Sime Darby Property Group Managing Director, Dato’ Azmir Merican (left) with Concept Home 2030 Competition first prize winner Qhawarizmi Architect who emerged victorious with their futuristic solution titled ‘Non-Fungible Terraces’.
WITH the rapid change the world is undergoing today, it is hardly surprising that there is an ensuing transformation in lifestyles and living, particularly in the new normal brought on by the pandemic.
The increasing awareness of the fragility of our ecosystem has led to a global shift towards sustainable living practices. Aside from this, there is also a growing demand for improved communication channels and technological conveniences to keep us connected from the comfort of our homes.
To ensure that our typical homes can keep up with the changing times, Sime Darby Property launched the Concept Home 2030 initiative. Its goal is to create a platform for industry experts and consumers to exchange innovative solutions and challenge the way homes are designed and built in the future.
Under this initiative, Sime Darby Property partnered with the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) in August 2021 to organise the Concept Home 2030 Competition, inviting the nation’s visionaries of the built realm to radically reimagine how homes would and should look like in 2030. The competition challenges participants to push the limits of conventional terrace houses by focusing on four key pillars — sustainable solutions, modern construction methods, modular designs that are expandable as well as customisable, and AI or tech-infused homes.
Receiving 171 registrations, the highest number of entries in the history of PAM's competitions, the competition pushed the participants to return to the drawing board, redesign the built environment and incorporate futuristic methodologies without compromising on aesthetics.
Ten finalists presented their concepts through a live judging event on 22 January 2022 and were evaluated by a panel of esteemed judges consisting of representatives from Sime Darby Property and PAM. The winning concepts were selected based on the ingenuity of their design and how they demonstrated a holistic approach in incorporating the competition’s four pillars.
Ar. Qhawarizmi Norhisa of Qhawarizmi Architect during the presentation of his submission, sharing that the winning concept explores how real estate products can be digitalised to complement and improve on the physical version.
Competition winners
Qhawarizmi Architect was announced as the winner of the Concept Home 2030 Competition, taking home a cash prize of RM100,000. Their concept, ‘Non-Fungible Terraces’, proposed a digital home that is built on blockchain — one that allows owners to socialise and work in the metaverse — and that can be eventually translated into the physical world.
“We wanted to explore how real estate products can be digitalised to complement and improve on the physical version. The digital sphere allows us to expand our audience in business, work, and education — for example, a teacher can emerge in your living room in augmented reality,” says Ar. Qhawarizmi Norhisha of his winning concept. “We’re not prescribing the physicality of the house: we’re proposing a way of thinking about future homes that is empowered by blockchain technology.” The judges commented that the concept was “a truly futuristic idea — a total innovative solution that addresses all the concerns about building for the future.”
Second prize winner, Arkitek Seni Kenyalang, bagged RM75,000 with their submission titled ‘Project Eco-Preneur’ which focused on presenting terrace houses in a sub-cluster plan that will be built with 3D printing automated construction sequence under a common ecosystem with centralised green and social event space. An RM50,000 cash prize was awarded to the third-place winner, RE Design/Boon Zi Yang with their submission titled ‘I-LIVE’ that empowers homeowners to customise their homes with flexible volume sizes, dynamic façade and activation of under-utilised spaces.
Two Honorary Mentions, each with a cash prize of RM10,000, were awarded to Cheong Gin Yong Architect with their concept ‘Breathing Ground’, and Arkitek Oma and Shah Architect with their submission ‘Half House’.
Additionally, the public had a say in their favourite designs among the ten shortlisted concepts through an online voting campaign during the final phase of the competition. Cipta Teguh Architects received more than 1,200 votes to win the People’s Choice Award with their concept ‘Roomah+’, which portrays homes to be expandable to meet homeowners ever-changing needs.
What’s next
The competition is the first step of the Concept Home 2030 initiative. Though the competition has come to an end, the initiative is ongoing as part of Sime Darby Property’s effort to continuously innovate and lead the way in creating future-proof homes that address consumer and environmental needs more holistically.
Moving forward, the developer is looking to collaborate with leaders in construction, digital technology, and sustainability initiatives to bring these innovative home solutions a step closer to reality. Sime Darby Property will also continue to engage the public for feedback as it works towards building future homes that truly meet the evolving needs of homeowners.
Ultimately, Sime Darby Property hopes that the initiative could encourage the industry to work together to build homes that are modular, innovative, smart, and sustainable. This would put Malaysia at the forefront of future living and technology, ensuring future generations will be able to enjoy the best standard of living possible.
Find out more about the Concept Home 2030 initiative here.
