Close to nature: Gamuda Land is always mindful to incorporate people and nature in its masterplan design, said Wong.
BUILDING on the strong roots of Gamuda Gardens in Rawang, Gamuda Land has acquired a neighbouring parcel of land, which will increase the overall vibrancy of the existing township.
As the next step in strengthening its presence in northern Klang Valley, Gamuda Land acquired the 532-acre land for RM360mil in early January.
Gamuda Gardens general manager Wong Siew Lee said, “The new acquisition is intended to strengthen our presence in northern Klang Valley, where we have already developed and invested substantially in the very successful Gamuda Gardens.
The move is well-planned, considering the areas of synergy between the new acquisition and the existing Gamuda Gardens township.
Currently, the township comprises a 50-acre lush central park with two cascading waterfalls and five lakes, alongside a waterfront retail village and a 50-acre commercial city centre that it envisions to be the retail and entertainment hub for northern Klang Valley.
The hub, Heart of Gardens, is the site of the renowned New Zealand’s Skyline Luge Activity Park and Big Bucket Splash Water Park, both of which will open by end 2024.
The first Skyline Luge in Malaysia, the Skyline Luge Park will have good visibility due to its location right beside the highway, which is the northern gateway of Klang Valley.
These leisure and entertainment elements would be connected via a vibrant boulevard leading to retail, commercial and office spaces, including a lifestyle mall of which the first phase is set to open by end 2024.
The biophilic mall, which will serve the lifestyle needs of the community and its surrounding areas, will feature naturally-ventilated, natural sunlight and bright atrium space. It is expected to be a low-energy building, complying to local green certification standards.
This is in addition to lush landscaping and calming water features to provide a ‘garden-in-the-mall’ effect, while retail shops just outside the mall can benefit from a long green boulevard – bordered by native trees that are currently being cultivated in Gamuda Land’s advanced tree planting nurseries – that leads to a fountain plaza before a grand ferris wheel that anchors the Heart of Gardens.
“We anticipate a greater uptake for our future products with the upcoming retail, leisure and commercial properties in the next two years to tailor for the burgeoning market in this area,” she added.Adding value, vibrancyPlans for the new development are at a very preliminary stage, but the masterplan is one extended from the existing Gamuda Gardens township, which revolves around the community and nature, as well as how Gamuda Land connects these two elements together.
The property developer is looking at an initial number of 10 parcels that will see a mix of landed residential and commercial properties with a development timeline of 10 to 12 years for the upcoming development. The first phase is targeted for launch in 2026.
In addition, it is leveraging Gamuda Engineering’s expertise to build all its future developments using a next generation digital industrialised building system (IBS), which can provide superior quality over conventional construction methods.
Wong said that IBS represents a much more sustainable construction method, as its key benefits include 40% less carbon footprint during construction, 12-month shorter construction period, as well as 55% reduction of foreign workers which ensures higher reliability, given the shortage of foreign labour in our country.
She shared that all future Gamuda Land projects will be constructed using this next-generation IBS system to improve the quality of its products.
Moreover, there is also the value that the extension will add to the local communities surrounding Rawang, as the new acquisition will unlock toll-free access from Gamuda Gardens to Rawang town and vice versa.
This will drive traffic to and from Gamuda Gardens while bringing in substantial footfall. With this connectivity, the retail, leisure and commercial activities in the township can benefit a wider catchment, noted Wong.
She added, “We are adding connectivity between Gamuda Gardens to this upcoming development with a 1km woodland boulevard – to be ready by end-2024 – where people can walk, cycle or drive to and from both developments and be mutually supported by the various lifestyle opportunities on offer.
“Essentially, we are hoping to inspire people to connect with nature; at the same time foster a facilitative environment that preserves and celebrates nature, while enabling the creation of a vibrant urban community at Gamuda Gardens. Building with respect to natureThe vision is for Gamuda Gardens to be a self-sufficient township for the residents, just like how Gamuda Land built Kota Kemuning in the past.
 yesterday as it extended a rally for a fifth straight day.)
Sustainable focus: The Forest Ring Park is designed with permeable materials for its pathways, which also serve as an effective and natural flood mitigation system.
Never one to veer from its principle of “Listening to what the land has to tell us”, work on the new parcel of land will also be strongly grounded on sustainable development and carry the same DNA from Gamuda Gardens of lush greenery, which boasts 15% total greenscape across its entire acreage.
The new parcel of land, while being a part of Gamuda Gardens and features a hilly and undulating terrain, will offer a fresh and completely different take from the products in the existing township, as the determining feature of the land is hilly in nature – up to 75m in elevation at the highest peak and somewhat like a mountain ridge, Wong pointed out.
Gamuda Land is currently in the midst of conducting its environmental impact assessment and its own biodiversity audit, which will also assist to provide base data for future assessment and initiatives.
“In all that we do, we build with respect to nature and ensure we maintain as much of its existing topography so that its natural character is preserved.
“So, our plan is to maintain as much contour of the land as possible by building homes and commercial properties on the higher landform.
“And that is why the concept of having a ‘central park’ per se, which is a hallmark in all Gamuda Land’s township, is not something feasible, as that would mean for us to completely level the land,” she emphasised.
Reflecting its respect for nature, Gamuda Land has designed the new “central park” in an innovative way that will ensure biodiversity distribution and linkages via a continuous connection of biodiversity.
This will be in the form of a Forest Spine Boulevard in the middle of the township, as well as a Forest Ring Park on the lower landform, which will have a long connecting park developed along the perimeters of the entire township.
She shared, “As the forest ring park ‘hugs’ the residential component, the 6km-long forest ring park will be accessible to residents of this township within just a five-minutes’ walk, a maximum 200m distance to walk or cycle.”
Beyond the park, the development will also integrate permeable paths that are designed, developed and tested in-house to extend the current 68km cycling network by a minimum of 25km and create a sponge city for flood mitigation, as these paths allow rainwater to permeate into the ground, replenishing groundwater and relieving the drainage systems.
“In all our developments, we use porous, permeable materials to pave our pathways. Our permeable paths, while having structural strength, durability and versatility, are also functional and environmentally-friendly,” she said.
The rationale behind extending the cycling paths ties back to Gamuda Land’s aim to make available and diversify options for green mobility for local communities, as lessons from twentyfive.7 have shown that given time, residents will use greener methods of transportation if the infrastructure is done right.
She concluded, “We believe that when we stay true to our development principles by implementing smart design and planning with sustainability in mind, we can build a town that can stand the test of time.”
