast from the busyness sensing the slowing down to a more sedentary pace greeted by a leafy drive, tree canopy park and a burung perling (starling) sculpture inspired by the birds over the lake. Malaysian terraces are a contradiction as it fixes the styles in spite of our idiosyncrasies of the need for change and adaptability.
So there is an experimentation of form, identity and materiality departing from the repetitive terrace form. The houses are designed to create individual personalities similar to the traditional European townhouses. It is formed by a dance of screens and shades with enchanting warm colours for a continuous architectural conversation along the street from 8 facade identity designs. The corners villas pivots the conversation to create a light and highly individualised volumetric expression set in green gardens.
The key tropical architectural features embody functional passive designs to harness nature for cooling to reduce dependency on artificial energy.
The facade employs a second skin aluminium louvres for shading and screening to prevent harsh sunlight penetration. It enhances cooling by dissipating surface heat build up for thermal comfort.
The buildings are generally orientated Southwest and optimized to harness the prevailing winds for naturally cooling to minimize air conditioning. Fencings are kept light and low to maximize the air flow externally.
The internal living areas are designed to maximize the spatial width for good functional spaces to negate the 6m Narrow Lot Aspect. High bay Aperture provides for a seamless inside outside visual connection and opening for cross ventilation. The high ceilings encourage natural airflow in the living areas.
Sleeves of light washes the walls of the inner sanctums to bring natural light sculpturing and contrasting the usual darkly lit deprived spaces in the intermediate units. It evolves into a strip garden at the corner villas for cross ventilation and greenery.
A proportion are Dual key generational homes, a derivative idea of granny unit attached to the main home in response to the Asian family diaspora bond or as a home office.
We can set the stage to allow for community to grow but the architecture is designed to evolve when owners enriches the streetscape mix with their personalities and identities in built form as a uniquely Malaysian diaspora.
The end to design is the beginning of change.
A new image through architectural design
The design brief called for a new image to a chemical manufacturing facility which consists of a few main spaces: warehouse area for production and storage, chemical laboratory, administration and offices area, meeting rooms, cafeteria, and lounge area. Being a chemical company with more than 20 years of experience in the chemicals for the latex-related industries, the clients decided to look for an architect to design this new facility to strengthen their brand identity. They desire to create a different environment that can achieve two main objectives: i) to generate a comfortable and welcoming environment for potential customers especially the ones from overseas, ii) to create a conducive environment for the employees. To accomplish that, the architect and the clients went on an interesting journey of design exploration together, brainstorming ways to break away the typical impression of a manufacturing facility that could be dull and characterless due to its functional and utilitarian nature.
Courtyard as the heart of the building
This new manufacturing facility of Accurativ (M) Sdn. Bhd. is situated in an industrial zone with no interesting views around that region. Similar streetscapes with typical factories or warehouse façades, repeating noises of machinery, minimal and inaccessible landscape formed the “neighborhood” scenery of the site. The surrounding environment appears to be uninteresting to visitors and uninspiring to the workers. In light of that, a common architectural design element in tropical buildings yet unconventional to industrial buildings - courtyard design, was introduced to counter the issues observed.
In terms of spatial planning, the courtyard also acts as a transition space between the office area and the warehouse area, making it an interesting journey as one moves from one space to another. The beauty of this greenery is even being captured and magnified at the entrance lobby, through framing the view using full height glazing at entrance lobby. At a glance, it appeared to be the picture of a beautiful garden, creating a warm and welcoming feeling to the visitors the moment they enter the building.
Sustainable design strategies
Sustainability is another emphasis of this building design. Green spaces, solar responsive building orientation, natural daylighting, and natural ventilation are the few passive design strategies adopted to create a sustainable manufacturing facility. The office block with the cafeteria area was designed to face south to allow maximum glazing and windows for natural daylight, yet minimize heat gain. For the warehouse façade that faces east and west, only a few recessed and tall windows were provided to allow deep natural daylight. Layered roof with skylights design was also incorporated to achieve the same intention. Besides that, the roof was designed to induce stack effect ventilation which improves the thermal comfort of the interior. The central courtyard on the ground floor and balcony garden on the first floor also contributed to the passive cooling of the overall building.
A new perception of the industrial building
This new manufacturing facility of Accurativ (M) Sdn. Bhd. challenges the common perception of an industrial building that often appears to be too functional and uninspiring in design. It proves that a generic manufacturing facility can too be designed as a distinctive architecture when the relationship between the building program, the users, and the environment is well examined. In short, this is an industrial architecture that responds to the climate and environment, while offering a physical environment that is conducive to its users.
