This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 14, 2022 - November 20, 2022

Winner | High-rise | SkyAwani2 Residences | SkyWorld Development Bhd

The soon-to-be listed SkyWorld Development Bhd believes that every project is important and unique. The developer takes the time to understand the target market and ensure that each development is carefully crafted to meet buyers’ needs.

“We never do anything less in terms of design and planning, even for projects like SkyAwani2 Residences, a smaller-scale project [under the] Residensi Wilayah affordable housing scheme (formerly known as Rumawip). In fact, we invested even more time and effort as the target buyer group was specific — first-time homebuyers and young people who have just joined the workforce and are not financially strong yet. We [researched] what they would need, so that we could build a dream house for them,” SkyWorld CEO Lee Chee Seng tells City & Country in a cosy café in the retail podium of SkyAwani2 Residences.

The development is the winner of The Edge Malaysia Affordable Urban Housing Excellence 2022 award in the high-rise category. The award recognises outstanding affordable housing projects for the middle-income group.

Strategically located on a 2.78-acre parcel off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, SkyAwani2 Residences comprises 708 residential units spread over two towers of 39 and 44 levels respectively. The towers sit atop a 2-storey retail podium that houses 102 shoplots.

With a gross development value of RM266 million, SkyAwani2 Residences offers full-fledged facilities such as an infinity swimming pool that overlooks the majestic Batu Caves and Genting Highlands, a half basketball court, barbecue pit, children’s playground, family recreational area, sky bridge that connects the two towers, lounge, sky garden, yoga studio, multi-purpose hall, parcel lockers, EV charging points and a four-tier security system.

Among the amenities nearby are the Metropolitan Batu Park, KTM and MRT stations, schools, hospitals and commercial hubs that offer complete conveniences and services. The development is also easily accessible via the DUKE Highway, MRR2 Expressway and Karak Highway.

Launched in March 2017, units at SkyAwani2 Residences have a built-up of 800 sq ft with two layout designs. Priced then at RM300,000 each, the units were fully taken up on launch day.

The development was completed as scheduled in February this year and obtained a 79% Qlassic score — the highest in the Residensi Wilayah project category in 2020. Currently, the residential component has an occupancy rate of 91%.

“We had put ourselves in the shoes of our target buyers — what would they want in a new home, what is their lifestyle and what are the pain points of living in a strata development?” says Lee. “This is why we had a parcel locker system in the master plan as early as the launch of this project in 2017 because most of our residents are between 25 and 35 years old who often shop online and hope for a secure place to keep their parcels.”

Given that the majority of purchasers were first-time homebuyers and many would be staying in a stratified high-rise development for the first time, the developer also took into consideration maintenance and long-term upkeep costs of the project.

“Long-term maintenance is important to the building in terms of [its] lifespan, overall appearance and value appreciation in the long run. Some of our residents may not be aware of the importance of the maintenance fees, but we have to think for them and keep the fees at the lowest possible rate without compromising on the quality of the lifestyle that they are looking for,” Lee shares.

Passive design was well used in SkyAwani2 Residences. For example, to reduce the heat island effect in the building, SkyWorld ensured that 40% of the outdoor facilities floor is covered by waterbodies. Combined with a design that creates a wind tunnel effect throughout the building, they effectively bring down the overall temperature of the building.

“Many people thought that we were being too fancy, creating so many waterbodies on the facilities floor for a Residensi Wilayah project,” Lee says with a smile. “The fact is, these waterbodies do not require maintenance as frequently as a pool because they are not meant for people to play in. They serve a passive function to help cool down the building, saving on the utility cost of the common areas and even of the individual units because they cool down the overall building.”

It is also why the resident lobbies and most of the common areas do not need air conditioning as the temperature is always maintained at a comfortable level.

Lee adds that utility bills, cleaning and security are three of the biggest expenses in maintaining a building. “If we go in deeper, do a bit more research and be more innovative in designing a project, it would bring great and long-lasting effect and value to our buyers. So, why not?”

He highlights that being innovative and creative in design does not mean higher building costs. “For example, we put in more waterbodies, so we save on the air-conditioning cost in the common area. Or, we raise the platform of the entire development to about a metre higher from the road level to avoid flash floods and provide better visibility for our shoplots. Yes, there will be extra cost, but we get peace of mind not having to worry about flash floods.”

The maintenance fee of SkyAwani2 Residences has remained at 25 sen psf since completion. SkyWorld is confident that the amount is sufficient to cover the monthly expenses of the development.

“In SkyWorld, affordable means more than just the selling price. It is more about how affordable living here in the project will be in the long term. We don’t want our residents, mostly young people who do not have a strong financial foundation as yet, to be surprised by the increase in maintenance fees every few years. It loses the meaning of being affordable and sustainable,” Lee shares.

He adds that a house is the single biggest purchase for most people. Thus, the developer has the responsibility to design and build a comfortable and sustainable property for them.

An example is the unit layout. Unlike conventional long and deep designs, units at SkyAwani2 Residences have a rather shallow layout to allow in natural light at every corner of the house.

“We listened to the market and learnt that dim and gloomy corners, especially in the dining/kitchen area and smaller bedrooms, were the one thing in common that people did not like about staying in a high-rise. They would need to turn on the light even during daytime.

“To solve the problem, we went wide with the layout and have large windows to allow more sunlight indoors, and our customers are happy about it. It is important to feel comfortable and cosy when you step into your own house. Whether it is an affordable housing scheme project or not, everyone deserves a home sweet home,” Lee notes.

SkyWorld has rolled out the SkyWorld Connects app — a one-stop platform for purchasers and residents to communicate with the developer and management office, pre- and post-vacant possession, in handling matters such as checking outstanding bills, booking facilities and visitor management.

“The app is free for the residents of all our projects to use, even those with individual strata titles issued such as SkyAwani2 Residences. Even though our role [as a developer] sort of ends with the formation of the management corporation, we want to stay connected and be ready to help our buyers and residents if any problems arise in the future.

“We take pride in every project that we launch and understand that by staying connected and responsible to our purchasers, it would also help our business to be sustainable. We are happy when our purchasers are happy with the quality of our properties and refer us to their friends and family,” says Lee.

The strategy has certainly paid off as SkyWorld has a 15% average rate of repeat buyers.

“We are proud of it and looking to increase the rate … maybe double (30%) in the next few years. It is more than just more business for us. It is a report card that shows our products are trustworthy and we have a loyal group of customers.”

When asked about the role of developers in addressing the quality of affordable urban housing in the nation, Lee says it is not just about providing homes at an affordable price, but also having quality workmanship as most urbanites would only be able to afford one home in their lifetime. A building that is sustainable would ensure effective maintenance to preserve its desired condition, “hence reducing the building lifecycle cost and maintaining its functionality”, he adds.

That SkyAwani2 Residences has been selected as one of the recipients of the Affordable Urban Housing award in The Edge Malaysia Property Excellence Awards 2022 is certainly a motivation to push back the boundaries in rolling out more quality, affordable urban housing, he continues.

“The award is a validation of SkyWorld’s ongoing endeavour to deliver a good mix of projects centred on its three main strengths — value creation, integrated sky living experience, and innovative concept and design. The award will constantly drive us to be innovative in creating and delivering better value in our products for upcoming launches,” says Lee.

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