Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre: A Modern Icon of Steel Expression and Cultural Integration
Located in SibuJaya, Sarawak, the Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre is a benchmark in community-based sports infrastructure, combining advanced material use with cultural resonance. Completed in mid-2022, this 8.31-acre development brings together thoughtful architecture, steel innovation, and local heritage to serve as a multifunctional sports hub for the region.
Design Driven by Form and Purpose
Designed with layered geometry and dynamic morphology, the sports complex plays with volume and scale to create a striking silhouette. The standout feature is its use of corrugated metal roofing, which wraps the building like a race track—symbolising movement, speed, and continuity. These metal strips, installed with precision, capture light at different angles, enhancing visual dynamism throughout the day.
The architectural form is further animated through height variations and folded planes, generating a rhythmic pattern of light and shadow that enhances spatial quality and passive illumination.
Material Honesty and Industrial Aesthetics
At its core, the design embraces a modern-industrial palette, favouring clean lines and honest material expression. Steel and brickwork form the primary construction language, with exposed finishes that highlight craftsmanship and durability. Contemporary clay brick textures are integrated with refined detailing, elevating the overall visual and tactile experience.
Such material articulation reflects not only architectural intent but also precision in construction, showcasing how conventional materials like steel and brick can be reinterpreted with sophistication.
Functional Layout with International Standards
Built across 24,520 sq. ft., the facility includes:
An indoor sports arena with badminton, futsal, and volleyball courts, supported by 372 terrace seats.
Outdoor amenities such as a football field, 8-lane IAAF-compliant running track, long/triple jump, and throwing zones, with a 450-seat grandstand.
Auxiliary spaces including a café, management office, disabled-friendly amenities, and over 270 vehicle parking bays.
Ethnic Elements with Structural Intent
In a nod to Sarawak’s rich cultural roots, the complex incorporates motifs inspired by the traditional Borneo warrior shield. These elements are not merely decorative—they are functional.
Steel-crafted shield patterns serve as:
Balustrades – providing safety while maintaining visual permeability.
Grilles – offering security with artistic flair.
Lighting screens – subtly concealing fixtures while contributing to ambient lighting.
Each application embodies the shield’s symbolic roles: to protect, guard, and conceal—a seamless fusion of narrative and engineering.
Ventilation, Light, and Sustainability
Environmental responsiveness is embedded in the design. The use of clerestory windows, cross ventilation, and open-ended corridors ensures that the complex benefits from natural airflow and daylight, minimising reliance on mechanical systems. This passive design approach not only supports sustainability but enhances comfort and user experience.
A New Standard in Community Sports Architecture
The Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre stands as a bold example of how steel architecture can serve both community needs and cultural storytelling. It demonstrates how form, function, and identity can converge through material innovation and architectural clarity.
As SibuJaya evolves into a regional nexus, this project reinforces the value of steel-led design thinking in shaping resilient, meaningful public spaces.
The Kedah Digital Library (KDL) celebrates the future-forward concept of “Library Without Books” and redefining the role of a State-owned Public Library as Learning Hub and Community Node. The project emerged as a result of Adaptive Re-use of an existing 2-storey Colonial Bungalow Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman Building in Alor Setar, in a site of total area spanning 2.13 acres.
The former Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman Building is an iconic landmark within the immediate milieu, rich with heritage value and charm. Original site is nestled in a lush green lung adjacent Alor Setar’s largest urban park and now rejuvenated with a new life as a Digital Library in a park-garden ambience.
KDL’s development is divided into two (2) distinct and successive sections, comprising: -
a) Section 1 – ‘The Tunku Mansion’
which involved the refurbishment of the existing historic Anglo-Indian bungalow – hereafter referred to as ‘The Tunku Mansion’ – as the first immediate parcel roll-out to benefit the neighbouring community.
