Reimagining Industrial Landscapes in Malaysia
The 12 Waves Logistics Center in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan, Penang, is Malaysia's largest warehouse. Located within the One Auto Hub development, this 65,000 sqm hub offers integrated supply chain solutions and fosters a new commercial district.
Its distinctive roofline, evoking 12 waves, serves as a regional landmark. The building is divided into 12 units, inspired by the Chinese zodiac cycle, providing opportunities for daylighting, rainwater collection, and solar energy production.
Giving Back to Grow Community.
The 12 Waves project transforms the industrial park into a business community hub. 12 waves is a part of a development masterplan comprising of a university, showrooms, service centers, food and entertainment centers, and a hotel. The 12 Waves Logistics Center offers office space, a strolling gardens, restaurants, cafe, convenience shop and a truckers lounge. A nearly 700-meter Japanese Garden, designed by a leading Japanese landscape designer, provides a contemplative space for workers, students, visitors, and residents to come together.
Blending Innovation and Sustainability.
With such ambitious planning, careful thought had been placed into creating a structurally strong roof to support the conception. One of the main challenges of the project was preventing water penetration, as the bullnose detail used to create the wave-like edges for the roofline spans a total of 685,000 sq ft.
LYSAGHT® KLIP-LOK OPTIMA™, the widest concealed fixed metal roof cladding by NS BlueScope Lysaght Malaysia, was the most ideal roofing profile to address this challenge as the sheet is not punctured with fasteners. Further, it is available in long lengths without end-lapping for water tightness maximization.
Approximately 8,000 pieces of LYSAGHT® HR-29® covering over 300,000 sq ft were installed in the upper wall of the warehouse as HR-29® is an economical wall cladding that is quick and easy to install with pierced fixing method, which saved both time and cost for the construction.
As the warehouse is situated in a coastal setting, COLORBOND® ULTRA MATT steel by NS BlueScope Malaysia, that incorporates with THERMATECH® technology makes the perfect material for the roof and wall cladding, as it is able to deliver thermal comfort for year-round peace of mind. It is also reputed to withstand marine and corrosive environments as it prevents the risks of steel sheets from rusting or corroded over time without compromising aesthetics.
The 12 Waves Logistics Center is designed with sustainability in mind. Clerestory windows and skylights diffuse natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting. A solar grid harnesses Malaysia's abundant sunshine to generate energy. The roof design incorporates fiberglass louvers that withstand heavy rainfall and Syfonic systems collect rainwater for grey-water recycling.
Acknowledging Tradition.
The 12 Waves Logistics Center incorporates traditional Malaysian building materials and practices, while its design acknowledges the local climate. The guardhouse structure translates vernacular practices into modern materials.
Catalyst for Development.
The 12 Waves Logistics Hub is designed with sustainability and human connection in mind. It incorporates eco-friendly solutions while creating spaces for people to interact and dwell together, fostering a sense of community among diverse individuals.
Penang Island Waste Transfer Station, initiated by Penang Island City Council (MBPP), is an integrated solid waste-managing facility located beside the Penang Second Bridge. The facility is greatly characterised by its spritely statement of dynamic building form, with corrugated metal cladding as the building envelope. Up and running for more than 5 years, the facility serves as a transit point for garbage trucks to unload few hundred tonnes of domestic and bulk waste daily, before waste is densely packed into silos and being sent off to landfill.
Located within Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, the facility’s design strives to reshape the usual mundane and orthogonal appearance of industrial buildings, displaying a transformative approach to its built form. The outcome is a facility that blends harmoniously with the surrounding, the sea and the bridge - a place that speaks of its own identity.
The dynamic form of the building is achievable with the use of steel structure and metal cladding. As the site is next to marine influence, Clean COLORBOND® XRW steel is used for its durable quality, resisting corrosion and repelling dirt naturally with rainfall. The colors of the steel are carefully selected to complement the building form, creating a captivating design that will last for a long time. With corrugation, COLORBOND® steel is malleable and easily formed into desired shapes as required.
At the waste transfer station, the brief calls for a visitors’ corridor that goes along the operation spaces, offering views to the unloading and docking process. Cylindrical volumes inspired by the silo, house the visitors’ corridor and appear contrasting against the façade of COLORBOND® steel in ‘Gun Metal Grey’. The corridor is encapsulated by the vivid COLORBOND® steel in ‘Sunflower Gold’, which is simply bended to open up and close in the views towards the operation spaces, as well as the surrounding. The variation of geometrical volumes made possible with metal cladding, fosters different degrees of natural daylighting into the space throughout the day. The shades on the corrugated COLORBOND® steel create different moods and ambience.
