KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 4): S P Setia Bhd’s Altora, which was launched on Oct 15, has achieved a take-up rate of 85% while Phase 2A will be launched by the end of November. These are the first two phases of Musika Homes, the developer’s last double-storey terrace collection in Setia Alam.

In a press release on Friday (Nov 4), S P Setia divisional manager Tan Siow Chung said: “We are excited to launch the music-inspired Musika Homes as it is the last collection of double-storey terrace homes for Setia Alam. With the success seen for the previous Bywater Homes collection, which has been fully sold, we are positive that this collection will be well received by home buyers looking to move into this area from Meru, Bukit Tinggi, Kapar and Shah Alam. We have also received good responses from those living in urban areas of Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Subang and Puchong.”

Altora offers 114 units of double-storey terraces with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The homes have built-ups ranging from 2,298 to 2,520 sq ft, land area of 22ft by 75ft and a 5ft open yard. The homes have selling prices that start from RM963,000 to RM1.34 million.

Units in Altora have open wet and dry kitchens and the flexibility of converting a room into a workspace on the ground floor. The master bedroom also has a private balcony and a customisable closet space.

Phase 2A will have 120 double-storey terraces with built-ups similar to Altora. Details on the built-ups, land area and selling prices are still being finalised.

Facilities in Musika Homes include outdoor recreational spaces, the music-themed gardens, Musical Note Pavilion and Piano Plaza with jogging tracks and resting areas.

Musika Homes in Setia Alam has an estimated gross development value of RM463 million and will have four phases with 436 units of double-storey terrace homes in total. It is located 10 minutes away from Setia City where amenities such as Setia City Mall, medical centres, education institutions are within a 5km radius. It is also accessible via highways including the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Federal Highway, West Coast Expressway (WCE) and the newly opened Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Highway (DASH).

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 1): S P Setia Bhd took the No 1 spot at this year’s The Edge Malaysia Top Property Developers Awards (TPDA). The developer has taken the No 1 spot for the fourteenth time, ever since the awards were established in 2003. S P Setia Bhd also took the top spot in the Best in Qualitative Attributes sub-award.

The TPDA anchors The Edge Malaysia Property Excellence Awards (TEPEA) 2022, which were presented at the gala dinner on Tuesday (Nov 1) night at the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

S P Setia Bhd president and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai said the achievement was beyond their expectations, as the industry had just recovered from the pandemic.

“We would like to thank our board of directors, our stakeholders and of course our purchasers who have been by our side throughout the years. Without them, we would not be where we are now, so that has encouraged us to deliver more value to our purchasers.

“It has been a challenging journey so far, especially after the pandemic but we were able to pull it off because of our team spirit. After all, S P Setia has always been known for its exemplary teamwork,” he said.

Other developers on the Top 10 list were Gamuda Land — Gamuda Bhd, Property Division (No 2), UOA Development Bhd (No 3), Sime Darby Property Bhd (No 4), IJM Land Bhd (No 5), Sunway Bhd — Property Division (No 6), IOI Properties Group Bhd (No 7), Eco World Development Group Bhd (No 8), UEM Sunrise Bhd, OSK Holdings Bhd and Mah Sing Group Bhd (joint No 9), as well as Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd and Tropicana Corporation Bhd (joint No 10).

The TPDA was evaluated on both qualitative and quantitative attributes. In the qualitative category, judges evaluated each company on its expertise, image, innovation and creativity, as well as product quality and the value it creates for buyers.

In the quantitative category, companies were evaluated on their shareholders’ funds, turnover, profitability and cash holding or gearing. The developer with the highest score for the Best in Quantitative Attributes was UOA Development Bhd.

The scores and rankings of the TPDA were audited by Deloitte Malaysia.

TEPEA 2022 also featured nine other awards, namely The Edge Malaysia-PAM Green Excellence Award, The Edge Malaysia-PEPS Value Creation Excellence Award, Affordable Urban Housing, Outstanding CEO, Outstanding Property Entrepreneur, Outstanding Contribution to the Real Estate Industry, Property Development Excellence (industrial and integrated township), Excellence in Place Regeneration, and Excellence in Conservation and Adaptive Reuse.

The winner of The Edge Malaysia-PAM Green Excellence Award was 1 Lasam by Nurilim Sdn Bhd, while Menara Affin by Affin Bank Bhd received the honourary mention.