Key spaces include private reading and study spaces, kids digital play room, discussion rooms, a renewed garden and parking spaces.
b) Section 2 – ‘New Annex’
which entailed the addition of a New Annex building as an extension to The Tunku Mansion – with multi-purpose event halls, amphitheatre, teleconference facilities and most importantly – a contemporary new Digital Gallery featuring virtual exhibition of notable Kedah leaders.
Crafting Contemporary Digital Libraries with Historical Significance
The Implementing Agency of the Project aims to create a holistic conducive environment that encourages interaction and collaboration; and as a place where knowledge is obtained via the use of information and communication technology.
This project brief eliminates the necessity all physical forms of data or information (commonly books, displays, hard copies) by moving it to the virtual realms. It ultimately led us on a search for better ways to design and create varied physical experiences for this modern lifestyle to take place.
We made strong attempts to excel in the following areas along the entire project implementation (to be further elaborated in the following pages): -
Preservation, Integration & Reimagination of Historical Intents
• Repurposing historic structures with resilient design for new public usage.
• Preserving excellency of previous purposes and adapting them into parts of a larger, newer brief. For instance, moving the previous traditional memorial gallery to a redesigned space in the New Annex.
• Reimagining how new age information is consumed by current society and integrating them into building design. Eg. virtual exhibition and borderless galleries.
Strategic Planning of Project Roll-Out / Re-activation of Urban Nodes
• Phasing projects sensitively for early public utilisation and simultaneously carry out new construction.
• Re-activating deteriorating urban nodes with new functions, one building at a time.
Sensitive & Holistic Addition of New Wing
• The Tunku Mansion remained as the dominant visual arrival point of the new altered massing, enhanced by a new central garden that ties the old and the new – a nod of respect to its formal and heritage values.
• The roof line and building height of the New Annex were controlled to not overpower the existing mansion.
Physical and Implied Connections between the Old and New + Outdoor and Indoor
• Designing new spaces with the myriad concepts of transparency, opacity, solids and voids, edges, and boundaries.
The AME Elite Headquarters redefines the conventional office and industrial park aesthetic by embodying a visionary blend of functionality, sustainability, and enjoyment. Rather than conforming to the standard industrial model, the design integrates workspace and lifestyle elements, creating an environment where work and leisure seamlessly coexist.
Central to this concept is the I-Park Experience Centre, which exemplifies resort-like living within a traditionally industrial context. This facility supports a balanced lifestyle by combining workspaces with recreational amenities, including a swimming pool and courtyard garden. The clubhouse and three-storey office structure are strategically designed to offer both productivity and relaxation, providing a visually appealing and serene environment.
The architecture and landscape of the headquarters are thoughtfully crafted to enhance user experience, promoting wellness and a holistic approach to work-life balance. This approach challenges the typical notion that industrial environments must prioritize mechanical productivity over personal well-being, positioning the AME Elite Headquarters as a sanctuary where business meets lifestyle in a harmonious and revitalizing setting.
The main design idea emphasizes bringing the “LIFE” between buildings. The building serves as a collection of lifestyles retail shops for the nearby community. Informal, refreshing, relaxing, exciting are among the keywords to describe the space and events happening within it.
The building is designed at a human scale to ensure people feel comfortable and safe within the building. The outdoor al fresco are is designed as a “people watching people” space to foster interaction and human engagement through simply sitting or watching people go by.
The central of the development is punctuated by a spacious open event space surrounded by outdoor seatings.
This open event space provides flexibility for all possible open-ended activities to take place. It is also a move to create a move livable and enjoyable space that prioritize the needs and experience of people.
The architecture of the elevated station for the Kajang Line is inspired by the traditional concept of wakaf, a type of pavilion commonly found in Malaysia. Historically, wakafs were built for travelers to stop, rest, and seek shelter from the elements. Embracing this concept, the elevated stations along the Kajang Line are designed to provide a similar sense of respite for commuters, with an emphasis on openness, natural lighting, and ventilation.
