Vertu Resort is the result of a future-proof design and planning approach: It anticipates the contextual changes of its setting at the centre of an upcoming township and features built-in adaptability to the rapidly changing living and working trends of the 21st century.
1,246 units are arranged in five blocks of ascending height and are positioned around a central facilities level.This arrangement has helped achieve a larger degree of privacy, better natural ventilation throughout the development and maximises unobstructed views from individual units.The conjoined roof structure represents a feat of engineering and mimics the silhouettes of Penang’s hilly backdrop.
The design phase started with a stocktake of existing and emerging challenges impacting the experience of living together in a rapidly changing world.The design-defining result of this inquiry was a strategy matrix that addresses the dilemma of the urban dimension and responds to the need for consciously sustainable lifestyles.The synergies of this strategy matrix come to life in the project’s details and respond to the needs of individuals, families and the residential community.
The collaboration ensured that sustainability became one of the key objectives of this development and was integrated into the early design development, as well as during the refining stages on the way to completion.This sustainable consciousness is built into the development and represents a core element of life within Vertu Resort and an important aspect of the building’s operation.
Vertu Resort traces a brave new city skyline over Batu Kawan.Inspired by its backdrop, the clean, sloping lines of Vertu’s silhouette echo the undulating hills on the horizon beyond.This bold new ‘landform’ icon houses a vast community within its walls.As a pioneer residential development, it heralds new transformations and paves the way for other exciting designs within the township.
Envisioned as a self-sustained project, it is within walking distance of a beautiful park, future schools and commercial amenities.The lush roof gardens interspersed throughout Vertu Resort support urban farming for residents.A wide range of future-forward facilities further encourages social activities such as a communal kitchen, open-air gym and communal living rooms among other facilities.
Urban high-rises tend to exacerbate the disconnectedness among their dwellers.Vertu addresses this through the variety of spaces it provides from the ground plane right to the rooftop.
Interaction is a built-in feature here.The resort-like features bring together residents with similar interests while providing plenty of spaces throughout the building for families and individuals to enjoy the more intimate times.
A thoughtful translation of the implementation strategies into a wide range of features enriches the residents’ experience.Vertu’s residential units as well as the community spaces reap the benefits from considerations of natural ventilation, shading and passive cooling.
The use of resources is tracked via a Building Management system.In combination with other technological innovations such as automated irrigation and improved lift operations, this allows for a significant reduction in building operation costs and energy.This was recognised in the certification under the Green Building Index.
FRAGMENTING THE SCALE
This strategy addresses nature deficiency by injecting biodiversity into a variety of settings.Reaping the benefits from biophilic design is an integral part of living and connecting within the building.The fragmented scale is expressed in green spaces of a range of sizes, such as the more intimate sky terraces or the more community-focused urban garden.
TIME AND PLACE: BRINGING BACK THE SUNDIAL
High-rises are commonly criticised for their ubiquitous appearances and the nonchalance in their context.Vertu Resort is a rare exception.The composition of tower heights and the roofline that developed from that is distinctive and anchored in the angled hillscape of Seberang Perai that forms the backdrop of this building.
The roof is not designed for the sake of design though.Carefully calibrated and engineered, the large oculi in the sky function as giant sundials.The spotlights wandering over the planes of the building effect temporal mindfulness and a distinct awareness of place and time.