Besides that, The Edge Malaysia-PEPS Value Creation Excellence Award was won by South Brooks in Desa ParkCity by Perdana Parkcity Sdn Bhd, while Taman Desa Bertam (Phase 1) by Teladan Setia Group Bhd took home the honourary mention.

Under the Affordable Urban Housing category, Bandar Baru Setia Awan Perdana (Phase 1A) by Lagenda Properties Bhd and SkyAwani 2 Residences by SkyWorld Development Group, both emerged as winners.

Outstanding CEO was awarded to Gamuda Land CEO Ngan Chee Meng and Matrix Concept Holdings Bhd group managing director Ho Kong Soon. The Outstanding Property Entrepreneur award, on the other hand, was won by i-Bhd chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong.

Apart from that, there were two winners for the Outstanding Contribution to the Real Estate Industry award, which were Rahim & Co International Sdn Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, as well as Triterra Metropolis Sdn Bhd joint chairman and CIOB president Datuk Seri Michael Yam.

The Property Development Excellence award was split into two categories, industrial and integrated township. Winners for the industrial category were Eco Business Park 1, Tebrau, Johor by Eco World Development Group Bhd, and Bandar Bukit Raja Industrial Gateway by Sime Darby Property MIT Development Sdn Bhd. Meanwhile, IOI Resort City by IOI Properties Group Bhd and Sunway City Kuala Lumpur by Sunway Bhd both won the integrated township category.

SkyArena, Setapak by SkyWorld Development Bhd and Bangsar South, Kerinchi by UOA Development Bhd took home awards for Excellence in Place Regeneration.

Lastly, there were two winners for the Excellence in Conservation and Adaptive Reuse award, namely REXKL by architects and co-founders Shin Chang and Shin Tseng, as well as The Marian Boutique Lodging House, Kuching by Urban Village Sdn Bhd director of project company Datin Rosemarie Wong-Jabu.

The awards were presented by City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia weekly and supported by EdgeProp.my. GSPARX Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Bhd, was the official solar partner, while Kaimirra Tutan was the official jewellery partner.

LONDON (October 13): The most-anticipated opening of Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station will take place this Friday (Oct 14), marking the rebirth of the iconic building in London, the UK, nearly 40 years after the lights were switched off.

The Power Station is Phase 2 of the development that houses 254 apartments and more than 100 shops, restaurants and cafes. Some 500,000 sq ft of its office space will be home to Apple campus in London, while another 25,000 sq ft will be occupied by SharkNinjia.

A consortium of Sime Darby Property Bhd (40%), SP Setia Bhd (40%) and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) (20%) bought the Battersea Power Station site in September 2012. The development is managed by Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC).

In March 2019, the EPF and Permodalan Nasional Bhd acquired Power Station’s commercial assets for £1.58 billion (RM8.197 billion).

The opening ceremony on Wednesday (Oct 12) was officiated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

Besides the Power Station, a new pedestrianised high street called Electric Boulevard – which is part of Phase 3 development – will also be open to the public this Friday.

In conjunction with the opening ceremony, a five-day “Festival of Power” will run from Oct 14 to 16 and Oct 22 to 23, with live performances, family friendly activities, installations and more.

£5 billion GDV has been realised

Spanning across 42 acres, Battersea Power Station has a gross development value (GDV) of £9 billion (RM45.6 billion), with the overall project divided into seven phases. At a media briefing, BPSDC chairman Datuk Jagan Sabapathy said 60% of the site has been developed, with the remaining 40% within at least the next 10 years. So far, £5 billion worth of GDV has been realised.

With the opening of the Battersea Power Station underground station on the Northern Line extension, the site has been transformed into a new “15-minute” live, work, play neighbourhood with community at its core.

“Infrastructure is around us for this project, The Northern Line tube station is a big game changer for the whole area. Now, we have a few more phases, there will be greater value creation. The completion of this building adds a significant value to us and the surrounding areas. I believe Power Station will become a must-go destination in London,” Jagan explained.

The target for the whole development is to have a balanced mix of space for commercial and residential, said BPSDC CEO Simon Murphy.

“When everything is done in 2032, it would be roughly 50:50 [between commercial and residential]. We can choose based on what the market wants, but we don’t want to be dominated by one asset class.”

