Once an industrial zone with old and dated factories, Section 13 in Petaling Jaya is now a flourishing commercial enclave comprising modern offices, retail spaces and residences following a land rezoning exercise a decade ago.

Tapping into the transformation and renewed vigour of Section 13 is ATWATER by Paramount Property Development Sdn Bhd. It offers residential, commercial and retail components that have been carefully planned to seamlessly integrate and complement the vibrant surroundings as well as add value to the already-thriving hub of Petaling Jaya.

Fronting the vibrant thoroughfare of Jalan Profesor Diraja Ungku Aziz (previously Jalan Universiti), the 5.09-acre integrated leasehold mixed-use development with a gross development value of RM760 million comprises two serviced apartment towers, two corporate office towers with two levels of retail space and a sales gallery.

Paramount Property CEO Chee Siew Pin says ATWATER’s strategic and convenient Petaling Jaya address makes it an ideal place for one to work, live and indulge in. “Petaling Jaya has undergone significant transformation over the years, from being a rubber estate in the 1950s when Kuala Lumpur was expanding, to becoming an established city that is ideal for both living and business. Today, PJ is surrounded by affluent, mature neighbourhoods, providing ready customer catchment and established businesses. In addition, there is a large talent pool of professionals in PJ, making it an attractive destination for businesses looking to set up operations.”

In terms of connectivity, the area enjoys easy access to major highways, namely the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), Sprint Expressway, Federal Highway, Kerinchi Link and New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE); as well as public transport, namely the LRT Kelana Jaya Line and MRT Kajang Line.

ATWATER also offers the convenience of having a bus stop right at its doorstep. It is also surrounded by a wide range of amenities including shopping malls and dining options, with the nearest being Jaya One, PJ33 Mall, Jaya Shopping Centre and The Hub SS2; reputable medical centres such as Columbia Asia Hospital, Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, University Malaya Medical Centre and UM Specialist Centre; educational institutions like University Malaya, Open University Malaysia, Saito University College, Veritas University and Mahsa Avenue International College; and recreational parks and sports centres such as Taman Jaya Park, Bukit Gasing, The Challenger Sports Centre PJ and District 13.

“Overall, PJ’s combination of amenities and accessibility makes it an excellent choice for both living and running a business,” Chee remarks.

Following the completion of the serviced apartments, of which all 493 units were fully sold and handed over in December last year, the developer aims to complete the commercial component by 3Q2023.

Standing at 8 and 16 storeys respectively, Tower A and Tower B are Grade A, MSC-compliant buildings with green accreditation.

The stratified offices are designed to be versatile workspaces with a variety of practical floor plates. Tower A offers a total sellable area of 169,301 sq ft whereas Tower B has 197,548 sq ft. The towers, each serviced by dedicated private lift lobbies and dual direct drop-off lobbies, share 36,409 sq ft of retail space and 885 car parking bays.

With maximum road-front exposure, the corporate towers are also designed to have a street-friendly concept with green open spaces.

The open courtyards, water features, concourse sitting areas and green landscape park will benefit employees working at ATWATER, says Chee. “These are communal areas for them to hang out, chill out, have lunch or simply rest. We believe these features will add vibrancy to the entire retail and corporate office tower setting.”

Now more than ever, there are benefits of moving into green buildings such as the ATWATER corporate office towers as Bursa Malaysia requires public-listed companies (PLCs) to include carbon emissions in their new enhanced sustainability disclosures starting from FYE2023 and to adopt a full task force for climate-related financial disclosures (TCFD) framework by FYE2027, among other programmes, says Chee. “This follows the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Paris Agreement and our country’s 12th Malaysia Plan.”

At ATWATER, the office towers have been thoughtfully planned and designed with green and sustainable features, which are in line with ESG requirements. Everyone is talking about ESG these days, especially PLCs and multinational companies.

The office towers are designed with a north-south orientation and a lower window-to-wall ratio on the east and west to help reduce heat coming into the building and, in turn, lowering energy consumption. “We mainly use Low-E glass to control heat and UV rays as well as a thermostat-controlled air-cooled VRF, or variable-refrigerant flow air-conditioning system.

“While the conventional central air-conditioning system using a cooling tower has to run for the entire building, the VRF system allows users to operate it on certain floors, sections or zones, allowing flexibility for those who want to go into the office on a Saturday, for example. This provides energy savings of up to 29%,” Chee explains.

Using LED lighting and sensors in the common areas further helps to reduce energy costs. “In the common areas, lights, elevators and escalators are powered by renewable energy from the solar panel on the rooftop of the office towers. We also use sleep mode for the elevators and escalators.”

