Affordable Low and High-Rise Honeycomb Housing: Community Living: the Nong Chik Heights Project

Harian Metro, the top-selling Malay newspaper in Malaysia, ran a story on one of my new projects on Monday 3rd December. It was reported by Ibrahim Isa, ibrahim@hmetro.com.my

This is my translation, plus more of my illustrations:

21st CENTURY KAMPONG’

Mudra Tropika introduces innovative community living…

Mudra Tropika Sdn Bhd (Mudra Tropika) is re-developing the existing government quarters at Nong Chik, Johor Bahru. Nong Chik Heights will adopt the ‘Honeycomb’ concept where houses are clustered around courtyards.

This ‘21st Century Kampong’, designed by Mazlin Ghazali of Arkitek M.Ghazali, is said to be safer and would encourage community living - one of the first of its kind.

Dato' Abdul Rahman Mohd Shariff, the Management Director of Mudra Tropika Sdn. Bhd. said that community living and safety were the two main design aims.

“Small groups of houses are layed out around a communal coutyard like friends sitting around a table. This makes it easy for neighbours to get to know each other”.

He also said strangers entering a cul-de-sac would feel that they were entering a semi-private area, and furthermore they would be easily recognized as strangers by the residents.

“It’s like that in the kampong, people know each other. It’s not uncommon to greet a stranger and to politely ask what brought him to the kampong.”

“With the Honeycomb layout, parents can easily oversee their chidren playing in the courtyard in front of each home. Indeed, there are many ‘eyes on the street’ that can deter unwanted behaviour”.

“The courtyards not only serve as a recreational areas, but are also suitable for weddings and any other community events,” he said in front of 50 representatives from finance institution and lawy firms in Johor Bahru, recently.

“This 16 hectare land situated at Jalan Abdul Samad and Jalan Kolam Air is really prime, and we want this new development to be be an icon for Johor Bahru”, Abdul Rahman said.

“The selling prices have not been set yet, but they will be announced during the official launch at the end of January next year”, he added.

“There are two new types of houses, the quadruplex and sextuplex house designs, which are nothing like the conventional terrace houses".

“The hill-side houses will follow closely the existing contours to minimize disrupting the environment. It will also be easier for people to get to know (or at least recognize) their neighbours because there is at most only 16 houses in every cluster".

“The loops and bends in the roads leading to the houses, less than 25 metre in any straight stretch, slow down cars to a walking speed - 15 kilometre per hour,” he said.