Sime Darby’s township gives a new uplift to KL East

Sime Darby Property Bhd, which is responsible for the mammoth 900-acre Taman Melawati township, hopes to replicate its feat with KL East, a 153-acre development offering 2,000 residential units, a retail mall, SoHo units as well as a hotel.

KL East is an integrated Transit Adjacent Development (TAD) within city limits, just 15 minutes’ away from Kuala Lumpur city centre with the world’s longest quartz ridge as its backdrop – the only integrated development that can make such a claim. The development enjoys a transit to the Gombak LRT station located 800m from KL East. Optionally residents can take a 10 minutes’ walk to the LRT station via a covered pedestrian walkway and cycle lane.

KL East is a development that focuses on sustainability, with 83 acres of green open spaces including a 53-acre Rainforest Quartz Park dedicated to promote sustainable living through tropical forest appreciation.

This hip development focuses on the Gen-Y group, including first-time homebuyers, young professionals, upgraders as well as investors, offering them a suitable environment as well as a getaway for the eco-conscious seeking a modern and urban lifestyle close to the hustle and bustle of the city.

The KL East development is inspired by lush green areas providing a peaceful and communal environment, privacy as well as a serene sanctuary for its residents. The community-centric project provides a sense of belonging and a homely feel, offering tranquillity from the moment residents step into the township, right up to their doorstep.

KL East is designed and planned to raise the bar with regards to liveability in the capital city, complete with comfortable and indulgent high-rise residences, natural rainforest parks and manicured gardens. This nature-featured development also places importance on welcoming intuitive social spaces with an emphasis on encouraging the expression of both modern and traditional arts and culture, allowing it to grow and shine.

Sime Darby Property acting managing director Datuk Jauhari Hamidi says, “KL East is green outdoor space-rich, creating an ‘urban forest’ landscape for its residents. The Forest Park, for instance, is designed within the natural state of the forest, and has been incorporated as one of the destinations in the KL East Tourism Master Plan 2015-2025. This approach augurs well for Sime Darby Property’s sustainable way of optimising land value and its usage.

Jauhari adds, “KL East’s main leverage is its balance of being strategically located as well as having its own rainforest park that will be dedicated to promoting sustainable living via nature-centric activities, which include hiking and mountain biking.”

Sime Darby Property has employed a number of renowned architects for the designing of its first few components of the KL East township, including 3D Reid, SA Architects and Partners and GDP Architects. These architects currently handle individual projects by Sime Darby Property in KL East due to the developer’s credential of selecting architects on a project needs basis.

3D Reid is a London-based award-winning architect firm responsible for the impressive glass façade of the Véo, while SA Architects has won several awards and will design Quarza, an upcoming service apartment in the township.

The architect firm selected to design KL East’s future resort living condominium is GDP Architects, chosen due to its vast experience in the designing field as well as recognition achieved for its contribution in design quality.

The pioneer launch of the KL East development is the Véo that comprises two blocks on a 4.25-acre plinth of freehold land. It comprises 350 residential units ranging from studios to duplexes with built-up ranging between 745 sq ft and 3,245 sq ft. A typical unit will have two bedrooms as well as two bathrooms.

“The Véo is earmarked for its green certifications and designed to stand as a benchmark for the upcoming sustainable, cutting-edge and residential components in KL East.

“All residential components in KL East are green-certified buildings, in tandem with Sime Darby’s sustainable ethos. This development is envisioned as an eco-friendly hillside community enclave where the entire development is designed to respond positively to the natural topography to minimise the carbon footprint, while providing the community the needed facilities and amenities to maintain an urban as well as modern lifestyle.

“KL East has much to offer in the near future, with the upcoming launch of Quarza, a 508-unit two-tower service apartments providing residences with layout ranging from 650 sq ft to 865 sq ft, and a retail mall and resort living condominiums will be launched later,” says Jauhari.

Property buyers that choose to call KL East their home need not worry about safety, as the proposed streetscape design focuses on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Adding to that the township is also equipped with CCTV surveillance installed in strategic locations while safety features are implemented as a part of the design element of KL East’s landscape.

Within KL East, one will find an international school, a football academy run by the Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) and a retail mall. The Islamic International University Malaysia, TAR University College, Columbia Asia Hospital, Great Eastern Mall, Alpha Angle or Aeon and more than 20 conventional as well as Islamic banks can also be found nearby.

The township is well connected via a number of popular highways including the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE), Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH), Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway, as well as future highways such as the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR) and the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE). - By StarProperty