We have played a significant role in the design and development of eight elevated stations along the Kajang Line, spanning from Suntex station to Kajang Station. These stations feature varying configurations, generally adopting side or island platform layouts. However, where interchanges with other rail networks are required, modifications are made to the standard configurations. Despite these variations, one unifying element across all the stations is the distinctive oversailing roof, which not only adds to the visual identity of the stations but also serves a functional purpose.
The oversailing roof is a key architectural feature that provides shelter from the elements while allowing for natural ventilation. The roof design is derived from two parabolic angles intersecting perpendicularly, resulting in a unique, flowing shape. This distinctive roof form is further enhanced by a central glazed skylight, which runs along the length of the roof. This skylight allows additional daylight to penetrate the station, creating a bright and welcoming environment for commuters.
The structural composition of the roof is based on steel trusses, which are strong and capable of supporting the roof’s large overhangs. To ensure the roof is lightweight yet durable, a metal standing seam built-up roofing system is used. This system, provided by Bluescope, is known for its excellent performance in terms of durability, corrosion resistance, and color fastness.
Bluescope’s innovative steel materials, and their products are particularly well-suited for architectural applications where both aesthetic appeal and long-term performance are critical. The lightweight metal standing seam roofing used in these elevated stations is engineered to withstand the harsh environmental conditions typical of Malaysia, including high humidity and heavy rainfall, ensuring the longevity of the station structures.
One of the advantages of using Bluescope materials is the wide variety of colors available, which allows the designers to customize the appearance of each station according to its district or locality. This ability to tailor the color scheme of each station adds a layer of visual differentiation and helps integrate the stations into their respective communities. The selection of colors is not only a design choice but also reflects the cultural and environmental context of each station's location, creating a sense of place and identity for commuters.
Furthermore, the use of Bluescope's advanced steel materials in the roof construction also contributes to the sustainability goals of the project. The materials are designed to be long-lasting, reducing the need for frequent maintenance and replacements, which in turn minimizes resource consumption and environmental impact over the lifespan of the stations. The lightweight nature of the materials also means that less structural support is needed, allowing for a more efficient use of resources during construction.
In addition to the practical benefits, the architectural expression of the roof aligns with the overall design philosophy of the Kajang Line's elevated stations. The open-sided design, reminiscent of traditional wakaf pavilions, fosters a sense of openness and connection with the surrounding environment. This design approach not only enhances the commuter experience but also contributes to the overall urban landscape, making the stations more than just transit points, but landmarks that reflect the cultural heritage and architectural innovation of the region.
In conclusion, the elevated stations along the Kajang Line represent a thoughtful blend of traditional Malaysian architectural concepts and modern engineering solutions. Through its involvement in these stations, has successfully translated the essence of the wakaf into a contemporary context, creating spaces that are functional, sustainable, and visually striking. The use of Bluescope materials further enhances the durability, aesthetic appeal, and sustainability of these stations, ensuring they will serve the community well for years to come.
This 3-storey 5,000 sm flagship Porsche Center is the first of Porsche’s ‘new corporate identity’ showroom outside of Germany that accentuates the continued elegance of its branding and precision for supercars and clean technology mobility. The exterior façade of the showroom on the ground floor is fully glazed to allow maximum transparency of a full-height glass façade while lifting the strong geometric box above that encapsulates offices on the upper floor. This massing is further accentuated by a signature 3D façade skin-wall which filters natural lighting and refreshes the dynamic vision of the brand. This creates the illusion of a floating showroom above a light and permeable lightbox.
Design Statement
The Porsche conceptual cornerstone are customization of modular Brand Space focusing on creating Showroom that encompasses a complete Destination Porsche experience.
The architectural concept of the Porsche Centre is a modular approach. Each module offers something new to awaken visitors’ fascination and curiosity, and immerse them in the world of Porsche. Interchangeable 3x3m grid modular concept provides a flexible, future-proof construction kit to allow project scalability and customization and ensures brand consistency and recognition across formats.