The Invictus in Horizon Hills Campus, Johor Bahru: International School Malaysia
The Invictus International School, dedicated to fostering a comprehensive educational experience that nurtures students' minds, bodies, and spirits. By breaking away from traditional learning models, create a flexible and innovative environment where students seamlessly integrate with their surroundings. The approach emphasizes thoughtful planning of learning spaces and offers a dynamic platform for communication. The design facilities to ensure comfort and privacy, including separate offices for faculty and dedicated spaces for students. Its commitment extends to providing excellent sports facilities, promoting a healthy balance, and supporting the well-being of students, teachers, and parents alike.
Design Philosophy and Aesthetic Appeal
Give parents peace of mind by ensuring their children are receiving a nurturing and effective learning experience. Allow children to discover their knowledge and potential within a joyful, effective, and nurturing environment. Create a relaxed atmosphere where teachers can impart knowledge and engage meaningfully with their students.
Sustainability and Innovation
Apply green entrance in architecture combines aesthetic appeal with environmental and practical benefits. It enhances the building's visual impact, promotes sustainability by supporting biodiversity and improving air quality, and boosts energy efficiency through natural insulation. Additionally, it can increase property values, attract environmentally conscious individuals, and contribute to better stormwater management and natural cooling. Overall, a green entrance creates a welcoming, eco-friendly, and cost-effective architectural feature.
For this project, long-term materials like steel roofs and sunshade metal panels were selected. Although they may have a higher initial cost, their exceptional durability proves cost-effective over time by minimizing the need for frequent replacements and repairs. Engineered to endure substantial wear, environmental conditions, and various stresses, these materials not only enhance the project's longevity but also support sustainability by reducing waste and conserving resources, given their recyclable or sustainably sourced nature. Their superior performance ensures that they maintain their strength and appearance, reducing maintenance and preserving value. In essence, choosing long-term materials offers unparalleled durability, cost savings, and environmental benefits, making them a prudent investment for both economic and practical considerations.
Community and Social Interaction
A school designed with green and flexible principles fosters a vibrant sense of community and social interaction. Green design features, such as natural lighting, ventilation, and eco-friendly materials, create a healthier and more inviting environment, encouraging students, teachers, and parents to spend more time on campus. This increased presence enhances community engagement and strengthens social bonds. Flexible design elements, like adaptable classrooms and multifunctional spaces, support a variety of learning and social activities by allowing spaces to be easily reconfigured for different group sizes and purposes. This adaptability promotes dynamic interactions and teamwork, enriching students' social experiences. Additionally, outdoor areas such as gardens and green canopy provide relaxing, informal meeting spaces that further encourage connections outside the classroom. In sum, integrating green and flexible design not only supports environmental sustainability but also cultivates a nurturing and interactive community within the school.
Conclusion
The Invictus International School in Johor Bahru is designed to provide a holistic educational experience through flexible and green design principles. The school features innovative, adaptable spaces, including separate faculty offices and dedicated student areas, along with excellent sports facilities to support well-being. Its green entrance enhances sustainability and aesthetics, improving energy efficiency and promoting biodiversity. Long-term materials, like steel roofs and metal panels, offer durability and cost-effectiveness. The design fosters community and social interaction, with green features and multifunctional spaces creating a vibrant, engaging environment for students, teachers, and parents. Overall, the school embodies modern, sustainable, and interactive educational architecture.
In 2013, CIDB HQ, ABM, CIDB Sarawak, and the architects collaborated to develop the masterplan for the CIDB Sarawak Complex. A key component of the plan was the CIDB Convention Centre, intended to be the complex’s centerpiece with a unique design and creative architecture. Over time, the concept evolved to a more toned-down building that harmonizes with its surroundings, balances massiveness with lightness, and uses transparency to invoke public interest. Despite its refined appearance, the goal was to make a significant impact on its users, the surrounding area, and Sarawak’s architectural and construction norms.
The CIDB Sarawak Convention Centre’s design deviates from traditional enclosed structures by featuring semi-open corridors with decorative louvres and polycarbonate panels. This design facilitates natural cross ventilation and air exchange with the outdoors. Enclosed spaces are then segmented by these corridors, encouraging exploration.
The design concept draws inspiration from historical building practices, reflecting how traditional vernacular buildings were adapted to their environment and culture. Our approach integrates modern technology to create an ecologically sustainable building. The design incorporates elements from Sarawak’s local architecture, such as exposed spun piles inspired by the Rumah Orang Ulu’s belian timber piles, and an elliptical layout and roof reminiscent of the Bidayuh Baruk house. Louvres and open corridors echo traditional Sarawak Malay houses, and the use of pond water for cooling references traditional water-dependent village houses. The building’s cutouts allow cool pond air to circulate, enhancing natural ventilation. Dayak floral motifs on the louvres cast decorative shadows, attracting public curiosity.
Extensive brainstorming between the consultant team and client helped address potential construction and design issues. Budget constraints posed challenges, particularly given the unfamiliarity with IBS (Industrialized Building System) in Sarawak’s construction industry, where conventional designs were more common. Despite these challenges, the design achieved an impressive IBS score. The cooperative contractor was able to overcome installation difficulties in realising the building aspirations.