Currently, the take-up rate for the commercial asset is 95%, with 100% for offices, said Murphy.

“For retail F&B, by the time we open on Friday, it would be north of 90%.”

He went on to share that there has been a 50% increase in capital appreciation since the first launch of its residential project.

“If you had bought the Phase 1 project in 2017, your capital gain growth would have been at least 50%.”

Phase 1, dubbed Circus West Village, opened in 2017 after construction work started in July 2013.

Over £600 million property sales in past 18 months

It is worth noting is that the majority buyers of the residential units are UK nationals.

“We have very strong local supporters,” said Jagan, noting that more than £600 million (RM3.12 billion) in sales have been recorded in the past 18 months.

In conclusion, he said: “Through the enduring strength of the Malaysian-UK relationship, the extensive experience of the shareholders, and the unrelenting ambition of the Malaysian people to deliver excellence across the globe, we have reached this tremendous milestone to bring this London icon back to life.

“Not only has a new destination been created from reviving a disused power station but a thriving community has already been established since opening the first phase of the project, Circus West Village, that we are committed to nurturing for years to come.” he added.

To recap, Battersea Power Station started to supply energy in 1935 before being decommissioned in 1983. At its peak, it supplied a fifth of London’s electricity.

LONDON, October 13 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah has officiated the opening ceremony of the Malaysian-owned Battersea Power Station in Central London, ahead of its public launch this Friday.

His Majesty was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, along with the Malaysian High Commissioner, HE Datuk Zakri Jaafar.

Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah’s arrival at the Battersea Power Station were received by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) group chairman Tun Arifin Zakaria, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz; High Commissioner of Malaysia to the United Kingdom (UK) Datuk Zakri Jaafar; UK Minister for Investment, Dominic Johnson and UK Minister for Trade Policy, Greg Hands.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong officiated the opening of the Battersea Power Station by symbolically turning the power back on in Turbine Hall A — which had laid dormant for over 40 years and will now house part of the Power Station’s retail offering.

He then unveiled a plaque commemorating the visit — a permanent reminder of the strong ties between Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

Almost four decades after its closure, the restored Grade II* listed landmark opens to the public on Friday, Oct 14.

Once a coal-fired power station, it is now set to become one of London’s most exciting retail and leisure destinations.

Under the custodianship of its shareholders, Sime Darby Property, S P Setia and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) since 2012, the Grade II* listed iconic landmark has been restored to its former glory, and the wider area has been transformed into a vibrant community.

In 2019, Malaysia’s leading fund management companies, PNB and EPF became long-term commercial asset holders securing the future of the landmark for many generations to come.

High Commissioner of Malaysia to the UK, His Excellency Datuk Zakri Jaafar said the reopening of the Battersea Power Station is a testament of Malaysia’s capability in undertaking major development projects here in the UK.

“I am confident that we will see more of this endeavour in the future. I congratulate PNB, Sime Darby Property, S P Setia and EPF for all of their efforts in rehabilitating and redeveloping Battersea Power Station.

“This is an outstanding achievement and represents the close bilateral, economic and investment ties between Malaysia and the UK,” he said.

Chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company and senior independent non-executive director of Sime Darby Property, Datuk Jagan Sabapathy said through the enduring strength of the Malaysia-UK relationship and the extensive experience of the shareholders, the consortium has revitalised the London icon.

“Not only has a new destination been created from reviving a disused power station, but a thriving community has already been established since the opening of the first phase of the project, Circus West Village,” he said.

EPF chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the transformation of what was once a coal-fired power station into a holistic residential, retail and leisure destination that is also capable of supplying sustainable energy marked a very important milestone in London’s property development history.

“As a long-term institutional investor, we look forward to witnessing Battersea Power Station flourish as a sustainable community and business hub,” he said. — Bernama

The relaunch of the Battersea Power Station has been long awaited – but some 30 years and a couple of attempts on, and now the much loved London architecture landmark is ready to open to the public again. Architecture studio WilkinsonEyre is behind its industrial architecture’s refresh and reimagining into a mixed-use hub with extensive public spaces for all to enjoy. The building is set to throw open its doors to visitors for the first time in decades on 14 October 2022.