At the green waste building that handles bulk waste, the notion of dynamism is portrayed by the idea of progressiveness. The street elevation is a series of protrusive and recessive bays, alternating colors with COLORBOND® steel in ‘Torres Blue’ and ‘Off White’. This building is gutter-less and discharges the rainwater effortlessly with its curvaceous form, aided by vertical corrugation of crimp-curved COLORBOND® steel. Internally, the 10m-tall building is column-free in the centre, allowing trucks to move around freely. Natural daylighting is introduced into the space with transparent roofing sheets. At the gable end, views are opened up towards the greywater pond, veiled by corrugated acrylic sheets and embellished cross-bracing metal members for translucency.
Most of the roofing used on site is COLORBOND® steel in ‘Off White’ that has a high Solar Reflectance Index to comply with Green Building requirements. The only roofing with COLORBOND® steel in ‘Sunflower Gold’ houses the leachate treatment plant, with an undulating roofscape that is made of convex and concave, creating a wave effect. An interesting juxtaposition of forms is crafted, displayed by the wavy roof and the tensile force of the steel columns, referencing from the Penang bridge and the sea.
The waste transfer station, with its dynamic gesture of volumetric expression significantly characterised by metal cladding, implies that building typology could transcend beyond its typical built form. By responding to specific programmatic and site conditions, the facility promotes plurality in both typological and social acts – the outcome is a space that is turned inside-out, being functional as well as giving back to the public.
The SkyArena Sports Complex is a Kuala Lumpur landmark showcases a unique blend of iconic architecture, state of the art sports facilities and COLORBOND® steel. This project is a unique multi-storey sports facility promoting healthy lifestyle and social activities. It's part of a 28-acre mixed development, a partnership between Kuala Lumpur City Hall and a private developer.
The SkyArena Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's largest multi-level sports facility, covering 9.36 acres with 20 sports facilities and community spaces. The complex features a four-story atrium, badminton/volleyball courts, basketball court, hostel block, and more. Its design promotes healthy living and community spirit.
The building incorporates sustainable practices, including natural ventilation, low-heat gain glazing, energy-efficient systems for lighting and air conditioning, recycling areas, composting programs, and rainwater harvesting. It serves as a model for green building practices, prioritizing responsible environmental stewardship in architecture.
Blending Innovation and Sustainability.
The SkyArena Sports Complex features a translucent exterior that allows natural light to flood the interior spaces, creating a refreshing atmosphere for athletes and visitors. This innovative design element not only enhances aesthetics but also reduces energy consumption, making it a sustainable choice.
The centre's creation involved careful consideration of factors like urban public space, location, functionality, and feasibility to ensure a seamless user experience. The result is a facility that caters to various sporting activities, meets community needs, and uplifts the urban environment.
COLORBOND® Steel Elegance: Aesthetics and Durability at the SkyArena Sports Complex.
The KAWA NS Standing Seam by UNISON was chosen for it metal walling and AJIYA CLS 705 for its metal roofing, both are crafted from COLORBOND® Steel. This elegant and durable volcanic grey facade adds a touch of sophistication to the building's design, exuding strength and commanding attention. The result is a distinctive and impressive exterior that sets the sports centre apart.
With its remarkable architecture, abundant natural lighting, and energy-efficient design, this facility stands as a testament to the harmonious fusion of athleticism, sustainability, and urban living. Step into a world of excellence, where sports and community unite, and embark on a journey of unparalleled fitness and well-being.
Dexion Malaysia, located in Section 15 of Shah Alam, is a prominent provider of industrial storage and shelving solutions. The facility is part of the global Dexion Group, known for its innovative and reliable storage solutions catering to various industries, including warehousing, retail, and manufacturing. The Shah Alam location likely serves as both a manufacturing site and a distribution center, producing and supplying a range of products such as pallet racking systems, shelving units, and automated storage systems.
Given the production requirements, maintaining a well-ventilated environment was essential. To address this, a single storey open structure was developed for the production facility. This design features motorised louvered walls along the production facility’s perimeter, allowing permeability of air ventilation and natural light during operations. The louvered walls are configured at an angle to prevent rainwater from entering, while maintaining effective airflow and illumination inside the production area.
