MLAA 2015 award winners set the benchmark for future landscape marvels.

BY VIKNESH ASHLEY
vikneshashley@thestar.com.my

ILAM council members 2014/2016

LANDSCAPE architecture combines design with the environment as well as art with the sciences.

It is about the presentation of a certain environment regardless of being in an urban or rural placement, poised as the interface between people and natural eco-systems.

The way in which landscape architecture work is astounding and can range from master planning of Olympic sites to the planning as well as managing of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Landscaping can also include designing public spaces and parks simultaneously by nurturing communities and making a range of environments liveable.

Landscape architects are broad thinkers that thrive on big picture viewpoint, able to communicate with many professions and leading multidisciplinary projects. Landscape architecture is not just the profession of the future, but is the profession for a better future.

Landscape is most commonly highlighted today via application in various property developments across the board ranging from landed to high-rise developments. Today, landscaping has gained great importance as most property purchasers demand better external living space for their homes as well as the quality of ambience in a given environment.

Praxcis Design has been crowned the Honour Award, Professional Category Landscape Design Awards for two developments - Breezeway in Desa Parkcity and Debunga Residensi by IJM Land Bhd.

Praxcis Design has won these honorary awards as the company has worked with many top property developers in Malaysia including new as well as upcoming developers. The challenge usually faced by the design house is working with layouts that are fixed and set before landscape is applied to the design of the given development.

Some of the previous themes incorporated by Praxcis Design are inspired by existing work sites which include existing vegetation, topography, architectural spaces, artwork, as well as fashion and design. Each project that is worked upon usually has a pre-determined theme and ambience that is to be achieved while most plants used for the landscaping are acquired locally for easy maintenance.

Praxcis Design highlights that landscape is important as the role of a landscape architect is to create better and healthier lifestyles and to facilitate community development by creating landscape spaces for interaction and bonding experiences, capitalizing on each landscape activity.

Malaysian housing development has been taking place in the last 60 years. However, enhancements on landscaping a residential environment has only taken place less than 20 years ago. Gone are the days when developers simply plant a tree in front of each home and call it landscaping.

Praxcis Design director Yap Nga Tuan explained that the key design theme for Debunga Residensi is the topography of the surrounding development area, which is situated in a valley. During the initial site study, the company discovered streams, mini waterfalls, as well as brooks going through the township development site which have become the main design inspiration.

As for Breezeway, the design approach is to create an experience of wind and nature through the incorporation of garden courtyards as well as larger linear groves to individual resident’s home.

The softscaping concept of gentle trees as well as shrubs provide a visual and audio feel of the lush greenery, artistically intertwined with rain shelters to make the ambience within the Breezeway parcel true to its name.

Yap also explained that landscaping as well as application of lighting in key areas of a development can increase the safety of a development. By incorporating lighting within a development, such an enhancement not only provides an illuminating guide but also highlights the unique design features of any given development.

Adding to that, layering and shrub planting does not only green an environment but plays an important role by creating a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles aside from providing a safety barrier from thieves when pedestrians go for leisurely strolls.

Landscaping can also come in the form of rejuvenation as applied by Konsep Inovartis for The Saujana in Kuala Lumpur. The company bagged a Merit Award, Professional Category Landscape Design Awards, for their astounding work on the rather outdated landscaping style that had been incorporated prior to the involvement of Konsep Inovartis.

Konsep Inovartis principal Sabaruddin Buang said when The Saujana was initially handed over to them, many plants were overgrown and some parts of the resort even required hardscaping as the hotel rooms at that time was been upgraded. The method of landscaping used by the company is referred to as landscape renewal or landscape rejuvenation as the landscape were entirely revamped, redesigned and reinstated.

The key focus was to restore the energy of the surroundings resulting in a new and refreshed ambience as well as styling that added value to the luxury aspect of the initially aged hotel. Some of the methods used to rejuvenate the landscape design of The Saujana included replacing unwanted plants, introducing low maintenance plants as well as integrating the landscape character of the site.

Some materials that were used in the landscape renovation of The Saujana included earth mounds, brick pavers, pebblecrete that involved the mixing of concrete and pebbles, the usage of gravel stones as well as tree uplighting. All the plants used for the rejuvenation of The Saujana by Konsep Inovartis were acquired locally while some of the plants used include red, pink, light oink and light yellow Frangipani, Phoenix species of Date Palms, Tamarindus Indica, Piper Sarmentosum and Ervatamia Coronaria, just to name a few.