The project, a power station originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and built between 1935 and 1955, sits at the heart of one of London’s largest redevelopment areas, featuring designs by global names in architecture, such as Frank Gehry’s Prospect Place. But as the area surrounding the industrial building was being built, the station itself was also getting a significant makeover. While aiming to keep the Grade II*-listed building’s historical elements and overall character, WilkinsonEyre transformed this piece of London infrastructure into a complex of commercial, retail, public and residential space. Battersea Power Station’s first homes were released in May 2021, but the wider public has not yet had the chance to peek inside its repurposed, vast halls. 
Photography: Brendan Bell

‘Battersea Power Station holds a very special place in many people’s hearts, particularly members of the local community, and after numerous failed attempts to redevelop the site before our shareholders took over the project in 2012, trust and the belief that the building would be restored to its former glory was low. Rebuilding this trust has been one of the biggest challenges in the project outside of the construction elements, and as custodians of one of the UK’s most loved landmarks, we have taken this responsibility seriously and ensured we deliver to the very highest level quality,’ says Simon Murphy, CEO at Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC). He adds that the company actively tried to engage the local community in this large-scale and significant scheme in their neighbourhood.

Battersea Power Station forms part of the overall district’s Phase 2 construction plans (there are seven more phases, including, for example, SimpsonHaugh and Partners and De Rijke Marsh Morgan in Circus West Village’s Phase 1, and Foster + Partners and Gehry Partners in Electric Boulevard, which is made up of Battersea Roof Gardens and Prospect Place as Phase 3). WilknisonEyre took the lead with the power station in ensuring that the existing building’s heritage remains intact and is celebrated, while making this a modern, 21st-century piece of architecture, which fully serves its new purpose.

Photography: Backdrop Productions

The architects are deft hands at the restoration and redesign of historical structures, which fed into their approach here. ‘A clear analogy is the New Bodleian Library at Oxford, another 1930s building by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, which we restored and reordered in 2006 as the Weston Library,’ says Jim Eyre, founding director at WilkinsonEyre. ‘This was the job that put us in prime position to take on Battersea Power Station. Situated on a prominent site in the centre of Oxford, the building, like the power station, fuses stripped classical and modernist elements in a loosely art deco manner. Also, in the spirit of Battersea Power Station, [the library] presented rather fortress-like elevations to the outside world and was essentially a secret space dominated by its principle function of book storage. In a similar way, a private building has become a public one.’

Sustainability played a key role in the reimagining of the power station, as Murphy flags, while explaining that this truly mixed-used scheme will form a new 15-minute neighbourhood for London. ‘We have tried to reuse as much of the existing fabric within the power station as possible. An example of this is the steel trusses in Turbine Hall A, which were strengthened rather than replaced. We have also sourced many of the new materials here in the UK to help reduce the carbon footprint, such as the 1.75 million bricks that were needed to rebuild the building, which came from the original brickmakers in Gloucestershire and Shropshire.’

Photography: Backdrop Productions

Battersea Power Station is a building of significant scale, comprising two grand halls (the former turbine halls, each with its own architectural character); several old and new entrances; new offices and homes within the existing fabric, and a range of penthouses placed in new structures above the original roof line; as well as, of course, its iconic chimneys (which, for safety reasons, had to be dismantled and painstakingly rebuilt to the original specifications). The north-west chimney will now offer a unique lift experience, leading up to 360-degree panoramic views of London’s skyline. The complex demands of handling listed, historical fabric, slotting in a new design, the combination of public and private aspects, and making sure everything merges harmoniously, while the building performs at the highest level when finished, meant that the project was full of challenges for the architecture and engineering team.

Photography: Backdrop Productions

Sebastien Ricard, director at WilkinsonEyre, recalls a point where the building made them rethink their approach, adjust to an unexpected turn of events, and call upon previously never-used technology to tackle a problem: ‘Our philosophy from the outset was to retain as much as possible of the existing fabric where we could. Our initial response to the Boiler House – where new windows were needed for the offices behind – was to cut them into the existing east main wall (the west wall had been demolished and needed rebuilding). After reviewing the state of the wall, it was registered as a dangerous structure and we concluded we had to rebuild this wall rather than restore it. For the building to retain authenticity as a heritage asset, we used a very innovative prefabricated concrete panel system in which a combination of existing and matching new replacement bricks were set into the panels in the traditional pattern.’

