KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Properties Bhd's property development brand Mutiara Spaces recently-held nationwide design challenge has revealed the winning entry that is set to become an iconic landmark of the developer's latest integrated smart township in Semenyih, Selangor.
The Mutiara Hills Sculpture Design Challenge 2023 was part of Mutiara Spaces' forward-moving strategy to reimagine spaces with a focus on sustainability and digitalisation.
Boustead Properties chief executive officer Khairul Azizi Ismail said the competition has proven to be a significant exercise that has not only showcased the considerable and impressive talent of the youth, but it has also allowed the company to uphold its 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," he said in a statement today.
The winning design, named Unison Sculpture, was created by Syamirul Alif 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 water and energy sources.
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.
All finalists will receive cash prizes, with the grand prize winner getting RM8,000.
Second place was awarded to another USM Penang team comprising Mohd Pirdaus Beddu and Siti Sarah Mohammed Saidi for their design entitled The Thousand Leaves.
The third-place winner was Nur Izzah Kamilia 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 Adzim and Muhammad Syafiq Norizan from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) came in fifth with their design, Revive.
The winning team will 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.
As part of the project team, the students will get involved in detail drawing production, tender and documentation, value engineering, manufacturing and installation processes.
Set to commence in June this year, the industry exposure exercise is expected to take about 20 weeks until the completion of the construction.
Khairul hoped to continue the momentum of empowering new students each year.
He said it is a positive indicator that the architecture industry and property sector can benefit from a new wave of innovative young talent in the future who are skilled and highly mindful of the environment in their contributions that can positively impact communities.