We were given the project brief to create new student village template for government-run universities of better quality, safer and more conducive compared to the existing student villages.
University Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) is a public university in the town of Tanjung Malim, Perak in Malaysia. First established in 1922 as a teachers college, it is one of the oldest functioning institutions of higher learning in Malaysia.
Our objective is develop an environmentally friendly village utilizing the latest Industrialized Building System (IBS) for cutting age design complemented by grass swales, abundant landscape and nature.
Planning Concept:
• The main consideration for the village is locating the hostel, recreational spaces and dining within comfortable distance on 54.25 acres site.
• The solution is to group 18 five storey hostel blocks into three clusters; each with its own outdoor games area, warden apartment and TV room. Each block consist of 48 units apartments; each apartment for 6-person equipped with three rooms, lounge, kitchenette and bathrooms. The building is designed with IBS construction in mind.
• Two central facilities are placed between the hostel clusters. The food court dining concept (500 pax) is the first in Malaysian university. A multipurpose hall (800 pax) and internet café provide further recreational space. The oval shape with a ‘carapace’ roof design is user friendly and designed to be viewed from all angles.
• Landscaping plays an important role in the design. The grass swale is the first implemented in the country where selected junctions are enlarged into ponds. Large tract of land are left for nature to take its course encouraging local flora and fauna to flourish.
• The curvature of the roads are designed to slow down traffic without introducing any road bumps. Minimal car parks encourage the students to walk or use the university bus service.
Architecture Concept:
• The buildings are modern tropical with long overhang, cross ventilation and fully ventilated corridors.
• The strong colors are based from the Malaysian flag and UPSI’s logo. These colors are interpreted to give a strong identity to the student village.