La Promenade Mall Archives

Sarawakian architects win ‘Langit’ architecture competition

Published on August 7, 2021

Sarawakian architects win 'Langit' architecture competition — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg presenting a plaque to Langit winner Jacinta Yii of Yii KE Architect, as HSL Managing Director Dato Yu Chee Hoe (middle) looks on. Her design collaborator for the contest, Alan Kueh, attended virtually.

KUCHING: An eco-friendly 18-storey mixed-use commercial building design clinched Langit‘s top prize for Sarawakian architects Jascinta Yii and Alan Kueh.

Practising in Kuching and Melbourne respectively, Yii and Kueh’s joint submission included public spaces, offices, apartments, plant nurseries — all designed with inter-generational living in mind.

Judges called the entry “impactful, providing high-density, yet adaptable multi-generational living and
working units”. It was also praised for promoting ideas of sustainable living with urban farming as a
feature.

Langit: Reaching for greater heights in design and living

Langit is Sarawak’s first ever national architecture contest. Hock Seng Lee, in collaboration with Next
Phase (HSL-NP), intends to build one of the winners. The project site is a compact 0.78acres at a strategic
location within Kuching’s central business district.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the results at HSL Tower here on
August 7.

“The Sarawak Government enjoys a close relationship with architects. This is clear to see in our urban
planning, public parks and institutional buildings. In Sarawak, we know cities are made for people and the
people make good cities. We know that development plans must start from the human level,” Abang Johari said.

“My friends at HSL-NP codenamed this competition Langit because in Bahasa Sarawak, ‘Lang’ means
door, and in Malay, Langit is the sky. We want to reach for greater heights together. I hope Langit will be
the prototype of, not only a new building, but a new way of thinking about development.”

Different strengths, different messages

Second place went to Just Architecture, third place to MOA Architects, and two honourary mentions to UT
Moh Architect and Arkitek LH Wong. Their designs ranged from futuristic vertical farms to 39-storey
skyscrapers.

The third-place winner, MoA Architects, uniquely, is a twin tower designed using a plot-ratio system. This
planning method is similar to those used in regional megacities like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and
Bangkok.

The plot-ratio system allowed MOA Architects’ entry to have a large and meaningful public space at the
lower levels.

Cash prizes for the top five totalled RM200,000.

The judging process was anonymous. Jury members comprised Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) president Datuk Ezumi Harzani, PAM Sarawak immediate past chairman Ivy Jong, Veritas Architects director Lilian Tay, multi-award winner and conservationist Mike Boon, and developer HSL-NP representative Yu Ji.

Challenging convention in the heart of Kuching city

“Many of the design ideas challenge conventional expectations and demonstrated refreshing approaches
in place-making in the context of Kuching. A majority of the submissions displayed clear commitment to
social and environmental sustainability,” said Jong, who was jury chair.

“The shortlisted schemes pushed various aspects of design ideas thinking and juries were impressed by
the creativity, approach and thoughts demonstrated.”

In 2021, there have been just two architecture competitions in the whole of Malaysia. The first was for
design the facade of a train station between Johor and Singapore. That competition, which the Johor
Sultan was the patron, concluded in February.

Langit began in March. Participants comprised some of Malaysia’s best known firms, including TR Hamzah
& Yeang, Design Network Architects, Dr Tan LM and Form Zero — all winners of national design accolades.
HSL-NP is the project site land owner and and competition sponsor.

HSL’s current HQ is the first privately built Green Building Index certified office in Sarawak. Located at the
200-acre La Promenade, it is the only Sarawak development to win the trifecta of awards from developers,
landscapers and architects’ institutes.

For more info, visit langitkch.com, hsl.com.my or search #LangitKch and @hslcn on social media

11 entries shortlisted for HSL-NP design competition Langit

Published on June 3, 2021

News & Features

Picking the next best high-rise for Kuching city will be the Herculean task for the judges of ‘Langit’, a nationwide architecture competition organised by Hock Seng Lee (HSL), Next Phase (NP) and Malaysian Architecture Institute (PAM) Sarawak Chapter.

Out of 85 submissions from 112 registrations in total, the jury has shortlisted 11 entries. PAM Sarawak Chapter received 85 submissions out of 112 registrations in total, with almost two-thirds of its entries from outside Sarawak, including architecture firms in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah.

All entries are anonymous and only identified by a code number to ensure that judging is based only on merits.

Construction specialist, HSL, in collaboration with Next Phase, has also included six additional entries to be part of the free public exhibition at La Promenade Mall.