Konsep Inovartis also solved a major problem faced by The Saujana’s former design that was water-logging as plants were unhealthy. To solve this issue the design company had to incorporate a sub-soil drainage system to allow better water flow, providing better soil fertility. This process was the key that involved breathing technique implemented for tree roots that resulted in the 15 year-old trees finally flowering.

A landscape project that will soon uplift the face of Kuala Lumpur is the River of Life project. The landscaping of this master planned project is handled by AECOM Perunding. This development has been awarded the Professional Category, Landscape Analysis and Study Awards, Honour Award.

The River of Life (ROL) project started with a competition back in 2011 where AECOM Perunding was one of the five finalists. The company brought forward their award winning idea in the competition throughout the master plan development, and subsequently the landscape design for phase one, located in district four.

The site has just under two hectares of river corridor reserved along a 10.7 kilometer stretch of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Tasik Titiwangsa is situated in the Northern region of the development and is connected to Brickfields in the Southern tip of the project. The project covers the confluences of the Batu, Gombak and Klang rivers, spanning over 63 hectares of water bodies.

The framework for the ROL master plan is based on the principles of (C.A.R.E.) which is to Connect, Activate, Revitalise and Enliven, which reestablished the lost connections of urban fabric with the river, as well as from one district to another.

In order to establish consistent design guidance for the ROL project, AECOM Perunding developed ROL Urban Design Guidelines (ROL-UDG) and Landscape Design Guidelines (ROL-LDG).

For LDG, it is a handbook or manual that has set the direction for future public realms of the entire ROL development. AECOM Perunding created a kit as part of the manual setting bench marks for material used which included stone, paving material, wall, lighting, sculptures, furniture and fixtures, as well as artwork and softscape.

The master plant selection matrix comprised a collection of species, both native and naturalised to Malaysia. Plant selection has the ability to greatly enhance the designed landscape and inspire a deep exploration of place.

With these guidelines, the plants incorporated throughout the ROL public realm will be cohesive, yet have the ability to be unique and exhibit the impressive biodiversity of the Klang Valley and its surrounding regions.

The intent of this matrix is to guide the user from the beginning design phase, all the way through ongoing maintenance.

The proposed Heritage Trail is one of the key initiatives that AECOM Perunding has made to support the heritage walk loops that accent the unique culture of each zone. The trails also promote conservation of the heritage buildings as well as neighborhoods, while integrating the modern future development.

These are part of the development and mapping of walkable heritage trails that are a major draw factor for tourists and visitors to the area.

Working toward a rejuvenated KL

In addition to the Heritage Trail, there is a series of way finding and pedestrian signage systems addressed in AECOM Perunding’s design, a first in the area, assisting tourists and visitors to find key cultural and historical attractions.

The research and compilation of information from the interpretive signs as well as key gateway signages share historical photographs and stories of Kuala Lumpur’s past, engaging visitors in its story.

Landscape architecture can also be applied when it comes to softening the appearance of mammoth iconic malls. IOI City Mall is a mixed-use development built on a 33-acre plinth of land. The mall offers up to four levels of commercial retail component, two blocks of office towers as well as a business hotel. The total built-up area is more than 183 acres with approximately 10 acres dedicated solely to greenery. The green areas here are divided into three main zones, dubbed the South Entry, the West Entry as well as the North Entry.

WDI Design was given the Professional Category Landscape Design Award, Merit Award for the landscaping of IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. WDI Design principle Lim Teng Teng shared that landscape serves as a unifying element, binding the various components within a development into one. The design concept integrates landscape into all aspects of the development, allowing end users the opportunity to enjoy various activities, for example shopping, working, dining, socializing as well as entertaining in a vast garden setting.

It is rare that an urban mall would devote such a substantial amount of space for the luxury of an outdoor garden and this is what truly sets IOI City Mall apart from the rest.

Lim explained that the West Entry is the main drop off serving two business towers as well as the shopping mall. The forecourt is designed as a majestic arrival plaza supported by a grand open lawn and stately palm avenues.

The company has incorporated multiple rings of hedges formed by Ixora Coccinea reinforcing the grand arrival area while gentle earth moundings have been carefully sculpted to camouflage an unsightly ramp to the basement carpark. Slabs of granite paving bring a class of richness to the arrival experience as well.

The South Entry Landscape is the center of the overall landscape with a combination of garden space, outdoor retail, dining as well as water lagoon. The garden is lined on one side with alfresco dining, opening up to a central water lagoon.

In addition, a palm court and an outdoor plaza are also available for holding events and staging performances, part of the programming space with additional retail pods throughout the garden, taking advantage of the beautiful setting.

