BY BECKY ELLIS
Condos and serviced residences are making fun a priority
It used to be that you sent the kids outside to play, ambling from house to house with other kids from the neighbourhood or romping about the yard. These days, with more and more extensive recreation options being integrated into condo developments—or residences to being attached to existing recreation areas—you can send them to the water park or the amusement park or the bird sanctuary and butterfly garden. And the kids can send the parents to the golf course.
With a steady wave of new condos vying for buyers’ attention, some items that used to be considered premium amenities have become de rigueur. Fitness centres and swimming pools are now expected, and property developers are upping the ante.
On course
Residences attached to golf courses aren’t new, but they’re becoming more popular in Asia as more people in the region take up the sport.
“The game as a whole is experiencing a significant upswing in popularity, allied with the region’s economic boom and the rise of the middle classes,” said Giles Morgan, HSBC’s group head of sponsorship and events, in the 2012 publication Golf’s 2020 Vision: The HSBC Report.
Sime Darby has taken note, and in 2012 it launched East Residence, a collection of landed courtyard homes within the award-winning Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) in Bukit Kiara. Homes in the gated community overlook the 12th fairway, and include KLGCC membership (normally billed at MYR250,000, or USD76,652). A few minutes’ walk away is the Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort as well as Juara Stadium.
Back to nature
Land & General Berhard took a different approach with Damansara Foresta. Instead of focusing on sports or amusements, it’s creating a 21-acre nature playground, including a bird sanctuary, butterfly garden, botanical garden, herb and fruit orchard and tree houses. Located in Bandar Sri Damansara next to the Bukit Lanjan forest reserve, the first block of 130 to 148 sqm condominiums and 279 sqm penthouses was launched in January 2012, with phase two launching in 2014. Campsites, jungle trekking and a hammock garden are also in the offing.
L&G’s plan is to give residents the opportunity to live in the middle of nature without giving up modern conveniences and luxuries..
Some were initially concerned about the location of the project, which sits on a highland 180 m above sea level, but managing director Low Gay Teck says the company has taken abundant precautions, including putting in slope protection measures.
City within a city
In an 800-acre “city within a city” in Petaling Jaya, the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa has more than 1,200 hotel rooms, villas and serviced residences—including 12 long-stay serviced townhouses. But more than offering both short- and long-term residents places to lay their heads, the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa is attached to Sunway Lagoon, with its five themed parks (Water Park, Amusement Park, Extreme Park, Wildlife Park and Scream Park); a manmade surf beach, dance club and spa; and medical centre, schools and businesses.
Unlike many other serviced residences, however, investors buy into the property through the Sunway REIT, or real estate investment trust, which allows them to purchase shares in a portfolio of properties. This is more akin to owning shares in mutual fund than owning property outright.
Kuala Lumpur isn’t the only city in Malaysia where developers are building creative amenities into residential communities. Across the country, new condo developments are coming with increasingly elaborate recreational facilities, and many involve water. Here are just a few.
Paragon Residences, Johor Bahru
This two-tower freehold development is located in Iskandar’s Flagship Zone A, and residences have between two and five bedrooms. In addition to facilities like a putting green, tennis courts, maze garden, health garden, karaoke room and yoga pavilion, Paragon Residences incorporates an adventure water park. The project is
a joint venture between Singapore ACG Group of Companies and Malaysia’s Joland Group, and will be completed in 2015.
Desa Idaman Residences, Puchong
Desa Idaman Residences in Puchong is a gated community of 540 freehold apartments—all three- bedroom units—spread over 11 blocks. This family- friendly community comes with its own resident-only waterpark, which includes a five-metre lookout tower, adult swimming pool, Jacuzzis, water reflexology path, double-loop water slide, river float ride and a water play area with shower umbrellas and life-sized animal sculptures with watersports.
Andaman at Quayside, Penang
In Penang, E&O’s Andaman at Quayside has a four-and- a-half acre waterpark filled with waterfalls, waterslides, whirlpools, sandy beaches, areas devoted to watersports, plus plunge pools and even water caves. (Andaman at Quayside is also one of our Best resort residences of 2014. See page 67.)
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