“The competition gives architects and the developer the opportunity to create the next best commercial high-rise in Malaysia. There has never ever been such a design competition before in east Malaysia. The project sponsors, HSL-NP, will get a great design for this strategic piece of land. More importantly. the people of Kuching will get a great building with some of the best design considerations put in. This is a big advancement for both architecture and real estate development,” said PAM Sarawak chairman Chai Si Yong, who is the competition convener.

The shortlisted entries range from 11 to 39 stories high. They include retail showcases, innovative home- offices and truly world-class serviced condominiums.

“The shortlist are the ones that are customised for the site. They are not generic buildings. They fit their site context. Almost all also offer very well-thought out public spaces. By and large, they are not the kind of development with a guardhouse in front, keeping the public out. Langit must be a building that offers community enhancement. Inner city living is important. Jobs, schools and even good public parks tend to be in the inner city,” said Yu Ji, a representative from competition promoters Hock Seng Lee and Next Phase.

Besides civic consideration and designs with good public spaces, other jury considerations include sustainable design, lessons learnt from Covid-19, and the economic feasibility of the designs.

HSL held this competition because the Group wants to reaffirm its status as a professional-led construction firm, which intends to build Kuching’s next icon.

“The competition will complement our existing projects, and is a signpost of where we want to be in a few years. We want to have the best ideas right from the start. For each of our current real estate projects, we try to make sure there is something outstanding. For La Promenade, it’s to be the best gated community. For Samariang Aman 3, it’s to be one of the most affordable while also making sure we can offer well planned open spaces. For Vista Industrial Park, we’ve started Sarawak’s first Rent-to-own scheme for entrepreneurs,” said Yu Ji, who is also the director of Next Phase.

Where is the future high-rise in Kuching going to be?

The site is a challenging and small 0.78acre at Jalan Tabuan, opposite the Inland Revenue Tax Academy.

It is near Kuching’s central business district areas, a stone-throw from Reservoir Park, the Kuching South City Council and some of Sarawak’s best performing schools. It is also within a kilometer to The Spring Shopping Mall and Sarawak Club.

11 entries shortlisted for HSL-NP design competition Langit

The project is named Langit because, in Bahasa Sarawak, ‘Lang’ means door, while in Malay, ‘Langit’ is the sky.

Langit’s results announcement and prize presentation (cash prizes for the competition total RM200,000) is scheduled for late June.

“A good design will mean sunpath, window placement, cross ventilation and natural lighting will be built better. Quality of life is better. Projects can actually become cheaper. Efficiency is higher. We want to try to build something that will be a relevant many years and decades from now. The best ideas are timeless,” added Yu JI, who will also be one of the five jurors for the competition.

For more info on the design competition ‘Langit’, log on to langitkch.com, hsl.com.my or search #langitkch and @hslcn on social media.

HSL defines modern living with Precinct Grande

Published on March 31, 2021

Lifestyle

Greenscapes, spaciousness and life quality are a rare combination to find in a housing development in Kuching, but Precinct Grande by Hock Seng Lee paves the way for the future of urban housing developments with its carefully crafted architectural designs.

Nestled in La Promenade, a 200-acre mixed development along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway, Precinct Grande is a low-density housing development defined by green principles. Comprising bungalows and duplexes stretched out over 20 acres, the precinct is made up of 18% open spaces, spread out to benefit each housing plot.

While Grande’s masterplanner and green architect specialist David Ong mapped out the Green Building Index framework as well as the precinct’s back-to-back duplexes, MNSC Architects designed the precinct’s uber-luxurious bungalows – Designer Bungalow, Bungalow Majestic and Bungalow Elegant.

Bungalow Majestic

The three-storey Bungalow Majestic is perhaps every modern parent’s dream house. Designed with growing families in mind, the master bedroom occupies half of the top floor, allowing flexibility and added comfort for parents co-sleeping with their young children. Three spacious bedrooms opposite the master bedroom sees that parents share the same floor with their children, allowing parents to sleep better with family safety in mind.

Double-volume dining and living rooms (think high ceilings, lofty and open atmospheres) allow for more natural light, enhancing the cosiness and spaciousness of the family ‘nest’ as you enter the main door.

Bungalow Designer

Hock Seng Lee Precinct Grande Designer Bungalow — Bungalow Designer

A retro-futuristic house design like the Bungalow Designer deserves to be shown off with an equally unique method of construction. The off-form building technique which sees concrete being fabricated on site demands absolute precision and quality, adding prestige for any house-proud owner.

Bungalow Elegant

Designed along more traditional lines, Bungalow Elegant’s Master Room on the first floor allows homeowners easier access from the ground floor. With bedrooms on multi-levels of the three-storey house, an attached study and entertainment room on the first floor with the master room affords the homeowner more privacy, while allowing their children more independence on the top floor.

