This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 25, 2024 - December 1, 2024

WINNER | Eco Botanic | Eco World Development Group Bhd

As we tour Eco Botanic by van, we take in the beautifully landscaped and manicured gardens, paved brick roads and gazebos that dot the parks in the township. The English country home-inspired architecture and pristine white faÇades add a sophisticated touch to the landscape.

Scenic vistas such as these can be seen throughout Eco World Development Group Bhd’s (EcoWorld Malaysia) (KL:ECOWLD) townships. The developer’s journey began over a decade ago with Eco Botanic, located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

“You can see the same features in our other projects. The gazebos, the well-maintained, manicured parks and more,” Phan Yan Chan, EcoWorld Malaysia’s divisional general manager, Eco South, tells City & Country.

He says the developer transplanted many existing trees, including tembusu, to the freehold, 270-acre township. “We envision this township as a botanical garden and we have many pockets of greenery for people to relax.”

Strategically located within Iskandar Malaysia, Eco Botanic is a 10-minute drive from the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (Tuas Checkpoint). The thriving township, which has a gross development value (GDV) of about RM3.8 billion, offers residential, commercial and retail units. It is surrounded by other established townships such as Horizon Hills, Nusajaya Tech Park, Medini Iskandar Malaysia and EduCity Iskandar.

Amenities nearby include the Gleneagles Medini Hospital, Johor state administrative centre and Legoland.

“As one of the earliest EcoWorld Malaysia projects, Eco Botanic embodies the company’s vision of ‘Creating Tomorrow and Beyond’. The township has all the hallmarks of EcoWorld Malaysia’s DNA — design, nature and art. It has sustainable design principles and green architecture, as well as indigenous trees and plants, many transplanted from their natural habitats,” says Phan.

Eco Botanic won the Property Development Excellence Award for Master Plan Excellence at The Edge Malaysia Property Excellence Awards 2024.

When we first visited many years ago, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the commercial district of Eco Botanic was quiet — with few shops open and not many cars and shops around. The 200 units of 3-storey shop offices at Eco Boulevard were relatively new at that time and considered quite a distance from hotspots in Johor Bahru.

Things have changed significantly, as occupancy in the neighbouring townships and industrial parks has grown over the years. On the weekday afternoon when we visited, the shops were bustling with activity. Patrons were having lunch at the many eateries, such as Restoran Hua Mui which is well-known among locals for its Hainanese chicken chop, or getting their caffeine fix at ZUS Coffee.

“We have Mainland Chinese and Koreans, for instance, settling down in the township and some have set up their own restaurants to offer authentic fare. This has injected a lot of ‘flavour’ into the commercial district. The eateries also serve as a meeting spot for the surrounding businesses and industrial parks,” says Phan.

“We surveyed the surroundings and noticed that there are not many commercial establishments, and the focus is mainly residential. We hope that having a centralised commercial district here will attract the crowd.”

He adds that EcoWorld Malaysia assisted the shop owners in finding potential tenants and curated a more balanced mix of retail offerings to suit the diverse community.

Apart from Eco Boulevard, the township also has Eco Galleria, a mall inspired by Britain’s fashionable high streets. The mall, which is reminiscent of London’s Regent Street, has ample natural lighting and ventilation as a result of its large outdoor spaces, including a 26,000 sq ft courtyard atrium where events can be held.

The Eco Boulevard shopoffices and Eco Galleria collectively form Eco Botanic City, the township’s commercial district.

With 1.6 million sq ft of gross floor area and over 621,000 sq ft of net lettable area, Eco Galleria hosts 424 shop units and boutique offices over five floors. Among the retail offerings is supermarket chain Jaya Grocer. This outlet is the chain’s largest in Malaysia, at 35,000 sq ft. In addition, the University of Southampton Malaysia occupies 150,000 sq ft of space in the mall, having relocated from nearby EduCity in 2021.

“The university began with some 200 students at its previously smaller campus in EduCity. Today, they have expanded to about 800 students. This new and larger campus at Eco Galleria would be able to cater for the university’s target of having approximately 2,000 students,” says Phan.