Technical challenges included ensuring the elliptical shape of the convention centre’s roof layout, requiring precise surveying and recalculations, especially for the twisting roof gradient. However, with the creativity of installation on the roofing works, it managed to be one of the iconic steel roofing structures in Sarawak.
The CIDB Convention Centre stands out as a cost-efficient option among similar-sized convention centres in Malaysia. Its sustainable design contributes to an estimated 30% reduction in electrical and air conditioning costs compared to conventional buildings. This efficiency is due to its ability to harness natural daylight and air ventilation through its open corridor design and capillary system theory. The elliptical building and roof shape also mitigates rain and wind impacts more effectively than a flat surface.
The design's primary goal is to re-establish a connection with traditional building methods, when our forefathers meticulously observed and looked into their surroundings and climates in order to build dwellings that were both culturally and locally suitable. Our design aims to produce a structure that proudly represents cultural history while also reflecting the fundamentals of environmental sustainability by integrating these traditional design elements with modern materials and construction methods. This ecologically sustainable building will serve as a venue for many significant events and ceremonies in the future.
The first Sarawak state-owned university, a highly sophisticated and intelligent campus in the humble town of Sibu. The completion of the new University of Technology Sarawak campus will be a major education hub, designed to significantly contribute to vibrancy while attracting more than 5,000 students and staff to the urban fabric of Sibu.
Situated adjacent to the historical Sibu airport runway, the organic formation and orientation of the site granted the design team the opportunity to magnify the sustainable qualities and the ability to achieve a green-rated building design. The overall master plan celebrates the unique geological identity of the river and the sense of place that reflects the origin and timeline of Sibu.
Designed as a modern educational role model and exhilarating contemporary building, the Rainforest Canopy is crafted as the centerpiece of the campus with a large central courtyard full of lush landscape. The permeable roof canopy allows natural daylight to infuse the active community gathering spaces, while the carved view opening blurs the boundaries between the inside and outside.
Taking inspiration from the vast jungle of Borneo, the spatial planning took its form from the organic frond of the fern leaf. The vertical circulation corridor is highly interlinked, leading from the central spine to multi-levels of various faculties, classrooms and shared hubs. This design blossomed from the intent to enhance the visual relationship between the functional spaces while simultaneously encouraging social interaction.
Aligned with the university’s vision of pioneering a high-tech learning and teaching environment, the design team responded by boldly exploring into futuristic architecture and employed the latest and more technologically advanced building materials. This approach reinforces the dynamic impression and characterizes the conveying of the university’s forward-looking ideology towards their staffs, students and visitors.
Lexis Hibiscus project is located some 7 km from Port Dickson at the idyllic beachfront of Pasir Panjang, off the Port Dickson – Malacca old trunk road.
It is a hospitality resort project developed by The Kuala Lumpur Metro Group, who prides themselves with “Hospitality as their Passion”. The resort comprises of a 13 storey landside facilities, housing 117 luxury suites with individual swimming pools and 522 water chalets. It boast of the most number of swimming pools in a resort in Malaysia.
Our design vision for this project is to offer an innovative idea of floating chalets that stretches out overwater into the open shoreline. The modern architecture employed is reflective of our intended sustainable programme to be incorporated into this project with neutral white colour palettes blending in beautifully with the blue seas.
Conceptually it begins with our national flower the Hibiscus where a stalk of the flower extracted out to form a stylized leaf connected to the five petals with the extended stamens. Thus the floral shaped is formed to attach the water chalets which forms the Hibiscus.
The landside 13 storey building anchors the whole composition with its convex plan form echoing the meandering natural shoreline formation at the project location. The facilities components are housed on the lower floors of the building with the luxury suites on the successive floors offering expansive views out to sea.
Being located on the shoreline and subject to the strong prevailing winds, the roofs design of the main building and water chalets are specially design to be curved shallow barrel roofs. The curved roof employed will naturally allow the strong prevailing winds to deflects upwards drawing warm air to pass through thereby contributing to reduce the ambient temperatures at the water chalets.
The neutral white colour choice of the curved roofs was made carefully to take advantage of the none heat absorbent quality to incorporate the sustainable elements from our roof material used.
The orientation of the landside building in the east-west direction theoretically should help to reduce heat built up through cross ventilation that cools the air immediately around the building where it can indirectly help to improve the general level of comfort and at the same time contribute to lower the running costs of the building.
Innovative elements employed for the building waste management system was the syhfonic pumping system to bring the domestic sanitary waste to the land base waste treatment plant where it is treated to ensure environmentally safe practice.
We believe the Lexis Hibiscus truly exemplifies the innovation in designs and functions that pays tribute to modern architecture while at the same time contributing to improving the general built environment offering a very unique rejuvenating experience for any visitors.