Green habitat

Designed using sun path models and cross ventilation as priorities – two core principles in green buildings – HSL aims to attain the first Green Building Index for housing in East Malaysia. The feat would mark another milestone for the developer which has already achieved twin GBI certifications for HSL Tower and its three-storey La Promenade Mall.

In addition, Precinct Grande has double the industry norm’s landscaped areas. Three types of linear parks have been designed for the precinct by Intodesign Labs, each catering to a different theme. Tunnels and hills in the specially created natural playscapes offer children the perfect outdoor playground, while the sights and smells from the edible landscape in another linear park provides older residents a natural space to reflect. Meanwhile, visitors and residents alike can meet at an external meeting point along La Promenade’s main boulevard.

‘You Complete Me’

Hock Seng Lee Precinct Grande Duplex Modern — Duplex Modern

Precinct Grande’s duplexes – Duplex Classic and Duplex Modern – go the extra mile in creating homes that address the concerns of many of Sarawak’s multigenerational family households. Its elderly-friendly floor plan and facilities on the ground floor ensures that the family’s oldest members live out their years in comfort and safety. In addition, a maid’s room on the ground floor affords homeowners the option of a live-in nurse or caregiver.

Meanwhile, the roof terrace on the second floor will be a breath of fresh air for residents to take in the sunshine as they look out over the neighbourhood where tree cover has been maximised to ensure a healthy urban space.

Hock Seng Lee Precinct Grande Duplex Classic — Duplex Classic

Duplex Classic’s pitched roofing will appeal to homeowners who are nostalgic for traditional styles of architecture while being able to enjoy the house’s more contemporary features.

For those prioritising green living, the Duplex Modern shares the same layout as Duplex Classic but with emphasis on wide roofs for extra shade from the elements.

About La Promenade

La Promenade, currently comprising Precinct Luxe, Precinct Premiere, Precinct Grande, as well as the newly launched onsite La Promenade Mall, is not a typical housing estate. In 2018, the mixed development won the Malaysian Landscape Architecture Awards for the master planning category, and emerged as a top winner in the SHEDA Excellence Awards in 2019 with the master planning prize and Precinct Premiere in the residential category.

Fancy designing a building in Kuching’s business district? ‘Langit’ is the limit

Published on February 8, 2021

News & Features

KUCHING: Hock Seng Lee (HSL), Next Phase and the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) are inviting registered architects to challenge their creativity in an architectural design competition called ‘Langit’.

Targeted for a prime piece of land in Kuching’s central business district, the plot measures about an acre along Jalan Tabuan and is within 1 km radius of Kuching Waterfront, Padungan, and tHe Spring Shopping Mall.

Fancy designing a building in Kuching's business district? 'Langit' is the limit — The architectural competition for #LangitKch — a commercial high-rise — is on a small but prime piece of land in Kuching’s CBD. It is a matured site with commercial developments including offices, condominiums, shopping malls, hotels and schools, all within a kilometre’s radius.

The competition is open to all PAM-registered corporate members with prize monies totalling RM200,000.

PAM members may collaborate with foreign architects and there is no limit to the number of entries submitted by an architect.

The first prize is RM100,000, second prize RM50,000, third prize RM25,000, and two honourable mentions. Registration opens Feb 8 and the competition closes on Apr 19.

Results will be announced in late May.

What to know about the design competition?

Hailed as the first of its kind in Sarawak, the design brief for HSL, Next Phase and PAM Sarawak Chapter’s competition calls for a commercial development for a max gross floor area of 30,000sqm. The design can be for a mixed-use commercial development, except for a hotel.

“This competition is an ‘ideas competition’. A great piece of land, in such a good location, should have a great building on it. Any commercial development is also an opportunity to do public spaces,” HSL properties development general manager Tay Chiok Kee said.

Judges will focus on community engagement to enhance both the public and users of the building, optimum building orientation and economic viability.

“We want the best ideas right from the start. Our judges will scrutinise all entries, and as the developer, we will build what is best for the location and for the people of Kuching.”

PAM Sarawak chairman Jong is thrilled with the design competition.

“This competition is forward-thinking and significant for property developers as well as architects. The industry I represent has long yearned for a competition. We want to be challenged and to be competitive,” Jong said.

“HSL will gain significantly from having the most innovative ideas and best designed plans. But, really, the ultimate beneficiary will be the public. The public stands to gain a new architectural icon, new business ventures, new job opportunities and a new public space — all at a location easily accessible to all.”

HSL’s marketing team has tentatively named the project “Langit”, which in Bahasa Malaysia is sky, while in Bahasa Sarawak, “lang” means door.

“This is an aspirational project,” said PAM Sarawak deputy chairman Chai Si Yong, who is director of PDC Design Group.