To conserve water, a rainwater harvesting system for landscape irrigation as well as aerated water taps in all toilets have been included. “This is one of the easiest ways to conserve water, and this helps to save about 10% on water bills for landscaping,” he adds.

The office towers are designed with good indoor environments and biophilic designs in mind. “Using low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint helps to reduce the risk of poor indoor air quality, while the green park connecting both office towers acts as a green buffer along the main road and reduces noise, dust and heat gain,” says Chee.

E-hailing stations and EV charging stations will also be available. “This is to encourage people to use fewer cars or use EV cars, in line with the national agenda to become carbon-neutral by 2050.”

Other sustainability strategies at ATWATER include a cashless, ticketless car plate recognition system as well as a proposed sheltered walkway linking ATWATER to Jaya One along Jalan Profesor Diraja Ungku Aziz. To cater for those with disabilities, convenient ramps and designated OKU parking bays and toilets have also been thoughtfully included.

In terms of security and privacy, both Tower A and Tower B will have their individual private lift lobbies and security checkpoints, 24-hour CCTV surveillance, card access to destination floors and separate lift access from the basement car park levels to the ground level. The car parking bays for the commercial hub are separate from the residential component.

Meanwhile, Chee says there is a growing trend of businesses moving from older office buildings into Grade A, MSC-status and green-certified office buildings. “Office buildings like the ATWATER corporate office towers provide lower and more efficient operating costs compared to ageing buildings, which are unable to provide the latest office requirements such as high-speed internet, environment-friendly features, and proper ventilation and lighting.”

Another notable trend is tenants moving out of KL city and into new addresses in Greater KL such as Petaling Jaya, he adds. “Previously, all the prime offices used to be in KL but we are starting to see more of them in PJ. There’s definitely a trend for offices moving out from the KL city and over to Greater KL, where rental is cheaper on average and the operating cost is lower. The cost of living is also higher in KL, hence there is a wider talent pool staying outside KL and in areas like PJ.”

Highly in demand, Grade A, green-accredited and MSC-compliant offices can also fetch higher rental rates, with asking gross rentals ranging from RM5 to RM6 psf monthly. In comparison, the average monthly rent for offices in PJ in general is around RM4.30 psf,” says Chee.

Says Chee, “Paramount Property is a people’s developer, and we build what the people and even businesses need, and ATWATER has all the elements of a good development.”

From ATWATER, one can find financial institutions, food and beverage establishments, convenience shops, service providers, shopping malls, medical services and sports facilities, all within a 3km radius. “All these are fundamentals that we’ve studied before choosing a place to build offices. For offices, we had to make sure there are adequate entertainment offerings to bring in customers, as well as good restaurants and recreational facilities for employees.”

To support the residents and office tenants at ATWATER with even more conveniences, and also to serve the surrounding neighbourhoods, the developer plans to turn the two-level retail space on the ground level and Level 1 of the corporate office towers into a premium retail space, offering a variety of lifestyle and F&B options as well as grab-and-go conveniences.

“We plan to hold on to the retail component because we want to bring in the right tenants. We are mainly looking at more F&B options for the retail space and we want to invite more high-end F&B tenants to come in. This is part of our strategy for placemaking and in making the place more vibrant,” says Chee.

The well-ventilated retail space is connected to the serviced apartments via a link bridge.

Paramount Property has plans to sell both of the corporate office towers. “As they are not very big assets, naming rights and ownership is easier, so these office towers are suitable for those who want to name their own towers. At the same time, the offices are very visible fronting Jalan Profesor Diraja Ungku Aziz,” says Chee.

Meanwhile, Paramount Property has a designated leasing team that takes care of the commercial component. “As most commercial and retail tenants start looking at a property six months before its completion, it is now time for us to start looking for tenants,” he says.

Chee is positive the ATWATER development will do well. “Take, for example, our ATWATER serviced apartments, which bagged quite a high Qlassic score of 82%. Of the total 493 units, 85% were taken up within nine months of its launch in March 2018, and, today, it is fully sold. We believe that in good locations, you don’t have to worry about capital appreciation.”

He is confident that a mixed-use development such as ATWATER will benefit Petaling Jaya, in particular Section 13. “The area is really transforming, and we currently don’t see many similar integrated developments here.

“We want to build something that is near the community and, at the same time, provides the space for businesses to grow. We believe an integrated mixed-use development such as ATWATER will add value for our purchasers as well as the surrounding community,” Chee concludes.