Destination Porsche is a vision to creating the outstanding and meaningful automotive retail destination clearly recognizable as Porsche, with objectives to;
Accelerate Customer Centricity as modular brand space, and individual customer journeys
Creating a Unique Porsche Experience through multi-sensory architectural design, and activation of personal behavior
Fostering Lifelong Operational Partnership
The Porsche-specific design mirrors the essence of the Porsche brand, it incorporates the Porsche DNA with its integral attributes and characteristics. Similar to the car design, the orthogonal spatial design is dynamic, focused regarding layout and touch points, and ambient in the perception of the visitors, serves as the ideal basis to allow flexibility, making space for main Racing Line thoroughfare, and allows model showcase-focused theme within the center.
The Racing Line forms the main axis of the showroom, becoming the anchor point for visitors with various spaces are placed and switched around this axis. The Racing Line highlights the entire Porsche product portfolio, with additional show spaces presented in the side streets.
From the Racing Line, the visitors will arrive at The Welcome – a combined module with the Porscheplatz and is the first touchpoint to the Porsche Centre, where every journey starts into the fascinating world of Porsche. Other modules around The Racing Line includes Diver’s Selection, Kid’s Area, Werk Lounge and Vehicles Exhibit.
The showroom uses high-quality finishes in reflection of the luxury and performance attributed to the Porsche world, with attention to detail in every aspect of the meticulously-designed interior design to ensure a holistic customer experience.
Exterior Design Façade is inspired by the sleek and dynamic exterior of Porsche’s vehicle design in creating a strong presence and powerful appearance at the entrance. With Bluescope’s design customization for profiles, this Porsche Centre is the first in the world where the exterior cladding adopts the opaque 3D façade that floats the glass curtain beneath implying speed through its horizontally aligned and proportioned panels.
Signature exterior design with red LED stripes, derived from the Porsche vehicles, make the lamellas appear more dynamic while accentuating the dynamic entrance portal, where the lamellas welcome visitors into the Racing Line. The façade panel modules evoke sense of linearity and acceleration, while the transparent glazing ensures a generous presentation are for eye-catching window displays.
The Ascendas Nusajaya Tech Park’s ready-built factory architecture design showcases contemporary industrial architecture while aligning and maintain both local and international industrial sector standards expectations. The design vision was focused on harmonizing the aesthetics and functionality, that enables to optimize operational and energy efficiency particularly through the integration of the Industrialized Building System (IBS).
Sustainability is embedded as the main design concept by introducing the aerodynamic form that exhibit energy efficiency boost. By providing modern features in the curved forms and streamlined profiles, it promotes corresponding ceiling heights based on space usage that optimize operational and well-organized layout of the unit which can accommodate various tenants workspace. The overhangs allowed lower floor to have large windows to maximize natural light and the upper level provided with slanting horizontal louvers, reducing the need for artificial lighting thus lowering energy consumption.
The core technique to deliver this dynamic factory’s design is the innovation of the use of IBS technology. This system was applied to the roof system, steel structure, full height glass and wall cladding –aluminium composite panel (ACP) allows for high precision in manufacturing and quick assembly on-site that significantly reduces construction time and minimizes waste by specifying durable materials that will ensure a long lifespan for the building, further aligning with sustainable practices by minimizing the need for frequent repairs or replacements. Single-skin R670 roof system used to cover every unit and matching metal cladding upholds the sleek industrial look while ensuring robustness and ease of maintenance. Colorbond flashing also installed to seamlessly cover all detailing between ACP and 715/45 Series horizontal corrugated wall cladding.
Bold color scheme –red, orange and yellow derived from the ACP 3000 Series alloy with PVDF coating that represents each unit type was intentional to highlight the building’s form curved edges and angular lines in grey. This approach reflects a thoughtful blend of form and function not only just visually appealing but also enhances the aesthetic quality of the industrial landscape by taking into account to equal with the surrounding neighbourhood. The building’s construction also minimizes disruption as the use of prefabricated components allows for faster completion time, reduction of site labour, cleaner environment and safer construction site. This approach not only benefits the local economy but also fosters a sense of positivity within the community.