“We want to improve the living experience of our customers. We have put a lot of thought and deliberation into building a township for all. Property development isn’t just about building homes. EcoWorld Malaysia’s approach is about creating long-term value and placemaking for generations. We focus on developing strong communities, fostering individual and family well-being, and ensuring a prosperous future for all. Eco Botanic is truly a testament to how carefully considered placemaking can ensure a harmonious integration of residential and commercial spaces,” notes Phan.

“As part of our landscaping strategy, we begin with a detailed survey of the site’s biodiversity. Subsequently, we select trees and plants that can provide food and a habitat for birds, small animals and insects such as butterflies, and we introduce aquatic plants to water bodies.”

Residents are encouraged to walk or cycle in a streetscape design that incorporates a network of pedestrian paths, bicycle lanes and linear parks linking all the precincts and facilities.

The homes are designed to be energy and water-efficient with an optimised building orientation, optimal window-to-wall ratio, cross ventilation, optimised daylight provision, rainwater harvesting systems and more.

Safety is a priority at Eco Botanic. Tall perimeter fencing surrounds the residences, and the multitiered security systems provide peace of mind for residents.

“Children can play in the gardens without any worry as they are located away from the motorways. Parents need not worry about safety,” shares Phan, as we tour one of the residential projects, the sold-out The Chateau.

Launched in 2015, The Chateau comprises 576 units of 2½-storey linked and semi-detached units with built-ups starting from 2,700 sq ft. Inspired by European manors and envisioned as a “home-in-a-garden” concept, each unit has a 20ft private garden in addition to a 40ft wide linear park fronting the homes.

“Designing with practicality in mind, we have reorientated the living room and dining room to provide a seamless connection from the interior spaces to the gardens. Meanwhile, cars can be parked at the sub-basement level at the rear of the house,” says Phan.

The EcoWorld DNA permeates other residential developments, such as The Tate and The Borough (double-storey terraced homes), which offer similarly themed homes amid gardens and scenic landscapes.

The township also has high-rise developments such as the 472-unit Eco Nest serviced apartments and 383-unit Sa.Young D’Eco Botanic serviced apartments (part of EcoWorld Malaysia’s duduk series of homes). The latter are still under construction.

“We carefully plan the township while gathering input and feedback from various stakeholders to ensure the development meets their expectations,” Phan says.

In addition, he shares that EcoWorld Malaysia has been working on an immersive home viewing experience for potential buyers. This is available at a studio located in a retail lot in Eco Galleria. Several projectors are used to recreate a to-scale show unit via augmented reality, offering a realistic view of its layout and size.

With a swipe on a tablet, the different floors and rooms of a show unit can be viewed. More information about the property is displayed on the studio walls.

“With the proper scale, customers can even plan for furniture arrangements in the comfort of this studio and decide if the unit is suitable for them, which saves the hassle of heading to the actual show unit,” says Phan.

“We have over 1,200 acres of undeveloped land bank in Iskandar Malaysia. We are confident in Iskandar Malaysia’s prospects and firmly believe that the growth momentum in this key region will continue unabated as it is backed by extensive infrastructure improvement,” says Phan.

Following the success of Eco Botanic, the developer has introduced Eco Botanic 2 (launched in March 2021) and Eco Botanic 3 (targeted for launch by the third quarter of 2025). “With Eco Botanic 3 added to the company’s land bank, the Eco Botanic series has grown from an initial 325 acres to 758 acres.”

Meanwhile, he adds that EcoWorld Malaysia has managed to surpass its full-year sales target of RM3.5 billion in the first 10 months of financial year 2024, with Iskandar Malaysia being the largest contributor, accounting for 63% (RM2.21 billion) of the company’s year-to-date sales.

“The strong outperformance reflects the increasingly high demand in this property hotspot, which EcoWorld Malaysia has been able to capture with our extensive product range across all five revenue pillars — Eco Townships, Eco Rise, Eco Hubs, Eco Business Parks and QUANTUM.”

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