Inspiring beauty of the quartz
WHILE others revel in acclamations for their development schemes, few can actually take pride in having an award-winning project that is set against the world's single largest pure quartz dike.
Mitraland Group's 16 Quartz, Melawati, with the breathtaking and scenic Klang Gates Quartz Ridge as backdrop, has emerged as the World Gold Winner in the Residential (Low Rise) Category of this year's FIABCI World Prix d' Excellence Awards.
Describing the award as a huge accolade and tremendous boost of morale for the entire Mitraland team, its chairman Datuk Johan Ariffin said the concept and design of 16 Quartz was simply inspired by the organic beauty of the quartz ridge and its forest reserves.
"We knew that we wanted to preserve and enhance the natural surroundings as much as possible.
"To follow through on this idea, we also preserved most of the natural undulating topography by minimally cutting and filling the land.
"Through 16 Quartz, we wanted to build homes that offer both simplistic elegance and a holistic living experience, and I truly believe that my team and I have managed to strike that intricate balance," he said.
Group chief executive officer Chuah Theong Yee added that the exclusive gated-and-guarded development located within the upscale neighbourhood of Taman Melawati, Selangor, was named after the 16km-long ridge.
"There are many winning factors to 16 Quartz.
"Apart from being right next to the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, which was nominated as an Unesco World Heritage Site last year, connectivity to Kuala Lumpur city centre is a mere 20 minutes via major highways.
"The area is also served by the Putra LRT Line at the Taman Melati and Wangsa Maju LRT stations," he said.
Chuah added that part of 16 Quartz's charm was also its linear gardens, which won a Merit award at the Malaysia Landscape Architecture Awards.
"To further accentuate the importance of creating a serene enclave, 30% of the entire development is covered with greenery. In comparison, the usual green allocation is only 10%.
"This was achieved with a Green Deck, which hosts four thematic linear gardens, namely Spring Garden, Pebble Creek, Willow Creek and Summer Garden.
"The linear gardens, with a 146m stream that meanders all the way to the clubhouse, acts as an extension of the living room as all villas open up rearwards on the second floor towards it.
"Owners are greeted with beautiful landscaped greenery as soon as they open their doors while children can play freely outdoors without the presence of any vehicular traffic at this elevated podium.
"At the same time, car porches are ingenuously concealed beneath the elevated gardens so as not to obstruct views and thus, maximising the landscape areas and providing for the best use of the land parcel," he said.
Green efforts were amplified through various eco-friendly measures taken, such as water and energy efficient fittings, solar hot water and rainwater harvesting systems, to name a few.
"All units at 16 Quartz come with these green building features and because of this, the development has been awarded a Green Building Index (GBI) certificate," he added.
Recounting the journey towards achieving excellence, Johan said months of market research had to be carried out prior to the start of the project.
"Findings were thoroughly analysed and from there, we managed to gain an understanding and insight into what homeowners within the vicinity were looking for.
"16 Quartz's contemporary yet timeless architecture design and green concept were angled to optimise those points.
"Luckily for us, the team of professionals we hired were also very sensitive to latest design trends that would stand the test of time as well as sustainability efforts that will create better living experiences," he said.
Both Johan and Chuah, however, admitted that in wanting to come up with a development that was unique to its competitors, Mitraland did in fact stumble upon some road bumps.
One challenge that particularly stood out to them was during the early stages of planning.
Whereas Mitraland wanted to create covered carparks with a green deck built above it and extended living rooms that open out to the linear gardens, such design concepts are not common.
Thus, many hours were spent on presenting the company's vision and answering the queries of the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council. It had taken a lot of convincing before the council and other authorities finally gave its approval.
"Seeing that 16 Quartz yielded such amazing results in the end, I must say that all the extra work was definitely worth it," added Johan.
On Mitraland's fine performance at the FIABCI World Prix d' Excellence Awards 2018, Johan said: "Winning the FIABCI Malaysia Property Awards last year was already an incredible feeling but now, learning that our development came up tops at the international stage makes me incredibly proud of my team."
"These days, property awards are saturating the market but not many are as established or follow a stringent judging process like the International Real Estate Foundation (FIABCI).
"Therefore, developments that emerge as winners of this award are considered to be exceptional projects.
"For us, this FIABCI World Gold Award is as good as securing a mark of excellence and will further strengthen Mitraland's brand image while reinforcing our credibility amongst the Malaysian public.
“Not to mention, it will also enhance the value of this property and benefit its inhabitants through capital appreciation.
"We have achieved amazing milestones in our 20-year career but with so much more yet to be accomplished, I am excited to see what is in store for Mitraland's future," he added.
Log on to www.mitraland.com. my for more details on 16 Quartz, Melawati and other projects by the Mitraland Group.