PENANG: Following the success of Seri Tanjung Pinang (STP), Eastern and Oriental Bhd (E&O) is gearing up to launch its second master-planned development in Penang.
Aptly named Andaman after the surrounding sea, this 760-acre island, just across the waterway from STP, is envisioned as the next iconic E&O address. Andaman will be an integrated township built around six core pillars, namely residential, education, shopping, health and wellness, work, and sustainability.
Taking all its experience in building STP, the developer hopes to repeat its success. Building a township is more than simply designing award-winning buildings for E&O. It is about building communities that stand the test of time. Drawing from its heritage of luxurious designs, E&O prides itself on developing townships curated around its communities’ evolving needs, wants, and desires.
“Putting communities first was the pivotal point of the STP master plan. It was all about designing around the needs and desires of the community we envisioned would make STP home. So, it was not just about beautifully-designed and finished homes, but very much also about secure environments, green spaces, broad walkways, beautiful landscaping, and communal spaces designed for shared activities. We strived to build a community that would flourish,” said E&O managing director Kok Tuck Cheong.
Everything is designed to be within walking distance from homes, including its festival retail marina, Straits Quay, Penang’s first seafront mall. “When it came to the homes, we took even more care to ensure that there was something special in every phase,” said Kok.
Citing STP’s maiden terrace houses Ariza, which debuted in 2005, he said the classic colonial designs, inspired by 19th-century Straits-eclectic homes, were different from other new developments in Penang at that time and took the market by storm.
“We followed this with Avalon homes in 2006, which featured air wells, high ceilings of up to 11-feet, open concept courtyards, large windows and a very generous house dimension measuring up to 3,800 sq ft for the terrace and up to 4,000 sq ft for the semi-detached,” Kok added.
E&O also ensured that the entire development features lush landscaping, backyard gardens and streetscaping, which turned unsightly back lanes into welcoming green areas. E&O is instilling the principle of sustainability into their strategies, policies and procedures. The Think Green food garden located at Straits Green is a four-acre public park that serves as an outdoor classroom for local communities, partners and employees to proactively embrace volunteerism, instil earth care practices and encourage community building.
Considering how children enjoy running around or cycling outdoors, security is an important feature of this gated and guarded community. E&O’s focus on safety and security is probably best exemplified at STP’s Quayside condominium. Designed by GDSS Security Consultants, the system uses a multi-layered approach complemented by state-of-the-art security technology.
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