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.
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.