This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 11, 2023 - December 17, 2023

In the first quarter of the new year, the property arm of YTL Group plans to launch Dedaun Rimba, a landed strata project within the larger 2,259-acre Kwasa Damansara township development in Selangor.

In an email interview with City & Country, YTL Land & Development executive director Yeoh Pei Teeng says Kwasa Damansara offers strong growth prospects for the company to tap into the resilient demand for urban housing.

“In 2021, YTL Group confirmed its participation as a development partner of Kwasa Land Sdn Bhd (master developer of Kwasa Damansara) in the Kwasa Damansara township’s master plan. The opportunity to partner Kwasa Land presents an exciting undertaking with a shared vision to introduce sustainable integrated living based on the master plan’s core values of fostering a green, inclusive and connected township.”

As Kwasa Damansara is one of the last available land bank of this size for township development within the Klang Valley, Yeoh anticipates strong demand for well-designed homes that are supported by transport links.

“We are committed to the dynamic process of transforming the premium land bank into a thriving community by shaping urban landscapes into vibrant and functional spaces to meet the needs and aspirations of a new generation of homebuyers.”

The low-density gated-and-guarded Dedaun Rimba was conceptualised to offer urban living in a lush, landscaped environment, drawing inspiration from the natural green surroundings of the site that was once plantation land. According to Yeoh, around 30% of the project has been designated for open spaces, exceeding the authority’s requirement of 10%.

“We have conceptualised the project as a nature-inspired development incorporating key principles of sustainability into its design to bring sustainable benefits to both nature and residents.”

With an estimated gross development value (GDV) of RM200 million, Dedaun Rimba will comprise 264 units in total — 68 units of 3-storey link homes and 196 units of 1½-storey townhouses — spread across a 12.7-acre leasehold parcel. The development will also feature a 1.28-acre central park and landscaped spaces, including a 2.71-acre linear park, as well as a 3-storey residents-only clubhouse.

Positioned around the central park, the 20ft by 70ft link homes have been designed with families in mind. They will have a 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom layout with a built-up of 2,462 sq ft. When in the living and dining areas on the ground floor, residents will enjoy uninterrupted views of the central park via the back sliding doors. Similarly, the master bedroom on the first floor and junior master bedroom on the second floor are also located at the rear to take advantage of the central park views. The link homes also come with a multifunctional room and an adjacent bathroom on the ground floor that can be transformed for multigenerational living or into a study.

The townhouses will sit along the development’s perimeter and are connected to the linear park, which is linked to the central park via the overall green network of the development.

With a land area of 22ft by 70ft, the townhouses comprise a lower unit measuring 1,397 sq ft in built-up, and an upper unit measuring 1,554 sq ft. The lower unit will have three bedrooms and three bathrooms, while the upper unit will have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room.

For the lower unit, the living space is situated on the ground floor, featuring a living and dining area with a dry and wet kitchen as well as a bedroom that caters for multigenerational living needs. A master bedroom and another bedroom occupy the first floor.

For the upper unit, the primary living space is located on the first floor — accessible via a staircase — and is designed as a double-volume area with large windows. For added privacy, the bedrooms are situated on the top floor, which also has study corner that overlooks the living area.

The design offers homebuyers the flexibility of owning both units, allowing them to create a multigenerational home while maintaining a separate access for privacy and independence.

The townhouses are priced from RM800,000 while the link homes are RM1.3 million onwards. Both will be sold unfurnished. Owners can expect to pay an estimated monthly maintenance fee of 28 sen psf, inclusive of the sinking fund.

Residents will be able to park two cars within the link houses’ compound, whereas one tandem car park is allocated to each townhouse, says Yeoh.

“More importantly, Dedaun Rimba is located within the proposed Kwasa Damansara transit-oriented development envisioned to connect the community to all parts of the Klang Valley via public infrastructure,” she adds.

The link homes and townhouses are also designed to accommodate smart home automation devices and electric vehicle chargers.

In addition to the parks, playgrounds and jogging track, residents will have access to clubhouse amenities such as a 25m infinity pool, wading pool, gymnasium, multipurpose hall, meeting room and kindergarten.

Yeoh is confident Dedaun Rimba will be well received as she believes landed strata developments remain an attractive option for growing families, upgraders and young working adults who favour gated-and-guarded projects close to nature and that offer a welcome respite from the frenetic pace of urban living.

“Our link houses will appeal to growing as well as multigenerational families seeking bigger homes or planning to upgrade from their existing landed homes in older but non-gated communities to a lifestyle-oriented community with 24-hour security. As for our townhouses, they will appeal to the younger demographic of working adults, upgraders, young families and an emerging group of empty nesters.

“Wanting a better quality of life, we notice that homebuyers are moving towards new developments on the fringes of the city that are attractively priced and supported by ready public infrastructure,” she adds.

Dedaun Rimba is served by two MRT lines — Sungai Buloh-Kajang and Putrajaya — and is within walking distance of two stations, namely Kwasa Sentral (500m) and Kwasa Damansara (800m).

Surrounded by the mature suburbs of Petaling Jaya, Subang and Shah Alam, the development is connected to multiple highways such as the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH), New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE), Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP) and the Sprint-Penchala Link.

Says Yeoh, “The appeal of a gated-and-guarded development with an innovative concept like Dedaun Rimba will drive buying interest to Kwasa Damansara, which is envisioned to be the greenest, most connected and inclusive township in the Klang Valley.”

In October, YTL Land previewed Danau Puchong. The three-acre high-rise development in Puchong consists of two blocks of 32-storey residential towers overlooking a lake. With a GDV of RM200 million, Danau Puchong comprises 428 units, of which 45% has been taken up. 

“Danau Puchong is a fresh take on lakeside living, which drew inspiration from a disused tin mining lake adjacent to the development site, following the successful launch of our Lake Edge development in the early 2000s,” says Yeoh. “The low-density development [of Danau Puchong] will be transformed into a vibrant lakeside community interwoven with verdant surroundings comprising lush greens and healthy lifestyle amenities to promote the health and well-being of residents.” 

Danau Puchong is slated to be completed by 3Q2027.

Meanwhile, the company is looking to launch d2 in Sentul East, Kuala Lumpur, in 2Q2024. This commercial development project will feature contemporary architecture and design in the century-old historical railway town of Sentul that has been rejuvenated and transformed into a vibrant neighbourhood in line with YTL Land’s overarching Sentul Masterplan.

Located on a freehold parcel in Jalan Sentul, d2 is a low-density development comprising 338 small office/home office (SoHo) units and 13 retail units at street level. “The SoHo concept will cater to the inherent demand for trendy and flexible 

live-in workspaces by a new generation of young workers, entrepreneurial business owners and start-ups. Leveraging on Sentul’s strategic location and accessibility in the city, the project boasts convenient connections to LRT, MRT and KTM stations,” Yeoh shares.

She adds that the company’s new projects will continue to raise the bar on nurturing nature to thrive and blend into the development by making use of biophilic design.

“In this instance, d2 will challenge the norms of stereotypical commercial buildings, both in terms of design and usage of space as well as the embrace of natural greenery in its interior, connecting and shared spaces.

“Demand for lifestyle developments focused on greenery and lush landscapes has been trending for years even before the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has reinforced this trend for safe and comfortable spaces amid verdant greens to enhance the everyday experience of living, working and learning. We expect to see more developments embracing nature-centric philosophy as building designs evolve to incorporate the principles of biophilic architecture,” Yeoh says.

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