Gamuda Land, the property arm of Gamuda Bhd, is looking to launch the freehold 532-acre Gardens Park in the next quarter. The first phase of the development will offer two-storey terraced homes, according to the chief operating officer of project operations Wong Siew Lee.

In an interview with City & Country, she notes that the new township is an extension of its adjacent, 810-acre Gamuda Gardens, which will strengthen its presence in the northern Klang Valley. The new addition will help to extend the success of the development and replenish the developer’s residential offerings there.

Gamuda Gardens still has approximately 225 acres of residential land — earmarked for the construction of linked homes, superlinked homes, semidee homes and bungalows. Additionally, there are 111 acres for the development of serviced apartments, shoplots and offices remaining.

“We see an increase in interest from young couples who are starting a family and are looking for landed homes for the additional space, sense of ownership, potential for customisation, the appeal of outdoor amenities and a community environment. Gardens Park provides the opportunity for those wanting to experience the [lifestyle] of Gamuda Gardens but seeking a more competitive range of homes,” she says.

Within Gamuda Gardens are leisure, education and wellness facilities at Waterfront Village and Gardens Square. It also has entertainment facilities such as FunPark, Big Bucket Splash and Skyline Luge Kuala Lumpur. An existing access road between Gamuda Gardens and Gardens Park will be beautified and enhanced by the developer. It will be known as Park Connector.

Then, the developer will also build a new road, called Central Parkway, to connect Gardens Park to Rawang town at the north, making both townships more accessible to various amenities nearby while bringing in substantial footfall.

Town in a park
In addition, Gamuda Land will create a ring park that encircles the residential areas. The green pathway will be a car-free network that connects houses and shops, allowing residents to travel on foot without encountering traffic congestion or safety concerns. The project is designed to ensure seamless connections between the two townships, for both drivers and pedestrians.

Wong explains that Gamuda Land’s DNA is to embrace the natural terrain of the land and “listen to what the land has to tell us”, hence the plan for beautified roads with landscaping and the ring park. Existing retention ponds at Gardens Park will be upgraded to recreational areas.

“We build with respect to the land and [we believe that] when we get the places right, the town works. Our goal is to create places people will call home, want to be a part of and can grow up and grow old in,” she says.

“The concept of Gardens Park is ‘a town in a park’, where the park hugs the development and you will feel like [you are] living within a park. What attracts us there is the undulating terrain, and we want to build around the topography. The access roads will be landscaped, and with the same landscape language used in both townships, it will feel like a seamless connection. Then, we will introduce a 50-acre ring park (6km in length) around Gardens Park.”

Noting the changing trend of playgrounds over the years, Wong is also looking to put in playgrounds and play areas for different generations. “Playgrounds aren’t used just for children but also cater to different age groups, which is why we design each play area with elements that are suitable for three generations, such as activities for the elderly, adults and children. With play and exercise equipment located side by side, everyone in the family can enjoy some playtime together.

“The shift now is also to incorporate ‘natural play’ into playgrounds with the growing trend towards using natural materials and incorporating natural elements such as logs and plants, stones and pebbles and water features, among others, into our playground design to create a more organic and engaging play environment.”

First phase of Gardens Park
In total, Gardens Park will have 10 residential and three commercial precincts. The residential parcels will offer standard terraced homes and possibly bigger units, such as semidees, at later stages, Wong says. The three commercial precincts will offer shops.

“Compared with Gamuda Gardens, Gardens Park is more serene and quiet, offering mostly starter homes. Gamuda Gardens has more bungalows or bigger houses. At Gardens Park, we feel the need to replenish the more popular houses, namely the terraced homes,” she says.

The first phase will offer individual-titled two-storey terraced homes. It is open for preview now.

Targeting single professionals, starter and growing families, the units feature open floor plans, allowing homeowners to adapt the space to their changing needs. An extra bedroom or workspace can be added on the ground floor. Wong reckons that terraced houses are the property type that is most in demand by the community there now.

“Gamuda Gardens will remain a higher-end community, while Gardens Park is for young couples and downsizers. In Gardens Park, the natural terrain serves as a buffer for different phases and we will provide the infrastructure for guardhouses and perimeter fencing later. We will help the residents form RAs (residents’ associations) and apply for a licence for fencing.”

The units will be fully built using Gamuda’s next-gen digital industrialised building system (IBS) with biophilic designs incorporated to bring residents closer to nature. It is also the developer’s first next-gen digital IBS home, covering walls, slabs, beams, staircases and prefabricated bathroom units (PBU).

“[With next-gen digital IBS], it is not only about the construction method but also about the design itself … As we design with IBS in mind, the façade [of the homes in the first phase] is designed with the capability of the next-gen digital IBS, which features an arch design and textured wall — something that cannot be done [easily in terms of costs and workmanship],” Wong explains.

“We also put in hackable walls, so the homeowners have the flexibility to expand some spaces … We also introduce PBU, whereby the entire bathroom is designed and fabricated in a controlled environment and then placed in the houses on-site. It has higher precision and better water tightness compared with the bathrooms constructed via the conventional method, and reduces the likelihood of leaks.”

She adds that the benefits of IBS include 40% less carbon footprint during construction, up to 30% faster delivery and a 55% reduction in foreign workers, which ensures higher reliability given the shortage of foreign labour in the country.

Gamuda Land also offers infrastructure for solar panel and EV charging facility usage, which allows the homeowners to just plug and play with the equipment.

Commercial offerings
Other than accessibility and design, another element that Gamuda Land focuses on for both townships is the commercial offerings. There will be three tiers of commercial offerings: The first tier is an upcoming regional commercial hub with larger operators serving the bigger neighbourhoods, near the recently opened Skyline Luge Kuala Lumpur, while the second tier is retail components serving local catchments of up to 15 minutes, such as Gardens Wellness, Waterfront Village and Gardens Square.

Finally, the third tier is retail units to serve the immediate catchment as they are within walking distance of the residential precincts.

“This is how we design and build the integrated and seamless community between Gamuda Gardens and Gardens Park for a more livable community, while it also gives opportunities for businesses to come in. The commercial offering provides a holistic lifestyle as they serve different needs and tiers, bringing conveniences to the people [in the area],” Wong says.

“In crafting our townships, we always aim to create more than just a house. We want to create places for the community where they feel at home, where they can grow up and grow old in — a place that gives you that genuine hometown feel — a sense of belonging, where you create lasting memories and a place surrounded by lush natural greenery.”

With detailed planning and greenery in mind, Gamuda Land is poised to make Gamuda Gardens and Gardens Park into one of the Klang Valley’s most desirable locations.