Adjacent to the factory, a single-storey HQ office is situated, separated by a separating wall. A steel framework with metal roofing and cladding has been adopted for its efficiency. The roof is finished in a light colour to enhance heat reflectance and minimize heat absorption. To address the sound insulation requirements of the headquarters office, an insulated double skin metal deck roof system is utilized, enhancing sound absorption, particularly during rainy periods. The headquarters office is designed to exude a modern and elegant aesthetic, employing a “black box” concept, to make a bold architectural statement.
Building Typology and Master Planning
With the many different usage in mind, we take into account the complexity of the circulation of various vehicles type, which ranges from 40 footer trucks to passenger cars including the pedestrian to ensure the safety and comfort of all users.
One key aspect during planning stage is to ensure end users has a safe and comfortable environment to work in and security planning which predetermine the masterplan and placement of each blocks. The segregation and interconnectedness of the many different type of vehicles route and pedestrian walkway.
Unit Types with Optimised Functionality
Optimized spatial functionality and thoughtful planning enable each lot to be utilized for all needs.
Showroom / Office
Logistics / Warehousing
Processing / Manufacturing
A. Modular Design -Scale and Proportion
Ease of construction
Cost effectiveness
High efficiency of space usage
Break up big mass into small components
B. Industrial Modern Outlook
Inspired by the shipping container, from its material, colors and profile which is designed to be fully functional and practical and had stand the test of time under any weather and conditions. The appearance in a glance guide one’s notion towards the function intended for the building, which includes manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, etc. Each buildingis design to be similar yet different in it’s outlook but it is all unified by the use of metal cladding and C channel. The subtle differences made in term of colour selection and panel size redefine the scale and proportion.
C-channel
Tying element for different component and building typology
Create order for various façade design to suit various usage
Color selection
By usage
Grey for industrial
White for office/ research center
Fenestration
Playful and random placement for office cum studio/ research center to allow for flexible usage
Orderly placement for functional usage
Metal panel
Different panel sizing with larger ones below and more refine sizing above to further define the scale and proportion
Luxura Residences
174 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.
Design Vision
In 1903, the first batch of the pioneering migrants from China established the church in Sungai Sadit, down-stream from Sibu, Sarawak.
Though poverty stricken, faith was central to the farming community. A small school was built alongside the church.
Started as an attap shack, it was rebuilt as a modest timber building in 1941 and later, a semi concrete structure in 1976.
The latest version of the building structure was completed in 2022. It is almost entirely built in steel & brick with very little use of timber to avoid the hassle of rampant termite infestation.
Even though the size of the church building had increased at every ‘change’ occasion, all 4 versions of the church building stood on the same site, providing a unique historical story line of the church.
The salvageable timber windows, doors, frames and panels etc. that were collected over years were reassembled into a church like structure, to house these historical relics – a museum of some sort. This structure is located at a corner of the site and it is adjacent to the main church building.
Over the years, a 3-storey Kindergarten was added. It is located adjacent to the church.
Over the span of 120 years, changes were inevitable.
Dilapidation, spatial inadequacy and keeping up with modern worship trends had demanded a relook at the church building every 30-40 years or so.
The client now looks for a continuing legacy of faith.
A building that is rich embodiment of theological thinking and which befits the representation of a strong congregation of 400.
Design Concept
A verse in the Bible formulates the design concept
“Behold. The tabernacle is with men”
Revelation 21:3
Tabernacle is a tent like structure the Hebrew people erected in the wilderness during their exodus from Egypt.
To the people, the tabernacle symbolizes the presence of God.
The new church building is tent like in form but it has an elongated plan which resembles that of a ‘longhouse’– a vernacular built form common in Sarawak.
The layout is simple and pragmatic.
Arrival is at the forecourt leading to the worship sanctuary. A fellowship hall and an office are arranged in linear format and they are served by a covered walkway lengthwise.
The kindergarten classrooms and the toilet block on the other three (3) sides of a rectangular central courtyard creates a cloister like set up. All the rooms on the 3 sides are single room deep which enjoy good cross ventilation & natural lights.
Design Technology
For ease of construction and cost consideration, industrial portal frames were used.
Insulated roof topped with 0.48mm TCT Bluescope Steel Unilok profile (Vermoe Elegance Olive) seamlessly fitted in without fuss.
Concealed rainwater gutter integrates with the ‘pergola’ like trellis climbing frame.
The long elevation fronting the drive way has a green trellis wall where the church comes together during the weekends to grow vining vegetables.
The edible green will provide a green shade to the only exposed elevation reducing heat gain for the sanctuary.
This green effect also reflects the farming community the building serves.
From Vision to Design Concept to Execution, the building reflects beauty through simplicity; nobility and is compellingly gracious.