The Malaysian link

The Malaysian link

Malaysians will get to admire landscape architect Karl Princic’s first creation in Kuala Lumpur when the Zehn Bukit Pantai luxury condominium project is completed in three years.

Says Princic: “Nowadays, we tend to be pretty choosy and we are fortunate to be able to do that. We work with other consultants who are open to ideas.”

Princic was introduced to the property developers by architect Kam Pak Cheong, principal of architectural firm BEP.

“They were looking for new blood in landscape design. Through BEP, I met Chan Say Yeong (CapitaLand Financial Ltd managing director). He came to Bali, and I showed him some projects, he liked what he saw, and it took off from there.

“For the Zehn garden landscape, the perimeter trees will be Malaysian forest trees.

“There is a dense forest behind the development site; I would like to recreate that effect on the three sides of the perimeter with dense plantings.

“The central garden area will have a tropical resort style concept with coconut palms and frangipani trees.

“The pool area will be planted with pearl grass, which is a really nice specimen and is easy to maintain. This type of grass is really tough and suitable for kids to play on and for the residents to picnic on.”

Hardscape installation is being carried out now while the softscape installation will start as soon as the project nears the final stages. When the project was opened for booking last year, the initial price for the condominium units in Tower A was from RM480 per square foot. It is understood that when Tower B is launched, the average price per square foot will be RM600.

“We will be coordinating the street planting, duct and drainage on the rooftop. We will try to make it resemble a natural landscape, even on the roof, which will need deeper planter boxes and soil. The structure plan is in accordance with all that weight, which has to be right.

“Once the podium level is completed, the soil will be brought in and the big specimen trees will be lifted to the site by a crane.

“Creatively, Zehn is the kind of project that is right up our alley. It comes with a nice, modern tropical focus. The name of the project reflects a ‘peaceful, restful and calm’ concept, in line with the kind of work that we do,” says Princic.

“Our design philosophy emphasises simplicity, subtlety and a concern for appropriate design solutions in planning, softscape and hardscape, (which is in line) with the Indonesian sense of proportion, detail and creativity.

“Appropriate design means being sensitive to the micro-climate of a site – using indigenous plants and being environmentally responsible.”

But Zehn Bukit Pantai is not Princic’s only Malaysian project.

In fact, he was engaged for the Tanjung Rhu resort – now upgraded and renamed the Four Seasons Langkawi – “for some work”.

Says Princic: “At the time, when the whole project was being re-worked, I did the swimming pool complex, but I only did one side of it. I think that turned out well.”

According to Princic, he also worked on the Penang Mutiara Beach Resort in the late 1980s.