This marriage of time-honed and innovative techniques, old and new elements and material, past and present, quite neatly represents the celebrated building’s new chapter. Now, Battersea Power Station, with its mixture of private and affordable homes, office space and modern retail, indoor and outdoor plazas, is ready to properly welcome the 25,000 people who are estimated to be living and working on site – making it one of London’s largest new hubs of activity, and breathing new life to the much loved cultural icon. §

Photography: James Parsons

Photography: Backdrop Productions

KUALA LUMPUR: S P Setia Bhd has unveiled its Setia Neo II terrace factory which will potentially boost business growth with a strategic address in the industrial zone of Johor in Taman Industri Jaya.

With a gross development value of RM75.4mil, Setia Neo II has 56 units of double-storey terrace factories with a land area of 24 ft by 80 ft and 24 ft by 108 ft, priced from RM1.12mil.

“As the economy recovers and more people are exploring to start their own businesses in the post-pandemic times, Setia Neo II would be able to fulfil the needs of business owners being well-situated in the industrial zone of Johor and having a flexible layout.

“We are receiving a positive response from our buyers made up of both business owners and investors, and we have already recorded a 60% take-up rate since the launch of Setia Neo II on Sept 12,” divisional general manager Saniman Amat Yusof said in a statement.

According to S P Setia, Setia Neo II is easily accessed via Jalan Gelang Patah and Jalan Sutera Danga, as well as the Pasir Gudang Highway, Skudai Highway, and North-South Expressway.

The terrace factory is located just 4km away from Bukit Indah and 16km from Johor Bahru. Senai International Airport is within a 21.5km distance, while the Woodlands checkpoint and Tuas checkpoint in Singapore are 27.1km and 29km away.

PROPERTY developer S P Setia Bhd has embarked on a project to equip its main buildings with solar panels.

The project, undertaken by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) via its subsidiary GSPARX Sdn Bhd, will provide 10MWp of electricity at seven commercial buildings – S P Setia headquarters, Setia City Mall, Setia City Convention Centres 1 and 2, Setia Ecohill Club 360 as well as Setia Alamsari and Setia Tropika Welcome Centres.

S P Setia president and chief executive officer Datuk Choong Kai Wai said nearly 500 solar panels would be installed.

“This is part of our green agenda to address the challenges of climate change by installing environmental-friendly infrastructure at our premises.

“We hope to encourage the adoption of green lifestyle among our communities,” he said in his speech at the project launch at the company headquarters in Shah Alam, Selangor.

The project is a result of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with TNB on April 12.

“Once completed, this project is estimated to reduce our carbon footprint by some 9,000 metric tons a year.

“We hope this collaboration will help propel Malaysia towards its pledge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” he added.

TNB chief retail officer Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan said S P Setia’s effort would set an example for other industry players to follow suit.

“Since the signing of the MOU with S P Setia, other property developers have also registered their interest for a similar programme.

“This initiative marks a significant milestone in S P Setia’s effort towards environmental sustainability,” he added.

Also present at the event were S P Setia chief strategy officer Lindayani Tajudin and TNB chief customer officer (Retail Division) Nasaruddin Mohd Zaini.

Incorporated in 1974, S P Setia has 47 ongoing projects as of June 30, with a gross development value at RM120.88bil.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 28): Battersea Power Station is set to open its doors to the public on Oct 14. In conjunction with the public opening, there will be a five-day “Festival of Power” programme that will run for two weekends, from Oct 14 (Friday) to Oct 16 (Sunday) and from Oct 22 (Saturday) to Oct 23 (Sunday).

Battersea Power Station Development Co chief executive officer Simon Murphy said in a press release: “We’re less than three weeks from the public opening of Battersea Power Station and Electric Boulevard so the countdown is well and truly on.

“To mark such a momentous occasion, we are hosting the ‘Festival of Power’ which will be an opportunity for Londoners, the local and wider community, as well as visitors from across the world to experience this iconic building for the very first time. It’s going to be a truly memorable occasion, with something for everyone.”

Highlights of the “Festival of Power” will include Arcadia’s Lords of Lightning, an interactive heritage trail, and a programme of live musical performances. Photo by Ben Daure/Sime Darby Property

The programme will comprise live performances, family friendly activities and installations, among others. Headlining the festival is Arcadia’s Lords of Lightning, a duelling spectacle involving multimillion-volt bolts being fired between the two “Lords”, hosted in the six-acre Power Station Park on Oct 14 from 7pm onwards. Visitors will also be able to enjoy various forms of entertainment including walkabout performers, acrobats and brand activations.

