House remodeling with new linear kitchen and boutique furniture (if there is such a thing) placed centrally to a merged living and dining and kitchen space. Polished concrete and calcium silicate floor treatment.
the promenade
A masterplan study and redevelopment of a parkland with sloping ground in east malaysia. Approach road enters a plateau and an elevated reinforced concrete deck offering views into distant valleys. Low density residential property with precast concrete walls and block work facade with custom openings throughout the elevations.
kenny heights
masterplan for 100 acre kenny heights redevelopment comprising low density housing and commercial hub, located opposite the istana negara (royal palace).
commercial and arts centre
A recent study from last year for a modern commercial hub next to pavilion kuala lumpur for an international school, an arts centre and a retail development.
zlgdesign new palette
we return to our original plywood house palette for the office design. Conceptually a library and laboratory and studio rolled into one, a rustic conservatory and science lab merging together.
grass hotel
Grass hotel is located right across from klcc twin towers this could be ten minutes walk. It will bear signature raw concrete grc precast panels with geometrical patterns and shapes and plenty of vertical planting. The base houses 250 parking bays of car park an elevator parking system we will design together with korean engineers. The footprint is extremely tight making this an impossible site for a great reception, generator set rooms and refuse chambers all on the same level.
phoebe house: we do residences too
The phoebe house is perhaps our best example of like minded people don't think alike and unlike minded people think alike. Both client and architects are from totally different cultural and intellectual backgrounds but both seem to agree easily on all design fronts and direction and aesthetics for almost every element of the house. Great, we are happy. Lord foster (Norman) used to tell me, architecture is about people.
zlgdesign has moved to sentul
We are delighted finally to have completed the big (painfully long) move to sentul and we are at last enjoying glorious morning light every day each ray a joy and we thus rejoice a fantastic courtyard in the building. Truly a gift of god and of goodness. And sentul if you can recall its ancient history with golf clubs and railway godowns and bankrupt developers, is and has a great cultural ambience and as architects we want to instill public awareness for the genius loci of this hidden secret of kuala lumpur. We find the call of duty an catalytic agent for design.
point92 is nearly ready
Aren't we the happiest bunch now that the facade of point92 has gone up and up and the concrete envelope seem slowly to complete itself around this 160,000 sqft of office space without much hindrance. We note the white lafarge cement panels will be needing a lot of critical protection against all forms of pollution but we specified formcrete 007 knowing very well it will impregnate and seal the cement. Also now that is has been sold to a oil and gas company we are even more delighted than ever.
sustainability at challenge park
We were delighted with the recent ong siew lecture series held in singapore which took a turn when zlg presented this building. The deeply intriguing conversation went off on an interesting tangent when we talked about sustainability in a way that was different. We always wanted very much to embrace sustainability which meant we could keep the look and feel of a building for a very much longer time, without having to do strange things to it, like destructive building extensions or modifications. this is one of the very latest images of the challenge park skate centre, showing how the most simple elements are used, without too much concern for decoration. the strong geometry of the roof and the slender columns allow for such modifications that would not take the design concept away from it.
sir peter cook lecture tour of asia
the sir peter cook lecture is now closed for bookings. we are very thankful to all of you who have come to support this event, we are over subscribed by at least 100 persons, so our thanks to all colleges and universities who have generously sponsored their students to come to this great design event. most of all thanks to andrew james of populous who in the first place has agreed to underwrite this event to enable malaysians to enjoy sir peter's talk.Back in Asia after some 12 years abroad in London, Nimes and Lyons, Huat worked on GDP’s Asia Broadcasting Centre [very fast track USD 45 million broadcasting studio project built under 10 months] and their NTV7 Radio and Television Studios. Huat was also engaged to work with design teams to win Ken Yeang’s Singapore National Library Competition and LDY’s entry for the Xian International Airport Competition. Huat's main contribution to zlgdesign profile is with the avenueK and Kenanga Wholesale City project.
Susanne ZEIDLER hails from Frankfurt and studied art history before her postgraduate term at the Staedle Schule under the tutorship of Professor Peter COOK, and later at the Bartlett School of Architecture, London. Susanne moved to Malaysia in 1992, and now lives in Kuala Lumpur and is Executive Director and Senior Partner at zlgdesign. Her most significant contribution to zlgdesign is the BOH Visitor Centre which has since won wide public recognition. Susanne is no less of an architect than she is a designer, having delivered most of the interior design projects for the firm, namely the I-Zen, Puncak Dana and the MK Land Interiors and Show Unit designs. Her training in London after a stint in Germany at the Frankfurtschule under the tutorship of Sir Peter Cook of Archigram fame, has given her an interesting edge through her very broad but yet distinctive cultural style to her work at zlgdesign.
Susanne was instrumental in the delivery of the BOH Visitor Centre. her many months on site helped put together a very unique and unusual solution to the external cladding of this long and narrow building, which has since won the Barbara Cappochin Award from Padova, Italy and the recently issued Cityscape Singapore Real Estate Corporate Building Award for its Sustainable and Responsible Construction.
promenade

this is clearly a low to medium cost development, scheduled to go on the market sometime early next year. currently the density needs to be brought down to about 350 units to the entire project. the land area is about 10 acres, the site enjoys proximity to a thick forest, and lush greenery. there was also no denying the fact the site is extremely difficult, very tight and has limited access.
sustainable development primer
zlgdesign blog hits 115,000 readers
we now have over 115,000 unique readers of our blog at wordpress. We hope to keep everyone updated soon with site photographs of several new projects, the most recently completed work is the Lee Residence and Challenge Park.

