Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 5, 2022 - December 11, 2022

Setia Awan Holdings Sdn Bhd is set to launch a new high-rise project, dubbed Carra Hills, in its 22-acre Bukit Ampang Permai development.

According to Setia Awan central region chief operating officer James Bruyns, Bukit Ampang Permai, which is located adjacent to the Hulu Langat forest reserve, will be developed in six phases. Bruyns says: “Bukit Ampang Permai is a residential enclave comprising high-rise developments. We have six phases, [Brezza Hill was the first] and Carra Hills is the second phase.”

Explaining the name and concept, he says: “‘Cara’ carries the meaning ‘the beloved’ or ‘the loved one’ (in Latin) ... therefore, we seek to establish Carra as the ideal home for residents and their loved ones. In terms of its design concept, the development will have a modern-contemporary façade that blends well with its green surroundings. 

“Besides being near the Hulu Langat forest reserve, Carra Hills is also situated on a 2.05-acre elevated land, which is 145m above sea level. For comparison, that means it starts from roughly the 50th floor of a high-rise building located on level land. Therefore, the homes will have a much cooler temperature and crisper air. These homes will allow residents to experience a serene living environment amid nature.”

Spacious units, abundant facilities

Carra Hills will comprise two 15-storey blocks — Towers A and B on top of three basement floors for parking bays. Tower A, which has a gross develop­ment value (GDV) of RM142.18 million, will be launched on Dec 12 this year, whereas Tower B, with a GDV of RM148.89 million, is set for launch in 2Q2023.

Scheduled for completion in 1Q2027, both towers will have a combined total of 300 condominium units with eight different layouts. The units will have built-ups ranging from 1,295 to 1,608 sq ft and selling prices start from RM810,000. The 99-year leasehold, residential-titled development will have a maintenance fee of 30 sen psf, inclusive of sinking fund. 

All units will have timber flooring in the bedrooms. Buyers can opt for a premium fittings package, where the units will be semi-furnished with kitchen cabinets, hood and hobs, air conditioners in all bedrooms and the living hall as well as bedroom wardrobes.

The two biggest layouts, Types C and C1, will have dual-key concepts. “Our designs for the units are very functional. The dual-key concept can cater for all family sizes. It can be an expanded home with four rooms and four baths or residents can rent out the adjoining unit as a form of passive income,” says Bruyns. 

Most of Carra Hills’ facilities will be located on Level 1, which is a common space connecting both towers. Facilities include a swimming pool, cabana, changing rooms, a shower area and toilets, disabled-friendly washrooms, Jacuzzis, a sunken lounge pool and a sun deck. Residents will also get to enjoy rooftop facilities such as a BBQ area, an outdoor sky bar and a theatre, an open gathering space, a Zen garden, flower centre, jogging track and hammock seating.

Meeting market demands

Bruyns says Carra Hills has been opened for registration of interest and has since received good response. “We have started our social media campaign and, so far, we have about 1,200 registrants. Most of them are from the Klang Valley, which is in line with our target, the local market. 

Living hall of a Carra Hills show unit

“The registrants are mostly very well-versed in the Ampang area. They either grew up in Ampang, are moving out from their family homes or are a couple planning to start a family. A common thing many of them look for is space, because they want to buy for their own use.”

Bruyns adds that Carra Hills is beating the norm of cramped and compact condominium unit layouts. “In the last decade, there was a vacuum of liveable units. For the last 10 years, developments have become smaller and smaller. Apartment units measuring 700 to 800 sq ft are quite common, but it seems very compact for everyday living. It might suffice for a bachelor, a couple or small families but not for growing or extended families.

“The size of units at Carra Hills is meant for all family sizes. We aim to cater for mid-sized or even bigger — such as multigenerational — families. A reason we opted for bigger units is the demand for units measuring more than 1,200 sq ft. When we launched Brezza Hill, our biggest units were taken up quickly, followed by the mid-sized ones, and then the smallest. So, it has been proven that there is a demand for larger-sized units, which puts Carra Hills on the right track,” he says. 

In addition, he says, condo living is becoming more popular among homebuyers because security is assured. “With high crime rates and growing inflation, safety and security have become a priority for many. Carra Hills is a gated and guarded community with a tight three-tier security system. This provides comfort to our residents, knowing they are in a secure environment. The new generation is also looking for a more lifestyle-living concept; space-wise, they want something similar to a landed property but with facilities and security — basically, the whole deal.”

In terms of its pricing, Bruyns says Carra Hills is competitively priced among other high-rises in Ampang and is quite attainable, given its large units with three to four bedrooms. Even so, he says, the absolute price is slightly higher than that of other surrounding developments, which is why the developer’s target market would be buyers from a higher-income group. 