Other highlights will include the official countdown to the Battersea Power Station opening its doors from 10am, which will take place in Malaysia Square to the south of the Grade II* listed building.

Throughout the “Festival of Power”, visitors can enjoy live music including a special performance from the Battersea Power Station Community Choir following the official countdown moment, “Emerge Showcase” from World Heart Beat Music Academy featuring up-and-coming talents aged between 16 and 25 years old, from the Battersea and Nine Elms area and the Setia Drummers, a troupe of Malaysian drummers.

Other musical highlights include performances from local classical music company, Young Guns, while local radio station, Riverside Radio, will be broadcasting live from Battersea Power Station. Sound Minds will present a special “Breathe” programme with live acoustic performances.

Guests can also explore the Bright Sparks Trail — a brand new trail app which leads users through the history of the Battersea Power Station, with geo locations, photo uploads, trivia, quizzes and missions, leading visitors to secret live performances across the site, from an RAF pilot to a Busk in London busking stage.

Food and drinks will be available from the first wave of new restaurants, cafes and bars opening at Battersea Power Station from Oct 14 including Control Room B from Inception Group, a 1950’s style all-day bar within one of Battersea Power Station’s original control rooms.

Le Bab, Where The Pancakes Are, Poke House and Clean Kitchen Club and some of the capital’s best food and drink pop-ups will be situated along the riverwalk in front of the Battersea Power Station. Other restaurants and bars there are situated in the first completed phase, Circus West Village, which include Fiume, Cinnamon Kitchen, Wright Brothers, Tapas Brindisa and Gordon Ramsay’s Street Pizza, among others.

The public launch of Battersea Power Station and Electric Boulevard follows the opening of Circus West Village in 2017, the first completed phase of the regeneration of Battersea Power Station, which is home to over 1,800 residents and more than 20 bars, restaurants, cafés, fitness and leisure venues.

Moving forward, new stores opening from October include Ralph Lauren, Mulberry, Theory, Lacoste, Polestar, Aesop, Space NK, Ace + Tate, lululemon, Hugo Boss, Jo Malone London, Uniqlo and Mango.

Battersea Bookshop and a pop-up from Curated Makers will host more than 40 local independent small businesses selling homeware, candles, clothing and artwork. Further brands will open throughout the rest of 2022 and into 2023.

Also opening in October is Lift 109, a unique glass elevator experience inside the north west chimney, offering epic panoramic views of London from a height of 109 metres from ground level. The new pedestrianised high street between Gehry Partners’ Prospect Place and Foster + Partners’ Battersea Roof Gardens, Electric Boulevard, will be the main gateway between the Battersea Power Station and the neighbourhood’s Zone 1 London Underground Station.

Brands that are announced to be opening on Electric Boulevard from Oct 14 include ZARA, Oseyo, David Clulow and a new concept M&S Food Hall. London fitness brand, Third Space, will also be opening a 28,000 sq ft club in 2023.

Battersea Power Station is accessible via the Northern Line, putting the riverside neighbourhood within 15 minutes of the West End and the city. Alternatively, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers service docks directly outside Battersea Power Station Pier, District & Circle Lines service Sloane Square Underground station, which is a 15-minute walk away, trains to Battersea Park and Queenstown Road are within 12 minutes on foot, bus routes 44, 137, 452, 156, 344 and 436 all stop at Battersea Power Station and the riverside neighbourhood has its own Santander bike docking station.

SETIA ALAM (Sept 28): S P Setia Bhd and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) kick-started their green initiative partnership with the installation of solar panels on the developer’s corporate headquarters in Setia Alam, Shah Alam at a commencement signing ceremony on Wednesday (Sept 28). This is the first phase of S P Setia’s green initiatives in partnership with TNB.

The commencement roll-out was signed by S P Setia president and chief executive officer Datuk Choong Kai Wai, S P Setia chief strategy officer Lindayani Tajudin, TNB chief retail officer Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan and TNB chief customer service officer of government and large business at retail division Nasaruddin Mohd Zaini.