lee residence

©2008.zlgdesign
David Lee residence is one of those smaller but more important projects we do simply because of the opportunity to test ideas, and also to put forth a theory for colours, materials and their compositional complexity that can be reduced to a more simple form. Built to a very tight budget, the projects demonstrates how typical residential buildings can be made to look totally ordered without losing their charm as complex structures with complex design briefs, in particular private houses. This 5,000 sqft bungalow will be a leased property, designed to meet with a very broad market expectations without loosing its unique personality. Now already in the second year of construction, the project is looking very reductive in design, completely devoid of any 'stylistic' notions, completely in keeping wth the spirit of making his a simple, budget conscious, natural finished minimal piece of work.
point92

climbing centre
©2008.zlgdesign
As we proceed to add the internal finishes and make good repairs and tidying up the M/E we see the building slowly completing in phases, the ceiling is undergoing review for enhancements of the specifications, and we are also tending to the need to place plants and more external lighting in readiness for operations to come into place. The facade looks incredibly white and bright from the lightweight blockwork [CSR panels] that used for the skin of the climbing hall. Horizontal slots seen from afar are vents mounted flush to the wall, these serve to let fresh air and daylight to come through to the hall, whereas some are for natural ventilation in case the air conditioning system is turned off at off peak hours to save energy.
for nighttime activities
©2008.zlgdesign
At this time we are seeing the electrification of all the buildings an surrounding landscape, and also installation of the skate bowl and the specialist works. Interior decoration and Fit out works to the offices and administrative rooms are underway, and the final touches to internal building signages commence in the next weeks. The bold articulation of the eaves remain a pronounced feature of the building and th eslender columns amplify the philosophy of keeping everthig minimal and bare.

©2008.zlgdesign
Point 92 now to be named 'porcupine" or otherwise the armadillo, is lovingly seen from the running tracks and jogging trails surrounding the still green neighbourhood of damansara perdana, one of the last remaining enclave in petaling jaya offering very high quality investments for retail and commercial buildings. The sales target are very high but we can expect good publicity from this eye-popping 'iconic' design. Some have called this the Gucci Handbag....

©2008.zlgdesign
elevated courtyards ©2008.zlgdesign
Whilst we work towards tightening the budget on this project a new direction has evolved: to cut out facade for areas where we don't really need it and enhance the presence of balconies and elevated external terraces on the elevation. This is likely to bring down construction costs, but more importantly it should also reduce heat build up inside these tall atriums given that we do not wish to use any form of mechanical fans or venting systems to provide convective cooling to these areas.
Carving out the atrium into the building block as is now the case brings about better internal lighting, and should furhter reduce glare, and help cut electricity consumption greatly due to the deeper penetration of daylight into the floor plans.


Onyx is a new tower with 5-storey specialty retail podium, rising to nearly 40 stories, the tower will house boutique hotel-managed offices with KLCC views. Accessible from 5 minutes walk from the Petronas Towers and the nearby LRT Stations of KLCC and Jalan Sultan Ismail. The prestigious location gaurantees explicit identity and exposure to retailers and office workers alike. The targetted podium retail revenue and GDV comes close to USD60 million. The open plan offices will be let and managed by hospitality managers offering the best services in the region.
Kresidence has a very finely detailed facade design comprising two layers of transparent glazing at full height. The top part above the penthouse is an elegant layer in aluminium louvres to conceal water tanks and services. Perforated facade skins allow apartment living rooms to open out to the wide balconies outside offering great views to KLCC Petronas Towers and the surrounding cityscape. Glazing material is adequately soundproofed, and reflective in some parts. The soffit is of cement boards, painted RAL 9010 white, with recessed ceiling lights.
White and crystalline glass and facade details emanate sophisticated ivory-like towers, the paired tower arrangement greets the arriving visitor and resident with symmetrical grandeur, the gentle sweeping of the ingress routes take a gradually rising road network around the extremities to arrive quickly at the lobbies, whereupon public realm begins to engage the open landscape. Centred on this lushly vegetated deck are pools of water, and twin daylighting eyelids, soft mounds and folds of greenery that shape the receding and blurred edge of the deck, altogether making this no less a forest in its own right. sculpted pieces and old banyan trees mark the otherwise spare landscape.
High spec lifts take residents up the towers, all rising to no less than 250 metres, a mix of medium sized apartments and super penthouses with private pools and resort ensuite master bedrooms, accessible directly from the ground floor. Upto 5 lifts serve each tower, total privacy is gauranteed to all of the units, some with more than one access. Many units enjoy living rooms with panaromic views of up to 12m of glazing, whereas others enjoy double height glazing of the most impressive proportions. the end units boasts all round views, every room has a view, every room a master suite in its own right. No two apartments are exactly alike, the unit mix guarantees that each investment bears unsurpassed individuality, design and character.

