This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 4, 2023 - September 10, 2023

UEM Sunrise Bhd is planning to launch the second phase of Kiara Bay — Residensi Zig — on Sept 16, according to its CEO Sufian Abdullah.

He tells City & Country that Residensi Zig will have a biophilic design, where there is a coherent relationship between nature and the built environment to promote well-being. The concept complements its location, which is close to natural sites such as Kepong Metropolitan Lake-Garden and Forest Research Institute Malaysia, and offers a view of the Titiwangsa range.

“The development is curated to harmonise with the environment, where residents can live among nature to improve their physical and mental well-being. There are green areas not just on the ground and podium level but even at the mid-levels (levels 35 and 37) and the roof. The towers are oriented [in such a way as] to avoid direct west-facing sunlight and the design enables natural ventilation for the common corridor and the units,” he says.

The RM646 million development will sit on 3.4 acres of land and offer a total of 1,126 serviced apartment units in three blocks. These units, sized from 450 to 1,198 sq ft, will be priced from RM348,888.

The 450 sq ft units are fully furnished and some units will come with hackable walls that allow for a flexible layout.

“Residensi Zig is part of our running agenda to serve buyers with mid-priced products. Kiara Bay is designed as what I call a ‘springboard development’ for people who want to live closer to the city. It provides millennials and young professionals, which are our target market, with the option,” he says.

“The smallest unit is 450 sq ft, to give people aged 25 to 35 access to accommodation and the opportunity to own a home. I believe this is the offering the market is looking for, especially when it comes to living effectively in an area with good access to amenities, connectivity, services and a transport system.”

Residensi Zig will have four facility zones — a celebration zone, a sweat zone, a WiFi-enabled home-work zone and a leisure zone. Facilities include a sky-dining hall that can accommodate 100 people, a co-living lounge, a sky barbecue area, badminton courts, a 50m lap pool, a playground and a wellness corner with yoga decks, exercise stations and hammocks.

The project is scheduled for completion by 4Q2027.

Residensi Zig is part of the Rise Series, which targets millennials and Generation Z.

In February this year, UEM Sunrise unveiled Happy+, a residential product series that segments its products into five categories, catering to homebuyers with varying lifestyles and life-stage needs. The five are the Kasih Series, Rise Series, Nest Series, Club Series and Luxe Series.

“Based on our research, we designed Residensi Zig around what they prioritise, which is functional design, green features, smart technology, affordability, safety and location.

“The development [fulfills post-pandemic needs] with an e-hailing lounge and parcel delivery room. It also features a future-proof design and an automated waste disposal system. It has practical high-rise living design features such as a purposeful balcony and an enclosable kitchen,” Sufian says.

He adds that Residensi Zig offers the right product at the right price. “It comes with the right offerings for our target market while being located in the mature neighbourhood of Kepong.

Residensi AVA, the first phase at the 72.74-acre Kiara Bay, is 99% sold. It was launched in 2019 and is currently 65% complete. UEM Sunrise is targeting the topping-off ceremony for the development to be this month.

After the launch of Residensi Zig, the remaining area to develop in Kiara Bay is about 49 acres. UEM Sunrise is looking to improve the master plan, especially in terms of connectivity, community and sustainability, owing to changes in consumer behaviour post-pandemic.

Sufian says the key considerations include increasing access and pedestrian connectivity, reconsidering lot sizes and location of development components, plot ratio and density redistribution, as well as re-orienting towers towards key views.

“The green links will be improved because we want unhindered accessibility between the three parcels [within Kiara Bay]. We will also improve on the design features of the master plan as we want each parcel to have access to the views. We are working on the urban design for Kiara Bay as we are trying to address the visual approach and make sure all landscape and greenery are functional,” he says.

“We are redistributing the retail percentage and each area will have the right size of retail component to serve the community. We don’t want to remain static in our master plan; things do change.”

The entire Kiara Bay development will be linked via a 1km green connector.

“With the connection, the township manifests into a ‘15-minute city’, where the path will make urban living much more convenient. It will be well connected with pedestrian and bicycle-friendly lanes, allowing the residents and the public to access the township’s Kepong Metropolitan Lake-Garden without using a car,” he adds.

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