Mutiara Spaces Unveils Winners of Sustainability-Inspired Sculpture Challenge for Universities
PETALING JAYA, April 19, 2023 – Aiming to empower budding talent among local university students with a flair for architecture that fosters sustainability and innovation, property development brand Mutiara Spaces by Boustead Properties Berhad’s (Boustead Properties) recently-held nationwide ‘Mutiara Hills Sculpture Design Challenge 2023’ has revealed the winning entry that is set to become an iconic landmark in the heart of the developer’s latest integrated smart township project in Semenyih, Selangor.
As part of Mutiara Spaces’ forward-moving strategy to reimagine spaces with a focus on sustainability and digitalization, the sculpture design challenge was themed “Synergies between Nature and Buildings for Future Communities” to reflect the township’s intention to cohesively weave sustainability and innovation into the environment and built structures as it develops into a self-sufficient community.
The winning design, named Unison Sculpture, was created by Syamirul Alif Bin Shaharudin and Mohd Ali Kouli from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang. They were chosen from a group of five finalists. All participants were required to fulfil the challenge of incorporating environmentally-friendly rainwater harvesting and solar system features as part of the sculpture design that could contribute towards supporting the township with alternative sources of water and energy.
According to Boustead Properties Chief Executive Officer Khairul Azizi Ismail: “The competition has proven to be a significant exercise that has not only showcased the considerable and impressive talent of our youth but it has also allowed us to uphold our sustainability values as a developer. It was truly inspiring to witness the students unleash their creativity to bring sustainable concepts to life through imaginative and purposeful designs, and we are very pleased this can now contribute to our goal of building smart townships that can truly meet the needs of today’s homeowners.”
The challenge received close to 72 registrations from 12 universities across the country, including 36 individual and 35 group participations. 30 submissions were evaluated in the judging process, with five finalists presenting the ideation of their respective designs to a panel of judges comprising industry professionals, including a reputable architect, landscape architect and sculptor, an academician as well as representatives from Boustead Properties.
Head judge Dr Sharmiza Abu Hassan, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Art & Design, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, commented, “This challenge allowed the participants to develop transformative thinking as they worked on unique designs that advocate the core values, namely creativity, integrity and innovation, that shape developments under Boustead Properties’ Mutiara Spaces brand. However, art is not just measured for its aesthetic value, but one that also captures the beauty of a meaningful design that will have sustainable value for years to come, while holding true to its core principles. That is what we were aiming for and the winning entry has commendably achieved it, although all the entries were great!”
Entries were evaluated based on being self-sustaining designs that ensure long-term value, with solar and rainwater harvesting systems. Entries also needed to provide responsible waste management in the curation of their ideas.
All finalists will receive cash prizes, with the grand prize winner to get RM8,000. Second place was awarded to another USM Penang team comprising Mohd Pirdaus Beddu and Siti Sarah Binti Mohammed Saidi for their design entitled The Thousand Leaves. The third-place winner was Nur Izzah Kamilia Binti Mohd Khalil Akmal from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) for her entry called Eden, while in fourth place was Gavin Tio Kang Hui from USM for Bamboo X Mutiara Ring. Amir Zaim Azryne Bin Adzim and Muhammad Syafiq Bin Norizan from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) came in fifth with their design, Revive.
The winning team will also be given the opportunity to participate in a Mutiara Spaces industry talent programme that will enable students to gain real-life working experience as they are mentored by the developer’s project development team in the creation of the sculpture.
USM students Syamirul Alif and Mohd Ali said, “Unison Sculpture embodies the natural elements found in Mutiara Hills and brings them altogether in unison, so we are overjoyed to have won for a design that will be an important part of Mutiara Hills and its residents for years to come. It will also be an honour for us to work closely with the company and to see the project through till completion.”
As part of the project team, the students will get involved in detail drawing production, tender process and documentation, value engineering, manufacturing and installation process. Set to commence in June this year, the industry exposure exercise is expected to take about 20 weeks until the completion of the construction.
Added Khairul, “We hope to continue the momentum in empowering new students each year. It is certainly a positive indicator that the architecture industry and property sector are able to benefit from a new wave of innovative young talent in the future who are not just skilled but also highly mindful of the environment in their contributions that can positively impact communities.”
