Page 74 - GreenRE_Sustainable Real Estate Book

Home sweet office

Officially known as the Encomas House, this remarkable
structure sits amidst residential bungalows, its back facing
the banks of the Anak Bukit River, a stride away from the
Royal Kedah Club. Home to developer Encomas’s office, it is
the first GreenRE Platinum building in Alor Setar.

In 2022, Encomas House won the Malaysia Property Award
in the Purpose-Built Category, rewarding the developer’s
20-year quest for a home and a testament to its brand
positioning as an innovative, green-conscious developer.

Originally intended as a ‘temporary’ sales gallery, this building
of minimalist design sits on a 24,000 sq ft plot of residential
status land, yet serves as the developer’s office, earning its
in-between title of ‘purpose-built’. The land was not converted
to ‘commercial status’ as the owners were inspired to revive
the riverbank and restore it to its natural glory, sending a firm
message of the river’s pertinence as a life-source.

At first sight, a gigantic 40-ft clay brick-wall façade greets
visitors. But walk beyond the gaping rectangular aperture
representing the grandeur of its entrance, and there lies a
green courtyard, flanked by a U-shaped brick, glass and
concrete sprawl designed to provide dwellers daylight and
air, while introducing views of the adjacent river. The green
courtyard opens out to the banks of the river, boasting a
prized floating jetty, the only one of its kind in the vicinity.

63 SUSTAINABLE REAL ESTATE | Our 10-Year Journey