“We collaborate closely with HSL to make this skyscraper competition happen. It was over a year ago when HSL first spoke to us about a competition. As a developer, HSL is designer- and professional-led. We spoke a lot about challenges, goals and ideas. It only made sense for us to jointly organise a contest,” Chai said.

The judges include PAM Sarawak chairman Ar Ivy Jong, PAM Malaysia president Datuk Ar Ezumi Harzani Ismail, an eminent Sarawakian architect, an eminent Malaysian architect, and HSL representative.

Kuching is one of the best design cities in Malaysia. It is a city notable for many award-winning architects and unique buildings. Firms in Sarawak like Design Network Architects, Arkitek KDI, IDC Architects, Pu Architects and David Ong Architects have won national recognition for their designer mansions, hotels, convention centres and interior designs.

Kuching is also home to the iconic State Legislative building by Hijjas Kasturi, the restored Old Court House, Kuching Mosque, OCBC Building, Sarawak Syariah Court, Kuching South and North City Halls.

For the latest, visit langitkch.com and pamsc.org.my. Updates will also be available at hsl.com.my and @hslcn on social media.

Shop, ‘ngupi’ at La Promenade Mall, Kota Samarahan

Published on January 27, 2021

News & Features/Entertainment

When you hear about another shopping mall like La Promenade Mall opening up in Kota Samarahan, those living closer to central Kuching may feel undecided about crossing the Kuching-Samarahan line. It sounds ‘far’ and you might have to deal with the legendary Samarahan traffic.

Sited along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway comfortably between the established city centre and smart township of Samarahan, however, the newly-launched La Promenade Mall by Hock Seng Lee is neither too far nor out of the way.

It’s 20-25 minutes from Kuching’s golden triangle, and if you’re willing to head to Jalan Canna to wait in the drivethru for McDonald’s Prosperity Burger set, another 5 minutes’ drive to La Promenade Mall will be a cinch.

Shop, taste the difference

La Promenade Mall doesn’t aim to be just another retail-oriented shopping centre, but a neighbourhood community hub that supplies services to shoppers and residents working the daily commute that they can’t get online.

HSL’s ‘Support Local’ approach will see Sarawakian businesses like Black Bean Coffee and Tea, NOMS, Taka Patisserie, Hock King Authentic Chicken Rice, Rice King, and Mr Domus among the tenants livening up the four-storey commercial space, offering local foodies and coffee lovers a cosy retreat after the day’s work is done.

Shop, 'ngupi' at La Promenade Mall, Kota Samarahan — *Indulge your sweet tooth with Taka Patisserie’s selection of freshly baked goodies.*

For those who are looking to do some grocery shopping on their way home, browsing through the aisles of anchor tenant Choice Supermarket promises to provide shoppers a more enjoyable experience with their emphasis on fresh produce, leafy greens, imported meat, freshly baked bread and personal care section.

Designed by Australian firm BHO Interiors, Choice Supermarket’s contemporary layout will also include a food kiosk, as well as a combination of serviced cashiers and self-checkout aisles.

la promenade mall kuching — Fresh produce kiosks named after popular local wet markets give Choice Supermarket a homegrown feel.

What’s more, if you’re looking to work out while relishing the sunrise and sunset views over Kuching, you’ll be able to check in at the Sweat Factory gym and enjoy a more holistic approach to wellbeing and fitness in addition to the gym machine with the availability of instructor-focused group classes and personal training.

On top of that, La Promenade Mall has provided special leases and subsidised rental to local non-governmental organisations such as Hope Place, Intellectually Disabled Adults Society, Bodhi Counselling Centre and Helping Hands, thus providing them space for workshops, offices and storefronts, truly making it a shopping center with public service and community focus at its core.

Currently, HSL is one of Hope Place’s biggest donors, which also includes the sponsoring of an animated short. Hand drawn painstakingly over a period of 7 months by the Sarawakian creatives behind Pixbugs Studio, Hope Place aims to raise RM100,000 through the fundraising video.

La Promenade Mall and the environment

If, at first glance, you had taken in La Promenade’s glass curtain walls and just thought it was an office building… well okay, you wouldn’t be completely wrong. La Promenade Mall is just one of the components within the 10-storey HSL Tower, which also happens to be the first privately owned Green Building Index-certified building in East Malaysia, with La Promenade Mall being its second.

What does it mean? With energy-saving features like it’s 3,700 custom made triple glazed glass panels it means more natural light, less heat and less air-con, resulting in an approximate 25% reduction in energy consumption. Light shafts going down into the basement carpark also helps reduce the need for underground electric lighting.

Impatient to see what else is going to be moving in to La Promenade Mall, Kota Samarahan? Watch this space or visit hsl.com.my and lapromenademall.com.my!

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Sarawakian architects win ‘Langit’ architecture competition