海角视频

Tun Razak Exchange (TRX City)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

海角视频 helped TRX City Sdn Bhd to develop a transformational and impactful development, which is creating a major new financial district on the site of a former wet market on the edge of central Kuala Lumpur.

Launched in 2011, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) is a key project in the Malaysian government鈥檚 Economic Transformation Programme, which has ambitions to ultimately double the country鈥檚 per capita income. It will create a commercial centre that will attract leading financial institutions, top global companies and seeks to position Kuala Lumpur as one of the world鈥檚 financial district of choice.

Challenge

海角视频 has worked with the client and the architect on shaping the vision for the site from the earliest masterplanning stages in 2011. We delivered design input and critical insight around a broad range of disciplines, from all our key engineering specialisms, through to advisory input around technology integration with the realisation of world-leading smart sustainability, smart security and smart waste strategies.

Now more than 60% built, with top-tier banking institutions already making TRX their Malaysian base, the vision is coming to life. But the site and the ambitions for the development presented significant challenges for our multidisciplinary team.

This 70-acre mixed-use development aims to set new standards for sustainable, future-focused smart city districts. 海角视频鈥檚 teams delivered broad involvement that encompasses infrastructure masterplanning, the design and procurement of the district鈥檚 primary infrastructure and the public realm design. A variety of specialist services are also being provided such as pedestrian flow, ICT, digital services and security design.

To maximise the lettable space and create a vibrant pedestrianised area, the design dictated that major roads would be routed beneath the site and connected directly to underground car parks. This would require careful assessment and consideration for any existing subterranean obstacles and infrastructure, as well as diligent planning to minimise disruption to neighbouring businesses or to the neighbouring key arterial roads for the city centre. The preservation of key heritage trees on the site also had to be considered.

Another key challenge, given the scale and length of the project, would be ensuring the technology strategy was sufficiently adaptable to accommodate evolutions in smart city systems in the time required for full delivery of the project to take place.

Solution

We undertook an extensive benchmarking process of comparable projects around the globe, to establish best practice and identify opportunities to further raise the bar. This informed our bespoke sustainability framework 鈥� developed as part of our LEED Neighbourhood Development certification process 鈥� that has guided the design of many elements of TRXC鈥檚 resilient masterplan.

We led the process from feasibility to procurement, including the appointment of Veolia to deliver the first non-subsidised urban wastewater treatment facility in the region. This will provide subsidised recycled water within the site and bring a commercial return to TRX City.

The comprehensive water resource management strategy includes the use of recycled wastewater for a wide variety of uses; supplying water for toilet flushing, irrigation and the building cooling plant. The strategy has responded directly to water resource challenges, which will drastically reduce the consumption of potable water by up to 50%.

A fully-integrated mobility and public realm strategy will create high quality pedestrian and cyclist-friendly public spaces across the district. The normal high-rise building model in Kuala Lumpur features reception areas located above several floors of carparking and a car-dominated public realm and streetscape.

海角视频 is working in partnership with Grant Associates to deliver the public realm design. It will include the design of a 10 acre city park that will provide a new active heart for Kuala Lumpur. To provide an integrated, safe and secure environment we are also working on the site-wide security strategy, for which 鈥楽ecure by Design鈥� principles have been adopted throughout.

Robert Moyser, Partner

By locating the highways that cross the site underground, where they connect to basement carparking, the buildings can interface directly with the public realm at ground floor and city park levels. This enables the creation of an active street frontage, with lively retail spaces and immediate access to light and airy reception areas. The introduction of car parking information guidance systems and highway management systems enables ease of vehicular movement below ground via clear directional digital signage.

海角视频 also worked in partnership with Grant Associates to deliver the public realm design. It included the design of a 10-acre rooftop city park that will provide a new active heart for the city. One of the largest rooftop parks in south-east Asia, it had to be carefully integrated with the retail complex beneath. To provide a safe and secure environment we also worked on the site-wide security strategy, for which 鈥楽ecure by Design鈥� principles have been adopted throughout.

The entirety of this ultra-dense 70-acre development has been designed to be within five minutes walking time of Kuala Lumpur鈥檚 largest MRT (metro) station, and the network of local bus services. This allows residents, visitors and office workers the opportunity to reduce car usage and take full advantage of increased ride sharing through the distributed drop-off places.

The district is underpinned by an infrastructure ring network carrying all services, which has been designed for maximum efficiency and ease of maintenance, whilst minimising downtime. Plot developers have been provided with a clear brief of how their buildings will be serviced, involving specific parameters around points of access. This maximises the efficiency of the design process and avoids future disruptions to site operations.

Our bridges team led on the design and planning for a landmark new bridge, providing access between the two halves of TRX, while also acting as a key channel for delivering utilities infrastructure to both sides of the site.

Following a series of workshops to determine the full range of client needs and aspirations, we conducted market studies to ascertain which technology solutions could best support a world-leading, resilient and sustainable financial district. Suppliers were invited to tender for technology packages.

Digital signage will provide advertising, real time information on transport options, assist in crowd flow management in emergency situations, and complement entertainment events. It will also be in place ready for a time when individually tailored content becomes a reality.

The effectiveness of security systems will be increased by biometric sensors and real time video analytic software that can automatically identify suspicious patterns of behaviour. Utility system sensors linked to smart meters will inform operator actions to increase capacity or actively manage demand. Technology-enabled waste bins will ensure efficient servicing to prevent overflowing rubbish, and drive up the efficiency of waste management services. An overriding Urban Operating System will provide the interface between different systems, ensuring that decision-making insight can be gained from multiple data sources, and actions rapidly implemented.

Value

The value we have delivered to the client has gone well beyond the planning phase. Identifying the optimum in terms of service providers will contribute to the total sustainability picture.

Our management of the wastewater treatment plant negotiation process, for example, produced a genuine win-win; transferring significant capital cost from the developer to the utility concessionaire Veolia, in return for a 20-year guaranteed revenue stream. It will result in the installation of high-quality systems, managed by a world-leading provider and will also reduce the carbon impact and potable water usage of the development and increase the land available for development.

Our masterplan has achieved LEED Neighbourhood Development Stage 2 Gold accreditation and Platinum status for the Malaysian Green Building Index Townships certification.

The outcome of our technology teams鈥� insight has delivered a new benchmark in smart city design, not only in terms of infrastructure, technology and systems, but also one that puts people and their comfort and wellbeing at the heart of the project.