roofline view skatepark
skatepark entrance view

model of tower and foreground boulevard

model of tower for waterfront Miri

early 3d study of massing for KResidence and Tower B
zlgdesign worked on the original Wong and Ouyang Scheme from 2001, and ever since the proejct never looked the same. One only has to review the locations of the lifts shafts, the styling of the facades and also the internal workings of the podium plan and the tower configuration and styling of the shape of the towers themselves. zlgdesign added two new entracen canopies and also removed and deleted the skylight for the podium and added two new floors above for the Spa and the recreational facilities for the two towers. At this time we worked with Christian Liaigre for the preliminary layouts, and Morita for the Showroom.
Massing studies from the beginning resolved to make both towers similar in fenestration but different in fenestration and final detail of glazing. We wanted KResidence to be generally white and creamy, whereas for the Hotel on Tower B the skin can probably take on a very transparent facade, but not with move-able or retractable screens, with possibility for colours and patterning. The podium on the other hand has a louvred wall with a powder coat finish.

view of skatepark facility from field

One of the key decisions for this project was deciding on the levels for the ground slab, the formwork seen here is set on a gradient, on a ramp, rising slowly to allow vehicles to go underneath the 'bridge' in the middle of its length, but allowing visitors to approach the entrance levels without restraint on one end. None of the surrounding trees have had to be relocated or removed, the plan has been laid out precisely to avoid cutting trees, the floor is generally about 1.5m above the site.


-large canopy detail provide a covered walk
across the entire length of hospital
After much considered development of the plans and building sections, and exploration it was resolved the hospital is best laid out to embrace an existing garden, offering patients the best use of their natural setting, a view looking into this space was most welcome by the Clients. Further into the scheme we examined other salient features of wellness and hospital designs, including that of an open plan, ability for way-finding and orientation without too many signages and so forth. This project was presented and executed upon the invitation from LDY of London.

site photo of ramp leading up to the skate park

Crystal-like furniture and white furnishing make up this very ambient space for informal meetings, with spray painted perforated/slotted designs for a separating privacy wall. The conference areas are simply a delight to approach. With black ceilings with delicate bell lights to adorn the passageway, with softly lit interiors for the rooms, this space is connected through beige carpet floor. Along one side of this is a sculptural shelving unit for display of information kits and reference and reading material. [first written 5th Nov 2006]


Our latest project, Onyx is on the drawing board.
challenge park
boh publication on world architecture news
kenanga | point92 | bohvisitorcentre | parcel 1 | maldives | avenueK | astro

CAD model of RedCross mobile station
application on metal cladding
The tecnopod has recently been built for the private steelwork company MSSA, to test the viability of a portable design to meet with the urgent needs of displaced communities in need of instant schools and housing for the east coast of Malaysia. Today it remains to be adopted and financed to meet other needs as red cross centres and police booths for the modern society. largely made from steelwork, the 1.2 tonne structure would eventually be built from aluminium or more lightweight materials. The cladding provides for customisation, easily identifiable logs and graphics go on the metallic skin. Link bridges are attached to the hig level interior floor to meet with flood and rough terrain, where levels can be critical to mitigate bad weather.
On the ground plane however, we quietly engage the parks, the hotel lobbies offered to us, as pedestrians, later to reach and enter our homes, whether created by interior designers or not, but otherwise we return to more public realm, more hotel lobbies, shopping malls. These spaces will slowly evolve and prime itself [responding and being shaped] to become more specific to our needs as we demand and look for comfort and style. With that, all public realm begin to attain global similarities in design and become at once regional and indigenous, yet they self-adjust, and are re-examined by their inhabitants, person by person, community upon community, until one fine day they meet all the same criteria, as standards of comfort and adopted styles become more global.
Design solutions, all over the world, transform specific architecture into mere homogenous building types, no longer specific to region or culture, even geographical features. Through this slow but sure process of decay and decomposition, the city will in fact have become extremely uniform. Buildings after this point, are visually differentiated, they chance on pure designs, of its more visible structures, namely larger buildings, or more easily, taller iconic architectural exploits. At street level, these icons surprisingly do not define the architecture or the genius loci of the site, as being unique to any one particular region or locality, they barely speak of the place. ©2005.huatlim

perspective view of the three curvilinear towers
A modern garden city in its own right, the three white towers will look into Parcel 3, to be designed soon, perhaps in collaboration with at least 5 reknown British Architects, amongst them David Adjaye Associates, Conran Design, Make Architects, Thomas Heatherick and Benoy.
Parcel 1 has every single unit facing the vast open spaces of Kenny Heights, and is remarkably located within 5 minutes of the King's palace grounds. Sir Norman Foster and Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects have now commenced preliminary work on Parcels 3 and 6, to be launched and developed immediately after Parcel 1 and parcel 4.

light box and wash basin column









