Location is another key factor for the project’s positive response. “Apart from Carra Hills and its predecessor, Brezza Hill, there is no other modern condominium development within a 5km radius. It is the only upper-market residential development in the vicinity. It’s safe to say that Carra Hills is an upper high-end development and I’d very boldly say we classify as the Mont’Kiara of Ampang. Having said that, the environment is similar, the residential enclave comprising high-rise buildings is similar and Ampang is a very mature township with abundant amenities and connectivity.”

Nearby facilities include educational institutions such as The International School of Kuala Lumpur, Sayfol International School and Taylor’s International School; healthcare facilities such as Ampang Hospital, Pantai Hospital Ampang, KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist and Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur; as well as malls and supermarkets such as AEON BiG Ampang, Leisure Mall, EcoCheras Mall, Sunway Velocity Mall and Great Eastern Mall.

Bruyns says Carra Hills is located only 200m away from the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) Ampang Interchange. The development is also accessible via the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) and the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), and only 6km away from the Ampang-Sentul LRT line.

Construction site of Brezza Hill in Bukit Ampang Permai, with the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) in the background (Photo by Setia Awan)

Overcoming hurdles

Asked about the challenges in developing high-rise projects on elevated land, he says the team will continue to face hurdles. “Since it’s located by a forest reserve, we have limitations in terms of access to the site. We have to carefully plan the logistics of our construction, delivery of materials and ensure the exact quantity. Since the land is elevated, we carried out meticulous preparation and execution to transport construction materials. These steps may take a little bit more time but, with careful planning, we’re positive we’ll be able to finish the job smoothly.”

Bruyns emphasises that the developer carries out the clearing process carefully to minimise damage to the surrounding forest reserve. Safeguarding the environment is one of the team’s top priorities, as the forest reserve is the key attraction of Carra Hills. 

“We intend to keep the forest reserve as our main attraction. If you look at the other parts of Klang Valley, it’s just concrete jungles. Carra Hills residents will get the best of both worlds. On one side is the forest and on the other side is the Kuala Lumpur skyline, which we believe are attractions for interested buyers. So, it’s essential we protect this hidden gem of a forest reserve,” he says.

In regard to the building’s safety in the future, Bruyns says Setia Awan has considered all the necessary measures during the planning process and will carry them out during the execution process as well. “We have taken necessary steps to ensure the structure is sturdy even if it is on elevated land... we have engineers looking into the foundation works and all. We have also adopted environmental control, with minimal disruption to the surrounding flora and fauna in the forest reserve.”

Bedroom of a Carra Hills show unit

Plans for other projects

Bukit Ampang Permai’s first phase, Brezza Hill, has been fully taken up, says Bruyns. “For Brezza Hill, we are currently on the superstructure and that will take us a good 1½ years from now, together with the other processes. We expect all four towers to be completed in 1Q2024. 

“For our future phases, we will have one that is even larger than Brezza Hill and Carra Hills and another that is slightly smaller than the rest, catering for smaller families. The last phase may be a 5- or 6-storey commercial development, with a supermarket, medical facilities, F&B outlets and more. We don’t have very similar concepts for all the developments in Bukit Ampang Permai. We have variants and different requirements for all our developments so that we cater for a wider market segment.”

Apart from its offerings in Bukit Ampang Permai, Setia Awan is also developing Astrum Ampang, a 6.85-acre transit-oriented development comprising six towers of between 24 and 48 storeys. Phase 1 offers 2,099 units and Phase 2 offers 2,024 units of SoHo transit homes, SoHo suites, serviced apartments and retail lots. Phases 1 and 2 have take-up rates of 95% and 45% and GDVs of RM601.47 million and RM614.92 million respectively.

Other ongoing projects include Unisuites in Kampar, Perak, a mixed-use development consisting of 2,876 residential units and several commercial lots with other additional facilities. The project has a GDV of RM363 million and has been fully taken up. Sri Melaka Residensi in Melaka, which has a GDV of RM578 million, comprises several residential apartments with a combined total of 2,070 units. The units have built-ups ranging from 865 to 1,000 sq ft and the take-up rate is 85%.

In Negeri Sembilan, Setia Awan is deve­loping 120 two-storey semi-detached homes in Kemayan Heights @ Taman Bukit Kemayan. The project has a GDV of RM131 million and has been 75% taken up. Taman Mawar in Bidor, Perak, comprises 690 single-storey terraced houses and has a take-up rate of 80%. The project has a GDV of RM149.32 million.

Developments in the pipeline include landed projects in Bidor as well as land banks that are in the planning phase, such as in Bandar Meru Raya, Perak. 

Bruyns is optimistic that Carra Hills will be able to achieve the same success as its predecessor. “We took 2½ years to sell 660 units in Brezza Hill. So, with 300 units for Carra Hills, we foresee overwhelming response because we have already received 1,200 registrations prior to the launch. As such, Carra Hills might be fully taken up by 2024.”

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