Making its mark across the Causeway
HIJAUAN on Cavenagh by SDB Asia Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB), has won the World Silver Award in the Residential (Mid Rise) category of the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence Awards 2018.
Given SDB's reputation as an award-winning developer and also the many outstanding features of Hijauan on Cavenagh, the latest award from the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) comes at no surprise.
First and foremost, the 41 handcrafted apartment units are located in District 9, one of Singapore's most sought after addresses, and is adjacent to the grounds of The Istana, the president's official residence.
Yet just a short walk away from the coveted green lung and treelined road that is Cavenagh Road, is the shopping belt of Orchard Road, which together with the Somerset MRT station are easily accessible via a pedestrian link bridge located right next to the development.
SDB managing director Teh Lip Kim said beyond the usual technological responses to green living, Hijauan on Cavenagh, consisting of two blocks of six-storey apartments, was all about living up to its name, which means “greenery” in the Malay language.
“The development was designed as a retreat, one where residents are still able to enjoy superb views of the surrounding greens while being in the heart of the city.
“A very special feature of Hijauan on Cavenagh is its 325sqm private garden, which we have managed to create despite the development's small land space of only 1,839sqm.
“With its green walls, tall shady trees and flowering beds, the garden is a rarity in Singapore and provides a much appreciated green sanctuary for its residents,” said Teh, adding that all units there were designed with balconies so that residents could enjoy the view.
To further create calmness to the area, a swimming pool is at the centre of the development.
“We also commissioned art pieces by British artist David Hiscock to enhance the beauty of the development and its surroundings, with one placed at the front of the building and another at the wall facing the swimming pool,” she said.
Like all other SDB homes, the internal unit of Hijauan on Cavenagh benefits from efficient spatial planning.
“This means that all homes are designed to make use of space, so there are no wasted areas in the home.
“The finishes of the units are also of high quality, befitting the luxury feel of the development,” said Teh.
The units, ranging from 48.3sqm to 167.2sqm, are designed with full height sliding doors or windows with wide glazing to promote and enhance natural lighting and ventilation — subsequently making the property more energy saving and sustainable.
“All homes are also fully equipped with kitchen appliances for the convenience of its owners.
“At the same time, all units come with a door with specially handcrafted copper plates also designed by David Hiscock. Thus, each home has a beautiful piece of art attached to it,” she said.
According to Teh, the planning and development of Hijauan on Cavenagh had been a meticulous process.
“There were several challenges and constraints in this development, the most obvious being the small land space and sloping terrain we had to work with.
“One of the things we did in order to save space and maximise spatial efficiency was to create a fully automatic mechanical car parking system.
“As for the slight sloping terrain of the site, we designed the development to fit the contour of the land. This means that our ground floor units open up into the communal gardens or their very own private enclosed space,” she said.
Teh also revealed that given the close proximity of the site to the Istana, there were strict security guidelines in terms of height, orientation and preservation of the surrounding green areas.
“As it is adjacent to a busy vehicular expressway, the Central Expressway (CTE), noise and air quality were also very real issues that had to be looked into.
“Not wanting it to affect the concept of a perfect retreat that was planned for, plants of various density and height were carefully selected by the landscape consultant to minimise and reduce the noise.
“The development was also designed to be mostly inward facing to the swimming pool so that external noises are further reduced to allow residents to enjoy the common facilities at the outdoor gardens whereas acoustic consultants were also engaged to recommend methods to mitigate noise into the apartments,” she added.
SDB's latest win at the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence makes it the fifth for the company.
“We are indeed delighted that Hijauan on Cavenagh has won the World Silver Award in this year's FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence Awards.
“We are proud to have made our mark across the Causeway. For sure, SDB will be working towards creating more award-winning developments both in Malaysia and Singapore after this,” said Teh.
Having started out as a tin-mining company and the first Malaysian company to operate a dredge, SDB has in the last 40 years diversified into other areas of business including property development.
SDB's many developments, namely Park Seven (KLCC), 20trees (Melawati), Dedaun (Ampang) and the River Rehabilitation project on Sungai Satu, adjacent to By The Sea (Batu Ferringhi, Penang), have over the years gained numerous local and international recognitions, proving its mettle as a leading property developer.
To find out more, log on to www. sdb.com.my.