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Jakarta Post

Developers eye areas outside Jakarta to fulfill green living needs

Efforts by several property developers are underway to include green aspects into their projects

Berlian Wangge (The Jakarta Post)
Fri, April 4, 2014

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Developers eye areas outside Jakarta to fulfill green living needs

E

fforts by several property developers are underway to include green aspects into their projects.

The increasing scarcity of land in densely populated Jakarta has prompted several property developers to build luxury apartments outside the city to meet the growing demand for housing, including from expatriates.

The residential property projects are constructed in areas with market potential, even though the developers must make extra efforts to make the buildings attractive to prospective customers, including meeting people'€™s desires for green living.  

PT Menara Pelangi, a subsidiary of Mustika Land Development, for example, is building a luxury apartment in Cikarang, which is known as an industrial city.

'€œWe think Cikarang has a unique market. There'€™s a lot of industrial companies from abroad with expatriate employees. Last year, data showed us there were at least 10,000 of them. So there'€™s a lot of demand [for housing],'€œ explained chief executive David Sudjana.

'€œThat encouraged us to build a serviced apartment, because we think expats don'€™t want to be worried about looking for maids or be concerned about the safety of their apartments when they have to leave for their home countries for a while. Therefore, we wanted to create a residence with excellent facilities.'€

'€œWe were thinking about what Cikarang needed. Cikarang is associated with terms like '€œindustry'€, or '€œheat'€, but we wanted to make something that was the complete opposite. We realized it might cost more money that way, but we felt it was exactly what the market needed.'€

These facilities include a resort-style swimming pool, sun deck, hydrotherapy pool, thematic garden, sky garden and gym, to name a few. A golf course can be found just across the street. Including as many green features as it can is a way for the Mustika Golf Residence to '€œnot make residents feel like they live inside a concrete forest,'€ David said.

'€œAbove all things, we wanted to create something unique,'€ explained David, when asked why the company had chosen the resort theme for its very first apartment.

When it comes to the apartment'€™s eco-friendly initiatives, David admitted that, while his company was a member of Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI), it had not registered Mustika Golf Residence for green building certification. Still, it was trying to be aware of the environment as much as possible.

'€œThe apartment complex is equipped with an STP [Sewage Treatment Plant] to manage the waste. In addition, Jababeka also has its own STP, which handles our already managed waste. This will minimize the unfavorable effects of the waste disposal on the environment.'€

Apart from Cikarang, Bali is also a popular residential property construction area for developers.

With green living becoming a main issue for tourists, several developers take environmental aspects into account in their projects.

Besides installing an STP, Bali'€™s new Ayana Residences has furnished each of its units with energy-saving lamps, digital thermostats and water-saving as well as water-reuse equipment.

'€œThe sprawling botanical gardens designed by St Legére Design International include a bamboo plantation to collect rainwater for irrigation, a composting area, as well as fruit and vegetable gardens,'€ said a representative of Ayana Residences in an interview.

'€œA Reverse Osmosis system supplies recycled water for toilets and gardens, while sustainable materials in public areas range from water fountains and chic pond ornaments created from recycled glass by Japanese artist Seiki Torige, to the rustic bar made from recycled ship wood at the Club House and banana leaf lamp shades.'€

Last year, it launched a sister hotel, Rimba Jimbaran, set in the forest and built with sustainable materials. Being designed by the same firms responsible for the Ayana Resort and Spa, Ayana Residences is also adorned with massive green spaces.

WATG, the world'€™s leading architect for the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries, has based Ayana Residences'€™ design on the gardens of Bali, found in temples, terraces and in traditional courtyard homes.

Meanwhile, international interior design company P49 Deesign has incorporated Balinese philosophies on balance, scale and proportion in space and layout, with high ceilings, large open living areas and generous floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the units to ensure panoramic views and maximum natural light even in bathrooms.

Ayana Residences is set to make a more permanent home on the tourism island. '€œMost residential property products in Bali are condotels or condominiums, which limit the period of stay of the owner in a year,'€ said the representative.

'€œBut there'€™s no limitation on the total stay at Ayana Residences. Owners are entitled to stay in the unit as many days per year as necessary. It'€™s also a freehold property, while most of the developments are leasehold.'€

Phase 1 of the development, which consists of 70 units, will be completed by the end of this year.

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