The central water lagoon is a musical jet fountain system designed to enliven the entire garden, providing a festive air to the outdoor space of IOI City Mall. The musical fountain consists of three rings and a linear ribbon with 90 water jets and a combination of six different types of display nozzles, with shooting heights ranging from 3m to 20m, to achieve an extravagant synchronized musical fountain.

WDI Design used an exotic mixture of turquoise coloured mosaic that line the lagoon, produce a simmering water effect that dances with reflection of sunlight, bringing a dynamic waterscape to the South Entry garden.

The South Entry garden is built up with approximately four acres of soft and hard landscape with a combination of more than 30 types of trees and shrubs species with more than 500 trees and 10,000 shrubs planted.

Clusters of Caesalpinia Ferre are planted for its feathery canopy, Dalbergia Latifolia and Cola Gigantea provide the necessary shade to cool the outdoor spaces during the day, Elateriospermum Tapos, Garcinia Subelliptica serve as accent trees to add interest to the extensive garden, framed by the rhythmic arrangement of understorey shrubs comprising of Exocaria cochinchinensis, Bougainvillea Mrs Eva, Schefflera Arboricola, Ruelia Rosea, and Osmoxylum.

Framing a big picture

Lim added that the shrub beds are arranged cleverly to frame views, screen roads and buffer, yet connect the various activities and spaces. The hardscape surface is paved with alternate bands of rustic yellow and sesame white granite to create a strong and impressionable pattern. Adding to that, Royal Pearl granites are used to differentiate special areas such as outdoor plaza and palm court.

The ring roads which encircle the development, are lined with stately Royal Palms. The understory planting of Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis enlighten visitors with their delightful red flowers. The ring road is accompanied with well connected, handicap friendly walkways to encourage a healthy lifestyle of walking and cycling within the IOI Resort City and IOI Palm Garden neighborhood.

Landscape architecture is not limited to structures and land spreads, but it can also be applied on highways. The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is an expressway that is under construction on the West coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

The expressway will connect Taiping, Perak to Banting in Selangor. Construction for the expressway began in May 2015 and is set for completion, five years from the date on construction commencement.

The road to nature

Mentari Design is the company responsible for the landscape studies of the WCE.  Mentari Design principal landscape architect Fairouz Che Ani said that the direction of the landscape for the WCE focuses on key goals which include the reflection of Selangor as well as Perak’s character of place, to highlight the identity of the WCE by portraying a unique identity across the expressway, as a means of way finding portrayed via landmarks as well as creating identity for each interchange.

Fairouz added that Mentari Design has also looked into the psychological aspect of users that may frequent the highway via landscape. This is done by using an array of attractive plants as well as brightly colored sculptures placed along the expressway to boost the focus as well as energy of frequenters of the highway, resulting in less fatigue and higher concentration.

Adding to that, the landscape that would enhance the WCE would also pose as a means of education for passers by of the surrounding areas connected by the expressway focusing on the boost of historical value as well as to increase safety via providing visual clearance from any angle resulting in high visibility for WCE users.

Fairouz explained that much effort was taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the highway to nature. Some of the key efforts that were made included the selection of trees that hold high absorption of carbon dioxide, balancing the number of trees to cater to an equivalent number of vehicles passing through the expressway, with the intention of providing more oxygen along the highway, incorporating LED lighting as well as incorporating shrubs at each interchange, acting as a means of further air filtration.

The selection of plants used to landscape the WCE were carried out carefully, as many factors were taken into consideration to maintain the original ecosystem of the expressway. The existing flora and fauna was one of the key factors maintained to preserve the expressway’s natural ecosystem. The incorporation of several tress was priority to create a habitat and to provide food for the existing fauna to retain, contributing to the ecology of the WCE.

The landscape design of the WCE also focused on keeping close attention to the original topography as well as landform of the surroundings to avoid land erosion, while evergreen trees were used to allow for wind movement that would ultimately result in natural means of controlling the surrounding temperature. Some of the popular plants and vegetation that can be found along the attractive and functional highway include Fagrea Fragrans, Hopea Odorata as well as Messua Ferrea. Mentari Design was awarded the Professional Category Landscape Analysis and Study Award, Merit Award for the landscaping of the WCE.

It is clear that landscape architecture can be applied across several fields, to soften surfaces, to create a luxury feel, provide a certain ambience as well as highlight pathways affectively. Without a doubt, landscape architects play a key role in creating a clear and in-depth picture of landscaped environment that each may wish to paint.