Human-centric design principles are evident throughout the large windows and the provisions of natural light create a pleasant and comfortable workplace, significantly enhance employee well-being and productivity. The covered main entrance, loading and unloading areas protect workers from inclement weather conditions, emphasizing the consideration for their comfort and safety. Additionally, the noise reduction achieved through aerodynamic design ensures a quieter interior environment, contributing to a more conducive working environment. These elements reflect a deep commitment to creating a factory that prioritizes the health, safety, and overall satisfaction of its occupants.
In conclusion, this ready-built factory exemplifies that contemporary industrial architecture likewise able to achieve design excellence, innovation, sustainability, community focus, and humanity. Through the integration of IBS technology, the aerodynamic shapes of the building was made possible through advanced methods of building construction that is both energy efficient and effective while showcasing sustainable materials, the high precision prefabrication perfectly meets practical tenant needs, lower operational costs also enhances the visual and environmental quality of its surroundings. This project illustrates industrial also made available in vibrant colors and large windows that lead to superior building performance, sustainable innovative practices while reducing impact to the atmosphere. Serves as a model for future industrial developments, demonstrating that with thoughtful design and innovative construction techniques, factories can be both functional and inspiring spaces.
PKNS Lakeside Floating Restaurant
Design Vision
The PKNS Floating Restaurant is located in the heart of Shah Alam. It is a single storey, 1,200 sm, building that can accommodate 300 people. The building is a refurbishment of an existing structure on the same location.
Regardless of how insignificant a building is, it is still part and parcel of a city. It embodies culture, heritage and history of a city as well as memories to the city dwellers. Besides that, a conservation effort of an old building ensures the original master planning of a city remains intact to achieve the city’s inception objectives. Due to these reasons efforts must be made to preserve buildings as much as possible. However, in doing so, allowance should be made for creativity of the designer to re-interpret the upgrading exercise to suit the current requirements, available technology and the new challenges in ensuring the preserved and upgraded buildings remain fresh and relevant to the present time.
The existing floating restaurant building was in a dilapidated state due to lack of maintenance. Some of the timber columns had degraded and a portion of the roof was also sagged. The previous haphazard additions to the original structure had also compromised the traditional Malay architecture’s aesthetic. These conditions had affected the overall building outlook and make it not compatible to the surrounding development.
Design Concept
Inspired from a ‘kelong’ concept, the naturally ventilated building adopted a low energy design in response to the tropical climate. The increased internal volume creates large airy open space that funnel prevailing wind to pass through, creating a comfortable condition inside. The large overhang on the lake side protects from rain and shades the open dining deck near to the water edges for a pleasant afternoon seating.
Sustainability
The design approach of this budget conscious project is recycling. Built on the original foundation, the building re-purposes significant amount of building material from the original structure including 40 m2 of timber decks and over 3,000 pieces of clay roof tiles. The building’s high ceiling, naturally ventilated openings and use of natural lighting enhance the building’s low-energy performance.
The large open plan volume gives flexibility to the restaurant operator and users to reconfigure the internal space according their and requirement and event functions. Composting room is also incorporated in the original planning to accommodate anaerobic/aerobic digester equipment for disposal and recycling of garden and organic restaurant waste in the future with fertilizer as by-products.
Reusing of the exiting footings minimizes wet sub-structure construction activities thus reduces pollution to the lake. Carbon footprint was also greatly reduced due to recycling design approach.
The roof is purposely designed to be flat for future installation of solar panels when the budget permits.
Community & Humanity
Commendable effort has been taken by PKNS to ensure this once famous floating restaurant of the city of Shah Alam is being preserved and upgraded as originally intended as a restaurant respecting the original city planning intention. This exercise would ensure that the public can continue to enjoy the benefits of the facilities.