SHAH ALAM: The green features of the Selangor State Development Corporation or PKNS’ new headquarters in Shah Alam are expected to result in long-term savings in utilities of up to 60%, said its general manager Othman Omar.

“We are aiming for a Green Building Index (GBI) platinum rating for the new headquarters Laman PKNS and we have appointed an international consultant to achieve this”, Othman told reporters yesterday after a site tour of Laman PKNS with Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The development will adopt green features such as solar tubes to low-emissivity glass to offset radiant heat, energy-saving LED lights in its offices and rainwater harvesting for landscaping purposes.

Laman PKNS will be built on a 4.6-acre (1.84ha) tract at the intersection of Persiaran Indah, Jalan Indah and Persiaran Sultan in Section 14 of the state’s administrative capital here.

It will contain 500,000 sq ft of gross floor area within four building blocks, with half of it to be allocated for offices.

“The space not taken up by PKNS will be leased out to other types of businesses,” said Othman.

Other components include an auditorium, multi-purpose hall and space on the roof for recreational activities that doubles as a small cinema or theatre.

Laman PKNS is expected to add 2.76 acres to the city’s outdoor space, with the building’s ground floor open to the general public.

Work on the new headquarters began last year and is slated to end in 2013. PKNS has a slew of property developments in the pipeline, notably the redevelopment of its old assets such as its old headquarters Menara PKNS in Petaling Jaya and urban redevelopment projects called PJ Sentral Garden City, PJ Elevated City, Datum Jelatek and Kelana Jaya Sports City.

Meanwhile, the Selangor government is mulling a ‘hire-purchase’ approach to promote ownership of affordable homes.

“Tenants can continue to rent until they can pay, that is one option.  In other words, the rent paid will go towards paying for the affordable homes,” Khalid told reporters.

These affordable homes will be built within townships that will encompass low-cost homes to high-end products.  According to Khalid, the state government owns some tracts of land, some in prime areas, that may be used for such developments.

“We’ve called some architects and some planners and have given them some guidelines. We are challenging them to look at affordable housing (in a different way),” he said. These ideas will be discussed in a seminar on affordable housing and urban planning on July 5.


This article appeared on the Property page, The Edge Financial Daily, July 1, 2011.