ILAM celebrates the industry's best at MLAA 2015.
BY ANGIE NG
angie@thestar.com.my
Philea Resort & Spa Ayer Keroh, Malacca, won Excellence in the Landscape Construction Award.
INDUSTRY practitioners involved in property and infrastructure development activities have a big role to play in safeguarding the environment and protecting the natural habitat of the country's rich flora and fauna.
Developers, architects, surveyors, town planners, city councillors and other government authorities need to be armed with the right knowledge on the various methods of master planning and building projects that will strike a balance between the built environment and the natural environment .
Given the severe changes in the global climate that have resulted in the severe weather condition, every little effort to protect the environment will go a long way towards a more sustainable living environment.
While development is necessary to ensure growth and progress, indiscriminate building and land clearing need to be avoided to rein in the emission of carbon footprints and environmental degradation.
Efforts by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM) to promote the use of landscape architects services among the building fraternity will add value to the living, working and recreational spaces.
ILAM president Associate Professor Osman Mohd Tahir said since the establishment of the institute in 1981, it has raised the awareness on the role of landscape architects in the country’s built environment over the past 35 years.
"It has been proven that landscape architecture can add value to properties by creating a conducive living environment and contribute to the economy as well as the environment and biodiversity, especially in urban areas," Osman explained.
Besides focusing on efforts to green the nation, ILAM also focuses on collaboration with the National Landscape Department to formulate the National Landscape Policies to turn Malaysia into a garden nation by 2020.
Osman shared that landscaping used to be synonymous with planting trees. It has since evolved into functional landscaping practices such as using landscapes to help in storm water management.
Retention ponds have been turned into multifunction ecosystems and being used as community parks.
"The practice of landscaping has also changed in high-rise greenery, better known as vertical gardens. Greening rooftops into functional rooftop gardens have also turned these once unused spaces into useful community spaces."
Celebrating the industry's best
In 2007, ILAM introduced the Malaysia Landscape Architecture Awards (MLAA) as an annual industry awards recognition to recognise outstanding achievements in landscape architectural works by the industry professionals, developers, government agencies, research bodies and students.
The MLAA, which is held in conjunction with the World Landscape Architecture Month Celebrations in April each year, is endorsed by the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA).
It is open to outstanding Malaysian landscape architecture consultancy firms, developers, researchers, students, contractors, government agencies and individuals for projects completed in Malaysia and abroad in 2015 that represent various aspects of the industry.
A new category, Young Landscape Architect Award, has been added to the list of award categories for MLAA 2015, to recognise the achievement of outstanding individual young landscape architect.
MLAA 2015 is open to all project submissions that have been completed for at least one year, and which have not won any previous ILAM Awards.
Osman said MLAA is the only industry awards that recognise the best of landscape architecture practices.
“We feel that we need to recognise the efforts of industry members that truly place importance on landscaping and greening their developments.
"MLAA 2015 has some notable awards starting of with professional categories, for example the landscape design awards, whereby we look into this award in terms of design. "
Additionally, there is another award focusing on industry members that not only come up with master planned designs, but at the same time pay attention to analysing and undertake viability studies prior to mapping out the master plan.
"The Landscape Analysis and Study Award is given to projects that have carried out rigorous study that results in quality landscape designs," he added.
Through the MLAA 2015 this year, Osman said industry practitioners who adopt good landscape architecture practices will be recognised and will stand out from the rest of their peers.
MLAA 2015 Categories
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY
a. Landscape Design Award
b. Landscape Analysis and Study Award
c. Landscape Innovation Award
LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR CATEGORY
a. Landscape Construction Award
DEVELOPER CATEGORY
a. Property Developer Award
GOVERNMENT & CITY COUNCIL CATEGORY
a. Green City Award
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY
a. Young Landscape Architect Award
RESEARCHER CATEGORY
a. Landscape Research Award
STUDENT CATEGORY
a. Student Design Award