The installation follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding on April 12 this year to provide smart and renewable energy solutions to the developer’s projects.

In his opening speech, Choong said: “For [S P Setia], we will strive to build infrastructure that will generate clean and renewable energy into the homes, offices, and commercial properties we live or work in. We [aim] to have all our future developments be solar-ready, battery-ready and electric-vehicle-ready.”

It was highlighted that S P Setia has appointed GSPARX Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TNB, to provide about 10MWp of rooftop solar panels for photovoltaic self-consumption of its commercial buildings, which is expected to reduce up to 9,053 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. An estimated RM3,000 will be invested for 1kWp of solar panels.

The installation of solar panels is part of S P Setia’s green agenda to address the challenges of climate change by providing solar-ready infrastructure to reduce electric consumption and carbon emissions as well as to enable efficient energy billings and sustainable living for its consumers and residents in the long run.

Representing TNB, Megat Jalaluddin shared: “TNB is supportive of S P Setia’s ambition to fulfil their ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals as we extend our full commitment to delivering our rooftop solar solutions to the first seven identified commercial assets, starting with their corporate office in Setia Alam. Once the installation at all seven premises is completed, the total carbon sequestered will be equivalent to about 150,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.”

The six other commercial assets include Setia City Mall, Setia City Convention Centre 1 and 2, Setia EcoHill Club 360, Setia Alamsari Welcome Centre and Setia Tropika Welcome Centre.

PETALING JAYA (Sept 27): Setia EcoHill’s latest project, Hanami Residences, was unveiled by property developer S P Setia, last weekend.

Set within the 673-acre Setia EcoHill in Semenyih, Selangor, the homes are designed to bring the zen living experience to its residents, said Setia EcoHill general manager Koh Sooi Meng.

“Hanami Residences is designed with Japanese elements embedded into the architecture of the homes, which complement the zen-garden concept for this phase in Setia EcoHill,” Koh said.

Comprising 40 units of 38ft by 80ft double-storey semi-detached homes across 7.93 acres, Hanami Residences comes with a gross development value (GDV) of RM50 million, and is priced from RM1.23 million.

The home units have spacious built-ups, which range from 2,381sq ft to 2,621sq ft, with four types of layouts, offering up to five bedrooms and five bathrooms for its largest unit.

Koh said as the work-from-home trend in the post-pandemic era is still continuing, space has become the priority for upgrading homebuyers with families.

“With selected types in Hanami Residences, we have allocated a double-volume living area and extra room inside the master bedroom, which can be used as a home office or walk-in closet,” he added.

Apart from the modern tatami-style facade, residents of Hanami Residences will also be enjoying its 3.2-acre Zen Garden, the 3.5-acre Rainbow Creek and the Woodland Park, which are just within walking distances.

“Hanami Residences is designed with an advanced security system to provide residents peace of mind within its gated-and-guarded enclave,” Koh said.

Each home is equipped with a home alarm and intercom system, and is safeguarded by 24-hour security and CCTV surveillance.

Maximising liveability, Hanami Residences has a green-street concept where all wiring and cabling are concealed underground, coupled with 52ft-wide roads with dedicated cycling and jogging paths. Each home will also come with a rainwater harvesting system to provide a sustainable water source.

Launched in 2013, Setia EcoHill has a GDV of RM4 billion and is expected to be completed by 2026.

As one of S P Setia’s Eco-series township, more than 10% of Setia EcoHill’s land area is dedicated to gardens, parks, lakes and ponds to cultivate a sustainable ecosystem and community bonding among its residents.

The residents of Setia EcoHill enjoy a variety of amenities within the township such as the club360 clubhouse and Setia EcoHill park for recreational activities.

The Setia EcoHill Walk commercial hub and the newly opened Setia EcoHill Mall offers residents a diverse mix of F&B options and lifestyle outlets. Tenby International School and REAL Kids preschool are located within the township, while grocers such as Lotus’s and Jaya Grocer are also nearby.

Setia EcoHill is located in the Southern corridor of the Klang Valley and is well connected to Kuala Lumpur city centre and other neighbourhoods in its vicinity including Cheras, Kajang, Seri Kembangan, Puchong, Putrajaya, Nilai and Seremban.

The township is accessible via the Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS), North-South Expressway (PLUS), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Cheras-Kajang Expressway, and Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK).