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Volume 8 Issue 3 (2017)

ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642

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Cover photo is Confirmatory Factor Analysis of government construction procurement problems from Chaithongrat et al., a research article in this issue (Application of Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Government Construction Procurement Problems in Thailand).

Awareness of Passive Design on Apartment Façade Designs in Putrajaya, Malaysia

Comparative Analysis of Low-Cost Housing Policies in Malaysia and Nigeria

A Study on Kevin Lynch’s Urban Design Elements: Precinct 9 East Putrajaya

Investigating Urban Design Elements of Bandar Baru Sentul, Kuala Lumpur

A Study on Sharing Home Ownership Schemes in Malaysia

Competitiveness Factors of Thai Construction Industry within the AEC Context: A Qualitative Approach

Application of Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Government Construction Procurement Problems in Thailand

International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies

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International Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Ahmad Sanusi Hassan, PhD Professor Universiti Sains Malaysia, MALAYSIA

Executive Editor Boonsap Witchayangkoon, PhD Associate Professor Thammasat University, THAILAND

Editorial Board: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Gadi (University of Nottingham, UNITED KINGDOM) Professor Dr.Hitoshi YAMADA (Yokohama National University, JAPAN) Professor Dr. Chuen-Sheng Cheng (Yuan Ze University, TAIWAN ) Professor Dr.Mikio SATOMURA (Shizuoka University, JAPAN) Professor Dr.Chuen-Sheng Cheng (Yuan Ze University, TAIWAN) Emeritus Professor Dr.Mike Jenks (Oxford Brookes University, UNITED KINGDOM ) Professor Dr.I Nyoman Pujawan (Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, INDONESIA) Professor Dr.Toshio YOSHII (EHIME University, JAPAN) Professor Dr.Neven Duić (University of Zagreb, CROATIA) Professor Dr.Lee, Yong-Chang (Incheon City College, SOUTH KOREA) Professor Dr.Dewan Muhammad Nuruzzaman (University Malaysia Pahang MALAYSIA) Professor Dr.Masato SAITOH (Saitama University, JAPAN)

Scientific and Technical Committee & Editorial Review Board on Engineering, Technologies and Applied Sciences: Associate Prof. Dr. Paulo Cesar Lima Segantine (University of São Paulo, BRASIL) Associate Prof. Dr. Kurt B. Wurm (New Mexico State University, USA ) Associate Prof. Dr. Truong Vu Bang Giang (Vietnam National University, Hanoi, VIETNAM ) Dr.H. Mustafa Palancıoğlu (Erciyes University, TURKEY) Associate Prof.Dr.Peter Kuntu-Mensah (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, USA) Associate Prof.Dr. Rohit Srivastava (Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, INDIA) Assistant Prof.Dr. Zoe D. Ziaka (International Hellenic University, GREECE ) Associate Prof.Dr. Junji SHIKATA (Yokohama National University, JAPAN) Assistant Prof.Dr. Akeel Noori Abdul Hameed (University of Sharjah, UAE) Madam Wan Mariah Wan Harun (Universiti Sains Malaysia, MALAYSIA ) Dr. David Kuria (Kimathi University College of Technology, KENYA ) Dr. Mazran bin Ismail (Universiti Sains Malaysia, MALAYSIA ) Dr. Salahaddin Yasin Baper (Salahaddin University - Hawler, IRAQ ) Dr. Foong Swee Yeok (Universiti Sains Malaysia, MALAYSIA) Dr.Azusa FUKUSHIMA (Kobe Gakuin University, JAPAN)

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:: International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies

Volume 8 Issue 3 (2017) ISSN 2228-9860 http://TuEngr.com eISSN 1906-9642

FEATURE PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

Awareness of Passive Design on Apartment Façade Designs in Putrajaya, Malaysia 127

Comparative Analysis of Low-Cost Housing Policies in Malaysia and Nigeria 139

A Study on Kevin Lynch’s Urban Design Elements: Precinct 9 East Putrajaya 153

Investigating Urban Design Elements of Bandar Baru Sentul, Kuala Lumpur 169

A Study on Sharing Home Ownership Schemes in Malaysia 183

The Impact of Window to Wall Ratio (WWR) and Glazing Type on Energy Consumption in Air-Conditioned Office Buildings

197

Competitiveness Factors of Thai Construction Industry within the AEC Context: A Qualitative Approach

209

Application of Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Government Construction Procurement Problems in Thailand

221

© 2017 International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies.

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Awareness of Passive Design on Apartment Façade Designs in Putrajaya, Malaysia Ahmad Sanusi Hassan a , Yasser Arab a* and Bushra Qanaa b

a School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia,11800 Penang, MALAYSIA b Faculty of Architecture, Ittihad Private University, SYRIA A R T I C L E I N F O

A B S T RA C T

Article history: Received 02 September 2017 Received in revised form 21 November 2017 Accepted 25 November 2017 Available online 01 December 2017 Keywords: Passive design, Vernacular style, Colonial style; Thermal Imager; colonial architectural style; high-rise apartments.

This research conducts a study on sustainability awareness of apartment facade design in Malaysia. The scope of this study limits to a comparative analysis between colonial and vernacular style facade design. Vernacular style is derived from the traditional architecture to the condition of the place and environment in tropical setting. The style is a logical choice in warm and wet climatic conditions, ideal for creating air movement, ventilation and escape of warm air, thus bringing in thermal comfort to the occupants. On the other hand, colonial style is an expression of classical structures and motives. The architecture does not only have dominant classical style’s expression from Europe, it also has a mixture with the local style due to adjustment of the classical style to the tropical setting, which can be seen at heritage buildings erected during colonial time in Malaysia. Two contemporary apartments built in Putrajaya are selected in these two case studies; each has a design approach with colonial and vernacular architectural style. A camera device named Fluke® Ti20 Thermal Imager was used to capture a series of thermal images on a surface of the apartment facades. This camera captured photos of the apartment facade in hourly time during the field works. The study finds that the apartment with vernacular style’s facade design has higher sustainability awareness than the apartment with colonial style’s facade design. In conclusion, by applying vernacular style in apartment design, it provides awareness to the designer and architect to come with traditional passive design elements which are embedded as part and parcel of the design in a context of tropical climate.

© 2017 INT TRANS J ENG MANAG SCI TECH.

1. Introduction This study focuses on high-rise apartments in Putrajaya. The definition of high-rise building is

a tall and multi-story building equipped with elevator (Cheung, Fuller and Luther 2005). In 1930s

©2017 International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies.

*Corresponding author (Yasser Arab).. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/127.pdf.

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the first high-rise building was constructed in the world in the United State and later in 1950s in the United Kingdom. The first high-rise building in Malaysia was built in 1960s namely Sulaiman Courts in 1657 (Hoffman, 1996). Figure 2 show the percentage of residential building categories in Putrajaya (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2010).

Figure 1: Views of apartments in Putrajaya.

Figure 2: Apartment represents 74.1% of the total units of living quarters in Putrajaya.

Source: Department of Statistic Malaysia (2010).

2. Colonial Architectural Style The colonial architectural style is a reflection of the classical architectural style in the region, a

mixture of the colonial and the local style to get a new hybrid with the adaptations to the regional and climate. The colonial architecture style in Malaysia is not only a mixture between the colonial and Malay traditional style, it is also influenced by the Islamic, Indian and Chinese styles. This tuning of eastern and western architecture with local tropical architecture of the Malay traditional building appears with a building design of overhanging roof structures, maximum window openings, cantilevered veranda floor and big roof construction. The concept of traditional Malay building influences the colonial builders which guides them to design building with the tropical climate factors. Yeang (1987; 26) claimed that the roof should act like an umbrella to protect from

128 Ahmad Sanusi Hassan, Yasser Arab and Bushra Qanaa

the rain and provides shade, on the other hand the building should have maximum openings to maximize the natural ventilation. These features will help the house to reach the thermal comfort and provide better indoor atmosphere.

3. Vernacular Architectural Style Mohd (1983) defined the vernacular traditional style as the attention to the place conditions,

local materials, environment and the traditional habits. The most unique vernacular design elements are raising the floor construction, using the available local rainforest materials, and the flexibility of the spaces in order to cope with the tropical climate. The simple traditional Malay houses were basically built with cut jungle poles, bamboo, rattan ropes and palm trunks and leaves that are gathered around the site and that makes the houses integrated with the surrounding nature. The main structure of the traditional Malay house is timber post and beam with bamboo or wooden wall and large window openings to provide a good natural ventilation (Lim, 1984). And that reflect the large open indoor spaces (Lim 1987). The vernacular buildings designed with concept of nature respect and the ecological balance. Hassan (1998) argued that the local timbers transfer less heat due to the low thermal capacity and the palm leaves can be used as a good thermal insulation material, thus the vernacular style provides comfort against the climate.

4. Passive Design Having a passive design is having building design that does not require any mechanical heating

or cooling systems, and depends on the natural air ventilation, daylight and orientation to reach the thermal comfort (Commonwealth of Australia, 2008). To achieve the thermal comfort, it means that the residents do not feel the temperature too high nor too low, or in other words Cena and Clark (1978) define it as ‘an expression of satisfaction’ to the thermal environment. This study aims to get better understanding of passive design in the tropical warm and humid climate in the South East Asia with case studies in Putrajaya Malaysia. In the last 25 years, passive thermal design gains the global awareness especially after the Rio Summit in 1992, the conference that set a primary global agenda on sustainable development.

Lim in his research (1987) classified the climate in Malaysia as warm-humid temperature and

described the characteristics as the following:

• The average of air temperature is between 22°C and 32°C and seldom to exceed

normal body temperature.

• The wind is low-variable speed in general, and usually the strong wind brings rain

• The region humidity is high during the year. Humidity is high throughout the year with

almost 75% or more


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The building can obtain the thermal comfort in the tropical region based on the following factors:

• In order to achieve the climate comfort there are many factors must be controlled

such as: temperature, humidity, glare and solar radiation in the house besides to

control the rain which cause floods and sometimes the strong wind.

• In order to reach the thermal comfort, 37°C the human being body temperature

should be balanced with the indoor environment reducing the heat gain from the

warm air and solar radiation to the minimum amount.

• Providing good natural ventilation based on the air flow or the stack effect help to

relieve the climate stress and provide better condition for the residence in hot and

humid climate regions like Malaysia.

• The main source of the heat gain is from direct solar radiations. Thus in order to reach

the thermal comfort, the designers must take in consideration the building material,

and shading elements in order to come out with an efficient façade design.

5. Hypothesis The research assumes that by applying vernacular style in apartment design, it guides the

architects with traditional passive design elements which are embedded as part and parcel of the design in a context of tropical climate.

6. The Case Studies The two case studies are high-rise apartment buildings located in Putrajaya the capital city of

Malaysia, these two case studies are about 800 metres apart from each other. This administrative capital of Malaysia was built after the federal government decision for a new capital city in the early 1990s (Moser, 2009). The city is considered as the newest and most developed city in Malaysia. Most of the buildings were designed with post-modern style which shows the mixture of traditional, modern and colonial styles (Hassan, 2005). The city was designed to be ideal garden and intelligent city with capacity of 250000 people (Scott, 1998). The city is located about 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur along the highway between Kuala Lumpur and the International Airport and this location gave her extra importance and viability as a new capital city (Ariffini, 2003;Hassan, Arab, & Ismail, 2015).


Figure 3: The two case studies location in Putrajaya (source: Google Maps)

The first case study is a thirteen-story apartment building called Block 8R1 located at Jalan P8h, Presint 8, Putrajaya (Figure 3). The building has colonial architectural style like so many other building in the city of Putrajaya. The classical Greek and Roman architectural elements decorated on the building façade with triangular and semi-circular Figure (4). On the other hand the second case study as shown in Figure (5) is a seventeen stories building called Block 9A with vernacular architectural style located at Jalan P9 C/1, Presint 9, Putrajaya. The building is constructed with pyramid and pitch and overhang roofs and other traditional style elements.

Figure 4: The first case study, colonial architectural style apartment.

7. Methodology This survey is able to detect thermal temperature using a thermal imager device named Fluke

Ti20 (Figure 6). The equipment consists of Fluke Thermal Imager device and software. The device helps to get the thermal solution to conduct the thermal survey thorough with accurate inspections


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in any climatic environment. From the affordable and easy-to-use Performance Series to the Professional Series, this device offers superior image quality and advanced features, to the Expert Series that gives you a premium viewing experience with highly detailed images, and an extensive feature set. The Fluke built in with the needed Infrared Camera to provide the survey results. The photo images can be stored in one location for comparison and work for approvals or questions for answers without leaving the field, for additional information.

Figure 5: The second case study, vernacular architectural style apartment.

Figure 6: Fluke® Ti20 device.

8. Analytical Software SmartView® software is used to view, optimize and analyse infrared images and to create a

fully customisable and reports. SmartView® software is very easy to use and fits the requirement from the users. It provides the performance specialized thermographers help for advanced report and analysis. Fluke® IR-Fusion technology is a blending of digital and infrared images into a


http://www.fluke.com/fluke/sgen/thermal-imaging/fluke-ir-fusion-technology.htm?PID=56160

single image. It delivers strikingly crisp detailed images, making problem detection extremely easy. SmartView® software allows the users to use this technology, to capture and annotate images and quickly import them into the reports.

9. Results of Analysis and Discussions The survey was taken by taking thermal photo shots for both of the case studies. The device

places at the human eye level with a distance at 45 m apart and the photos snapped perpendicular to the building façade. The thermal photo shots were taken hourly from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in both of the case studies. The field survey is limited to these durations because of the full cloudy condition and raining weather usually occurred after 5:00 pm, which made the results of the survey inaccurate. It is hard to find the case study at exactly the same building orientation. Both of the case studies are located in orientation with almost the same angles with 35o degree for the first and 33o degree for the second case study. The results as illustrated in the Figures (8 to 11) and Tables (1 to 4). This research will be limited to the average of the selected points in the selected area as shown in Figure 7. The comparison will be between the averages of the points of the last five stories of the two case studies A series, B series, C series, and D series from up to down respectively.

Figure 7: Selected points of case study 1 (left) and case study 2 (right)

Results analyzing at 2:00 pm: The thermal Images

Figure 8: Thermal images for both case studies colonial style (left) and vernacular style (right) at

2:00 pm


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Results analyzing at 3:00 pm

Figure 9: The thermal image for both case studies colonial style (left) vernacular style (right) at

3:00 pm


Figure 10: The thermal image for both case studies colonial style (left) vernacular style (right) at

4:00 pm


Figure 11 Thermal image for both case studies colonial style (left) vernacular style (right) at 5:00

pm


Table 1: The results (temperature point A) for both case studies. Temperature Case 1 Colonial style Case 2 Vernacular Style

Time A1 A2 A3 A4 Average A1 A2 A3 A4 Average 2:00 PM 44.6 44.6 46.2 44 44.85 41.7 37.4 35.6 42 39.175 3:00 PM 41.2 47.4 46.6 40.2 43.85 41.1 41.3 46.1 49.4 44.475 4:00 PM 53.4 56.6 58 53 55.25 54.3 51.6 57.2 59.8 55.725 5:00 PM 59.4 61 60.1 59.4 59.975 50.7 51.9 57.2 58.2 54.5

Average of A1, A2, A3 and A4 50.98 Average of A1, A2, A3 and A4 48.47

Table 2: The results (temperature point B) for both case studies. Temperature Case 1 Colonial style Case 2 Vernacular Style

Time B1 B2 B3 B4 Average B1 B2 B3 B4 Average 2:00 PM 44.7 44 45.3 43.4 44.35 36.4 37 39.1 46.8 39.825 3:00 PM 45.4 44.2 44.9 44.3 44.7 35.2 39.2 45.6 50.7 42.675 4:00 PM 54.6 53.1 52.7 56.3 54.175 46.2 50.4 58.2 63 54.45 5:00 PM 59.7 58.3 58.1 59.1 58.8 45.3 48.5 56.8 60.8 52.85


Table 3: The results (temperature point C) for both case studies.

Temperature Case 1 Colonial style Case 2 Vernacular Style Time C1 C2 C3 C4 Average C1 C2 C3 C4 Average

2:00 PM 45.8 45.2 45.6 43.9 45.125 36.8 37.3 42.3 46.9 40.825 3:00 PM 48.2 44.8 45.4 48 46.6 37.5 41.2 46.5 51.8 44.25 4:00 PM 59.2 52.8 51.9 58.4 55.575 49.9 51.9 59.2 64.2 56.3 5:00 PM 62.9 56.1 55.3 61.6 58.975 46.5 49.3 57.4 61.4 53.65


Table 4 The results (temperature point D) for both case studies.

Temperature Case 1 Colonial style Case 2 Vernacular Style Time D1 D2 D3 D4 Average D1 D2 D3 D4 Average

2:00 PM 46.7 54.3 56.3 47.8 51.275 37.4 37.9 42 47.2 41.125 3:00 PM 54.3 70.5 69.5 52.7 61.75 40.1 38.7 49.3 53.9 45.5 4:00 PM 63.9 78.3 78.8 63.8 71.2 50.6 50.4 59.7 64.3 56.25 5:00 PM 68.2 75.8 75.4 66.4 71.45 46.3 47.7 59.6 62.8 54.1


From the results, some notice points are

• The highest temperature in averages in case 1 recorded at 5:00 pm with 71.45 °C at point D, while it was 56.3°C at point C in the case study 2 at 4:00 pm.

• The least temperature in the first case study was 43.85 °C point A at 3:00 pm, whereas it was 39.19 °C point A in the second case study at 2:00pm.

• The lowest temperature in average was 47.45°C at 3:00 pm in the colonial style followed by 50.98, 51.57 and 93.92 °C respectively at 2:00, 4:00 and 5:00 pm.

• The lowest temperature in average in the vernacular style follows the same behavior *Corresponding author (Yasser Arab).. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/127.pdf.

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with 47.45, 48.47, 48.76 and 49.24°C at 3:00, 2:00, 4:00 and 5:00 pm respectively.

• The highest record in average was at 5:00 pm in the colonial style with 63.92 °C, while the highest record in the vernacular style was at 5:00 pm with 49.24°C.

• In average all hours shows lower temperature in vernacular style than the colonial style.

10. Conclusion The study finds that by applying the vernacular style on the second case study, the designer

manages to reduce the façade surface temperature in all of the analyzing point between 3 to 15 degrees in the afternoon and evening hours comparing with the colonial style. The traditional design components and shading elements provide a slightly good sunlight shading façade performance compared to that of the colonial style’s apartment which helps to prevent the unnecessary sunlight from penetrate inside the house, thus lead to reduce solar radiation to the indoor air temperature. In other words, applying the vernacular architecture style for the second case study helps to reach the indoor thermal comfort. The study can be used as a guide for the architects and designer to apply the passive design element for their future projects. This study also finds that colonial style’s apartment has a façade design integrated with shading design similar to that of the traditional architecture like recessed wall, balcony and roof overhang. This design adjustment is inherited from the colonial architecture introduced by the architects and builders during the colonial times to cope the European styles to the tropical climatic contexts.

11. Acknowledgement The authors would like to express their appreciation for financial support under the Research

University Grant No. 1001/PPBGN/816237 by Universiti Sains Malaysia.

12. References Ariffini, Shahoran Bin Johan. 2003. "Putrajaya, Malaysia." Australian Planner 40 (3): 40-42.

Cena, K., & Clark, J. A. (1978). Thermal resistance units. Journal of Thermal Biology, 3(3), 173-174.

Cheung, C.K., R.J. Fuller, and M.B. Luther. 2005. "Energy-efficient envelope design for high-rise apartments." Energy-efficient envelope design for high-rise apartments Vol 37. No 1, Page 37-48.

Hassan, A. S., (1998). Traditional Versus Modernity in the Rain Forest Environment with Particular Reference to Peninsular Malaysia. Unpublished Ph.D thesis. University of Nottingham.

Hassan, A. S. (2005). Konsep rekabentuk bandar di Semenanjung Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur dan bandar-bandar di sekitarnya. Penang: Universiti Sains Malaysia Press.

Hassan, Ahmad Sanusi, Yasser Arab, and Mazran Ismail. 2015. "Architectural Styles and Developments of Apartments in Putrajaya, Malaysia." International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies Vol6 No.3 Pages 117-123.


Hoffman, Alexander von. 1996. "High ambitions: The past and future of American low‐income housing policy." Housing Policy Debate 7 (3): 423-446.

Lim, J. Y., (1984). .ol. 12.4. Under One Roof. A World in Cities IDRC Reports.

Lim, Jee Yuan. 1987. The Malay house : rediscovering Malaysia's indigenous shelter system / Lim Jee Yuan. Institut Masyarakat.

Malaysia, Department of Statistics. 2010. Characteristics of Living Quarters 2010. Putrajaya: Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Mohd, Ali Kamaruddin. 1983. A Vanishing Heritage: The Old Traditional Malay House. Skudai: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Press.

Moser, Sarah. 2009. "Putrajaya: Malaysia’s new federal administrative capital." Cities 27 (4): 285–297.

Scott, James C. 1998. Seeing like a state: How certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Yeang, Ken. 1987. Tropical Urban Regionalism: Building in a South-East Asian City. Singapore: Concept Media Pte. Ltd.

Professor Dr. Ahmad Sanusi bin Hassan teaches in Architecture Programme at the School of Housing, Building and Planning, University Sains Malaysia (USM). He obtained Bachelor and Master of Architecture from the University of Houston, Texas, USA. He was awarded a PhD degree from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. He was promoted to Associate Professor and later Full Professor. His research focuses on computer simulation on daylighting and thermal comforts, architectural history and theory, and housing in urban design. He is one of the nine regional writers involved in the preparation of Guideline: Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction in Developing Countries: A Discussion Document, which was launched at The Earth/World Summit, Johannesburg in September 2002. At the university, he lectures in architecture courses related to urban design, studio, history, Computer Aided Design (CAD), and computer movie animation. He has integrated all these specialisations into his research, teaching, consultation and publications. He had designed several architectural projects such as mosque, USM guest house and a proposal for low-cost houses for fishermen community.

Yasser Arab is a research assistant and currently pursuing his PhD in sustainable architecture on Resident’s Satisfaction and Sun Shading Model of Apartment Façade in Penang at school of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia, he is teaching Studio For first year student and involved in supervising student of Master of architecture. He obtained his Master degree in Sustainable Architecture from Universiti Sains Malaysia, his research was related to natural lighting in Turkish Mosques. He got his bachelor of architecture from Ittihad Private University, Aleppo, Syria. He is registered Architect in the Syrian Engineers Union.

Bushra Qanaa is an architect; she obtained her bachelor of architecture from Ittihad Private University, Aleppo, Syria. She is a registered Architect in the Syrian Engineers Union. She worked for two and half years with Midmac company in Aleppo, Syria.

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Note: The original work of this article was reviewed, accepted, and orally presented at the 3rd

International Conference-Workshop on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design (ICWSAUD 2017), a joint conference with the 3rd International Conference on Engineering, Innovation and Technology (ICEIT 2017), held at Royale Ballroom at the Royale Chulan Penang Hotel, Malaysia, during 13-15th November 2017.


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Comparative Analysis of Low-Cost Housing Policies in Malaysia and Nigeria Andrew Ebekozien a*, b, Abdul-Rashid Bin Abdul-Aziz b, and Mastura Bin Jaafar b

a Department of Quantity Surveying, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, NIGERIA b School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia,11800 Penang, MALAYSIA A R T I C L E I N F O

A B S T RA C T

Article history: Received 02 September 2017 Received in revised form 21 November 2017 Accepted 25 November 2017 Available online 01 December 2017 Keywords: Low-Income-Earners, LCH policies; LCH programmes, homeless.

The dearth of low-cost housing (LCH) provision in Nigeria calls for urgent attention and Malaysia as a fast-growing developing country mitigated a similar encumbrance, hence the need to review the LCH policies of the two countries. This will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that were adopted by the Malaysian Government and suggest same to Nigerian Government with a view to mitigating homelessness in Nigerian cities. Drawing a systematic review of published literature, this paper reveals that Malaysian Government role in LCH provision is encouraging, although there are still some lacunas; already receiving the necessary attention by the stakeholders concerned. This paper reveals that the Malaysian LCH policies created opportunities for the poor, and therefore promote pro-poor growth to have a home while the Nigerian government policies encouraged inequality and enhance high disparities in access to financial credit for housing purpose by the low-income earners (LIEs) due to lack of framework and institutional failure. The paper conclude that LCH policies and programmes should be sustainable economically; socially acceptable, and technically feasible. In addition, the policies and programmes should enhance cooperation; consultation, sharing knowledge within the stakeholders and ensure that the LIEs can gain access to homes. © 2017 INT TRANS J ENG MANAG SCI TECH.

1. Introduction Low-cost housing (LCH) provision is one of the significant difficulties confronting developing

nations, for example, Nigeria. The issue is more intense in the urban metropolis as there is a high rate of urbanisation happening in most of the developing countries. The high rate of populace blast, a consistent flood of individuals from these countries to the urban focuses combined with the absence of essential shelters required for a good way of life has issues throughout the years. The



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urban focuses in developing countries, Malaysia not exempted, are confronting the issue of intense deficiency of reasonable convenience, and fast weakening of existing housing stock and living conditions. The provision of housing does not by any stretch of the imagination coordinate the development of the populace in most urban focuses; which represents the momentous inadequacy in urban housing, quantitatively and subjectively (Olotuah, 2002; Bakhtyar, Zaharim, Sopian, & Moghimi, 2013). LCH needs are not coordinated by viable request since the huge greater part of the masses does not have the finance for sufficient housing. This portion of the urban populace is without a doubt are low-income earners (LIEs), poor, and is obliged to restricted, inadequate, swarmed, filthy and dirty houses (Galbraith, 1969). Access and affordability to the housing by the poor who constitute the biggest level of the populace in the developing countries have perhaps lingered persistently.

In Malaysia, LCH provision is provided by both the public and private developers. Three parameters are considered when defining LCH, they are household income, selling price, and building size. Ministry of Housing and Local Government (MHLG) (1998) defined LCH as a housing unit of selling price not exceeding RM42,000 (1 US Dollar = RM4.24 as at 21st August 2017) per unit, aimed at the targeted group of household income not more than RM2,500 per month, and size of the building not more than 55.4 square meters. This comprises of one living room, two bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, and bathroom. In Malaysia, the minimum wage is RM1000 per month (Ebekozien, Abdul-Aziz, & Jaafar, 2017A). While in Nigeria, LCH provision is provided by the private developers, self-help, and public developers. The government role as provider and facilitator of LCH provision in Nigeria is weak, swallow and deplorable. Wahab (2006) defines the LIEs as all employees and self-employed persons whose monthly income is within N8,000 to N40,000 (1US Dollar = N365 as at 21st August 2017). While the minimum pay by law is N18,000/month, although most employers of labour including some state governments do default in this regards, most pathetic is that control and penalty for defaulters are weak. This should be expected because those to implement the sanction are defaulters too. Abdullahi (2013) opines that about fifty-seven percent (57%) of the Nigerian population falls below the poverty line, which is on the average of US$1 per day. World Bank (2017) reports that poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Nigeria as at 2009 was 46. This is very high, as against 3.8 in the same year (2009) for Malaysia. In the year 2014, it became 0.6 in Malaysia, an indication of fast growing economy that promotes pro poor growth.

Ibimilua and Ibitoye (2015) assert that the LCH policy requires a technique for the authorisation of the motivation behind the proposed projects of activity. The housing policy is gotten from laws, controls and regulatory practices that can help the creation and conveyance of housing (UN-HABITAT, 2006). A most thorough LCH policy should address the part of the government and other stakeholders, while the government may shift from the arranging and control of all parts of housing planning creation - arrive, venture, development, and inhabitancy - to mediation just at specific levels. This is an indication that the LCH policy of a nation gives the direction of the LCH stock; perhaps, a faulty LCH policy or weak implementation is likely going to

140 Andrew Ebekozien a*, b, Abdul-Rashid Bin Abdul-Aziz b, and Mastura Bin Jaafar

lead to LCH shortage. Aigbokhan (2008) asserts that in Nigeria, the government policies (housing inclusive) have been encouraging high inequality, hence, inequality seems to rise with growth. Some of these policies are disparities in access to human and physical capital, disparities in access to financial credit and wide differences in returns to assets. Thus, the need to review and compare the LCH policies of Malaysia and Nigeria to identify Malaysian LCH policies that promoted pro-poor growth that was used to address the housing encumbrances faced by Malaysian and suggests same to Nigerian Government cannot be overemphasised.

2. Malaysian Low-Cost Housing Policy This section categorises the Malaysian LCH policy historical development under the two

distinct phases of the pre-independence (before 1957), and post-independence period (1957 to date). Stone (2006), Bahare (2017) asserts that during the colonial period before 1957, the government was the key players in housing provision. The author reviewed the Malaysian LCH but failed to identify the lacunas such as leakages in 30% housing provision. More worried is the obsolete price (RM25,000:00) stated by the author as the current price for unit of LCH. Table 1 gives the summarised details of the various policies from the pre-colonial era of the government to date. Between 1956–1964, the first 1st and 2nd Malaya Plan was rolled out. This period saw more LCH from the public sector but the private sector was not left out. The 1st Malaysia Plan (MP) (1965-1970) had the explicit recognition of the government’s responsibility of housing the low-income groups. The 2nd Malaysia Plan (1971-1975) saw the launching of a public housing scheme for LIEs from the public sector and corporate societies encouraged to develop LCH from the private sector. This was enhanced more in the 3rd Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) from both sectors. This period saw the participation of many public agencies: Public Housing Schemes, Federal Agencies and Regional Development, Public Housing Programs, Institutional and Staff Quarters Schemes, and State Economic Development Corporation (SEDCs).

The 4th Malaysia Plan (1981-1985) saw the introduction of the LCH by both sectors, and both

sectors were inter-linked. Shuid (2013) asserts that the year 1982 marked a watershed in Malaysian Government imposed a 30% LCH construction on private developers to ensure the private sector, construct LCH in every residential development since 1982 during the 4th Malaysia Plan. The 5th

MP (1986-1990) linked the concept of housing with social amenities to the quality of living and well-being. During this period, private developer’s contribution to LCH increased. Mohammed, David and Seow (2012) report that during the 6th MP (1991-1995), the National Development Plan came out, although private sector still played as a key player, the government created many new laws and guidelines to ensure quality housing, for example, National Housing Policy-1991 (NHP). During this period, more private developers were licensed to develop LCH program.

The 7th MP (1996-2000) came up with a new housing category, known as the low-medium-cost

housing to address another segment of the population struggling to get on the housing ladder. In line with this, the 8th MP targeted the eradication of squatters in Kuala Lumpur and other major urban *Corresponding author (Yasser Arab).. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/139.pdf.

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centres. Shuid (2013) and The Sun Malaysia (2016) assert that more LCH came in during the 9th MP (2006-2010), it was encouraging, including States Economic Development Corporations (SEDCs). These projects were implemented by state governments through grants and loans provided by the federal government, although not sufficient and mainly concentrated in small towns and sub-urban areas. During this period, Program Perumahan Rakyat Bersepadu (PPRB) was implemented for the resettlement of squatters. In the 10th MP (2011-2015) period, to address the issue of poor housing maintenance, the government established Housing Maintenance Fund (HMF). The Malaysian National Housing Policy (NHP) was launched on 10th February 2011, during the 10th MP (10th Malaysia Plan, 2010). The uniqueness of the Malaysia Plan is that at each MP, one can see the leading role of the government. This is an indication that the government is actually for the people.

Table 1: Summary of Malaysia housing policy with emphasis on the role of public and private sectors respectively compilation from various LCH Malaya Plans (1st and 2nd 1956-1964) and

Malaysia Plans (1st – 11th 1965-1970 to 2016-2020) as modified. Plan Period Public Sector Private Sector

Pre-Independence & Colonial Administration

Formal housing mode by British Govt., under divide and rule. Provided houses for govt staff, provided rural public low cost Program and resettlement.

No precise information regarding formal housing provision from this sector.

1st& 2nd Malaya Plan (1956-1964)

More low-cost housing units produced through Housing Trust Government built houses for rent and sales.

Government started giving loans for private sector developer. 90% houses built for the private sector.

1st Malaysia Plan (1965-1970)

Formal & structured housing programs commenced. 5 years Plans introduced. LCH was the major area of concern.

Private sector developers begun to develop properties in cooperation with the state. They compliment public sec. to provide LCH

2nd Malaysia Plan (1971-1975)

Housing Trust was dissolved; states took over. Public housing scheme was launched.

Corporate societies started to deliver housing units. Private Sector concentrates on middle and higher income housing.

3rd Malaysia Plan (1976-1980)

Public Housing Schemes, Federal Agencies & Regional Development, Public Housing Programs, Institutional & Staff Quarters Scheme, State Economic Development Corporation (SEDCs), were among many public agencies in the provision of LCH

Housing development here also increased. Private Developers Cooperative Society.

4th Malaysia Plan (1981-1985)

Low-cost housing introduced for implementation by both sectors. Public housing schemes, govt. agencies and regional development authority’s Housing schemes. Institutional &Staff Accommodation scheme

Private sector housing Construction increased private developers cooperative society.


Renting and selling homes (LCH); Housing schemes delivered here, eg: Public LCH scheme; Housing schemes; Institutional & Staff quarter homes for the poor (junior) staff.

Private sector housing construction increased private developers cooperative society.


Housing schemes delivered here: Public low-cost housing (PLCH) Site & Services Housing Schemes Housing Loan Schemes (HLS) Housing under Land & Regional Dev. Institutional & Staff Quarters Schemes Econ Dev. Agencies housing programs

Private sector housing construction increased Licensed private developers housing Special low-cost housing program Cooperative society.


Same as 6th Malaysia Plan Housing rehabilitation Housing by commercial agencies Same as 6th Malaysia Plan


Same as 7th Malaysia Plan Eradicate squatters in major urban cities Same as 7th Malaysia Plan


Public low-cost housing programme more houses. Program Perumahan Rakyat Bersepadu (PPRM) was Implemented for squatters.

The private sector performed more than their planned target of low-cost housing Provision of 200%.


Housing maintenance for public low-cost housing was embarked upon by government for new/maintenance low cost houses. Housing Maintenance Fund established. Government subsidies 30%-75% of construction costs.

Private developers encourage to build-then-sell (BTS) approach with incentives. Developers accredited in usage of skilled and improved construction processes.


Transit houses will be built for youth & young couples in urban areas, subject When there are enough savings to buy 1st home Public-private partnership encouraged.

Public-private partnership (PPP) encouraged to provide homes for LIEs


The 11th Malaysia Plan (2016) reports that the 11th MP is unique to the Malaysian Government; it is the last plan before the year 2020 target of becoming a developed nation. The government will continue to play a major role in meeting the housing needs of targeted LCH group in urban and rural areas by continuing supporting existing successful programmes via financing. This includes programmes under RMR1M, PPR, My First Home Scheme, Youth Housing Scheme, MyHome. Also, houses will be built for youth and young married couples in urban areas, including those proposed under the 1 Malaysia Youth City Programme. This transit houses will be used as a transit for these young Malaysians, to give an opportunity for them to make savings to buy their home. Also, the public-private partnership will be encouraged as a key to solving the demand-supply gap of low-cost housing in Malaysia. Table 2 shows the proposed target for the various programmes under the LCH in the 11th MP (2016-2020). Can this be achieved? Whether achieved or not, there is a template guiding and reminding all relevant agencies and stakeholders to do the needful, this is missing in Nigeria.

Table 2: Proposed Target for LCH during the 11th MP (2016-2020), compilation from 11th Malaysia Plan (2016) as modified.

Programme Housing Unit Skim Rumah Pertamaku (SBR) 47,000 Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) 50,000 1 Malaysia Civil Servants Housing (PPA1M) 88,000 Rumah Mesra Rakyat 1 Malaysia (RMR1M) 55,000

Total 240,000

Malaysia’s housing policies since independence can be summed up in the following order. First, up until recently, there was no national housing policy, it was only unveiled in 2011 (Bahare, 2017). In the absence of formal housing policy document, the federal government initiated five-year Malaysian Plans (MPs) that provided a cursor for housing development (Abdul-Aziz & Kassim, 2011). The details of each plan period have been discussed extensively earlier in this section. 11thMP (2016) identified some of the policies that the government over the years have implemented to overcome the LCH challenge. Unfortunately, the problem is even now obvious as postulated by Zaid (2015) and corroborated by Abdullateef, Seong, and Lee (2016), Bahare (2017).

2.1 Encumbrances Faced by Malaysian Low-Cost Housing Policy Ebekozien et al. (2017A), (2017B) assert that Malaysia has LCH institutional and regulatory

framework policy, but some factors hindered the full implementation of Malaysian LCH policy. These factors are limited land because of the country’s location, limited financial resource, limited federal grant to state governments to construct people housing programmes, the bottleneck in approval processes, federalism in LCH provision, leakages in LCH provision, and the top-bottom approach of the five years LCH plan from the federal government. However, the issue of central data-bank cannot be over emphasised. Every planner and administrator need data to coordinate their policies and strategies the formulation of policy. Hence, the incomplete and non-digital registration system did not assist the Malaysian LCH policy implementation. Ebekozien et al. (2017B) assert that over the years, some private developers developed a tactic of avoiding the construction of LCH


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by splitting the project, so that they will not be directed to construct LCH. There are cases where some insist that development of LCH within their project area would devalue the entire project, hence, insist that another location should be given to them to construct the LCH. Most times, the locations are isolated from the cities and when completed, become difficult to get House-buyers. The authors assert that sales of LCH within or after the moratorium have become a profiteering venture to some persons; hence there is need for a reassessment of that portion.

The 11th Malaysia Plan 2016 to 2020 proffer strategic solutions to these identified hindrances

such as government should strengthen management and delivery of public housing programmes and promote more efficient and sustainable affordable housing for the people. Others are eliminating housing approvals that are not based on demands; reducing government maintenance funding; improving coordination in planning and implementing through the National Housing Council; encouraging residents' commitment to maintenance, cleanliness and prevention of vandalism; using potential “Waqf” and “Baitullah” land (land given over for religious or charitable purposes) for development of affordable LCH. Others are the construction of transit housing for youth; augmenting private sector participation; developing maintenance cost sharing for LCH; enhancing access to financing schemes, this is germane if we want to get the issue of LCH for the low-income earners right. The government is expected to review policies, although not to expose the lender, ensure that there is easy access to finance; creating a land bank for future needs; and establishing an integrated database of all affordable housing projects for effective planning and implementation. This is the beauty of the Malaysian housing policies, flexible and pro poor friendly.

3. Nigerian Low-Cost Housing Policy Ibimilua and Ibitoye (2015) report that Nigerian LCH policy is as old as the history of the

Nigeria, however, this section categorises its historical development under the five distinct phases of the pre-independence (before 1960), the post-independence period (1960-1979), the second civilian administration (1979-1983), the military era (1984-1999), and the Third Republic to date (1999 to date). The recorded history of formal intervention into the housing sector in Nigeria dated back to the pre-independence, after the ill-fated outburst of the bubonic plaque of 1928 in Lagos. This necessitated the establishment of the Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB) in 1955. This signifies the ushering of Nigerian public housing programmes (LCH) intervention (Aribigbola, 2008). The major characteristic of the pre-independence period was the provision of staff quarters for foreigners and other indigenous staff of parastatals and organisations in government. This period witnessed the establishment of Urban Councils in 1946, the Nigerian Building Society in 1955, as well as the Regional Housing Corporation in 1959. The post-independence period experienced some improvements in housing provision during the First National Development Plan period (1962-1968) and the Second National Development Plan 1970-1974).

However, the formulation of the National Council on Housing in 1971 led to further

improvement in LCH provision. The Third National Development Plan (1975-1980) made further


improvements on LCH programmes, policies, and delivery in Nigeria. The upgrading of the Nigerian Building Society into Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria with the promulgation of Decree No 7 of 1977 also brought some improvements into the LCH delivery in Nigeria. The Land Use Decree (LUD) of 1978, this was promulgated to guarantee access to land by all Nigerians, came to stabilise the ownership and acquisition of land, yet no positive impact. Furthermore, during the period, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1979) laid emphasized on the significant of local building materials and the relevance of labour and construction industry. In that same year, the Employees Housing Scheme Decree No 54 of 1979 was promulgated. This decree made provision for staff LCH estates.

Ibimilua and Ibitoye (2015) argued that the LCH policy in the 1980s and 1990s was how

divided society was being created. The rural areas were neglected, and the LCH stocks in the urban areas were improved upon, yet not enough. This was because of the high rate of migration to urban cities, subsequently resulted in LCH shortage in urban centres. The military era witnessed further improvements in housing policies and delivery. This was facilitated by the promulgation of the Mortgage Institutions Decree No 53 of 1989. The decree enhanced the specific objectives of the National Housing Policy. Furthermore, the Economic Liberalisation Policy of Babangida’s administration supported the participation of the private organisation in LCH delivery. This was closely followed by the promulgation of the Urban and Regional Planning Decree 88 of 1992 as well as the Nigerian National Housing Fund (NHF) Decree No 3 of 1992. The NHF was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a continuous flow of fund for LCH construction and delivery; was the mission accomplished? No! It may interest you to note that before the millennium, the policy of “housing for all in the year 2000” was formulated. This policy was thoroughly pursued, but it was besieged by administrative bottlenecks as usual, which made the policy difficult to be realized by the year 2000, this is unfortunate. Nevertheless, in the year 2002, the Housing and Urban Development Policy was formulated. This policy was a corrective measure, to correct the inconsistencies of the Land Use Act as well as to allow finance and ownership to operate in a free market economy.

Ibem, Anosike, and Azuh (2011) report that between 1975 and 2010, several LCH programmes

involving direct construction by the government were initiated by both the Federal Military and Civilian Governments in Nigeria, for example, the National LCH Scheme (1975-1980), Shagari’s LCH Programme (1980-1985), the National Housing Programme (1994-1995), the National Prototype Housing Programme (2000-2003), the Presidential Housing Mandate Scheme (PMHS) (2004-2006) and PPP housing schemes. Although there are conflicting figures on the actual number of LCH units completed in each of these programmes, Table 3 reveals that between 1962 and 2010 a total of 653,271 housing units were expected to be constructed in the different LCH schemes across the country. However, only 95,594 housing units were constructed. Also, Table 3 shows that none of the previous public housing programmes achieved up to 50 percent of the targeted number of housing units. Apart from the period between 2006 and 2010 in which there was 43 percent *Corresponding author (Yasser Arab).. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/139.pdf.

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achievement, yet below 50%. UN-HABITAT (2010) opines that 61.9% of urban population in Nigeria as at 2010 lives in slums. Thus, the impact of these programmes in addressing the existing housing problems among LIEs in the country can best be described as negligible.

Odunsi (2017) reports that in August 2017, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rolled out a scheme

called “My Own Home”. We hope this housing programme will succeed since it is joint finance by the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mortgage Banking Association of Nigeria, as well as Primary Mortgage Banks through equity in the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company. The sadden episode of this scheme is that about 80% of the LIEs will not be able to meet the minimum requirements to participate, such as down payment, collateral, guarantor, and evidence of regular income. For an average LIE in Nigeria, it is as good as nothing. This again justified the reason for the only option available to Nigerians is self-help provision. There is no hope from the government, even the few states that construct scanty houses, the prices are not within what the LIEs can afford. There is a need for Nigerian Government to send delegates to Malaysia to study various policies and programmes of Malaysian LCH schemes, including some Malaysian States LCH programmes, complementing the federal, for example Sarawak, Selangor, and Johor.

Table 3: Low-cost Housing Schemes by the Federal Government of Nigeria (1962- 2010) Compilation from Onibokun (1985), UN-HABITAT (2006), Ibem et al. (2011).

Period Proposed # of housing units # housing units produced Percentage achievement 1962-1968 61,000 500 0.81 1971-1974 59,000 7,080 12 1975-1980 202,000 30,000 14.85 1981-1985 180,000 47, 234 26.24 1986-1999 121,000 5,500 4.55 2000-2003 20,000 - - 2004-2006 18,000 840 4.67 2006-2010 10,271 4,440 43.23 TOTAL 653,271 95,594 14.63

3.1 Encumbrances Faced by Nigerian Low-Cost Housing Policy Abdullahi (2013), Olawale, Lawal, and Alabi (2015) assert that not until 1991, Nigeria cannot

be said to have a National Housing Policy (NHP), policies regulatory housing prior this were just the integral parts of the National Development Plans. Twenty years later, the government confessed openly its inability to achieve the then set objectives and went ahead with to review the NHP. In 2012, Nigeria received her latest NHP that promised Nigerians “real mass housing which the country has been dreaming of”. Five years later, now 2017, Nigeria with an increasing population of over 170 million, there is no evidence of providing solutions to the shortage of LCH, and housing the poorest of the poor. The government promised has become a nightmare in the eyes of Nigerians, most especially in the eyes of LIEs. Perhaps, one can say that Nigeria lacks LCH Institutional and regulatory policy framework compared to Malaysia. Akintomide (2016) reports that from a figure released in 2015 by the UN, Nigeria has an estimated figure of 24.4 million homeless citizens. This calls for concern and worries as the figure is alarming. This was the consequence of many factors such as corruption in the implementation of various past LCH policies, rapid urbanisation, poverty


and terror acts by the Boko-Haram terrorists’ organisation which had displaced over 650,000 Nigerians internally and 70,000 more as refugees in neighbouring countries. Hence, there is need to identify the challenges facing these various LCH policies in Nigeria.

Several studies have been conducted by researchers to propel reasons why the past government

and states supported housing policy in Nigeria neglected to give the coveted outcomes, for eaxample Ibem et al. (2011), Ibem, Opoko and Aduwo (2013), Abdullahi (2013), Olawale, Lawal, and Alabi (2015), Akintomide (2016), just to mention a few. No one study talk about open registration system as key to the provision of LCH, perhaps because the NHP did not categorically state it as key to achieving LCH. All over the world, without data, policy planning, formulation, and implementation are all fallacy. A large portion of the findings from the authors reveals that lax enforcement, bribery and corruption, lack of adequate funding, corruption in the allocation of complete housing units, political interference and the lack of adequate monitoring and evaluation of the programmes are the major cause of the backwardness of LCH provision in Nigeria. For instance, Ibem et al. (2013) explored the results of the PMHS started by the Obasanjo's organisation to give 18,000 LCH units between 2004 and 2006 utilising nearby local building materials and found that the plan was actualised in not very many states in the nation with the modest number of LCH provided. The difficulties of that scheme were identified as poor design and implementation strategies, inadequate funding and low organisational capacity of the three public agencies: National Building and Road Research Institute (NIBRRI), Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) and the FMBN charged with the responsibility of implement that scheme. NHP among other functions have a responsibility to mobilize primary mortgage institutions to assist Nigerians desirous of purchasing LCH to do so, this they failed because of lack of institutional framework and open registration system. Government-sponsored mass housing schemes are supposed to be based on a three-tier institutional framework, involving Federal, State and Local Government as outlined in the National Housing Policy in 1991 and 2012. This three-tier of governments have failed in their constitutional obligation to the masses in respect to housing provision.

Nigerian Government responsibility regarding the 2012 NHP objectives and strategies have

more than 80% role to play, for example, grant to LIEs, subsidies to targeted group, Land Use Act Review, strengthen institution for implementation of NHP, establish secondary mortgage market, encourage training of skilled manpower for mass LCH production, etc., but government yet to meet up to 20% of these objectives, perhaps, Nigerians that belong to the target group have a long way to go. Akintomide (2016) reports that one of the uniqueness of the 2012 NHP is the emphasis on private sector participation in LCH provision (private developers), finance and investment (financial institutions) but there is a lacuna in the policy. The NHP fails to state sanctions for defaulter. In Malaysia, this was well documented and sanctions are melted to private developers who default. NHP perhaps give room for laxity with a resultant effect of poor implementation. Perhaps, this is because the Nigerian Government does not lead by example like their counterpart (Malaysia). The Malaysian Government till date is a provider and facilitator of LCH to the LIEs. *Corresponding author (Yasser Arab).. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/139.pdf.

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Thus, the Malaysian LCH policy model will assist Nigerian Government if only the political

will is there to do the needful for the masses that elected them into their various political positions from the local government to federal government level. Some school of thought believes that the quote “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody” a quote by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, during his sworn-in-ceremony on 29th May 2015, although alleged plagiarised Charles De Gaulle’s quote, as alleged by the opposition parties in the news media is only on paper. Nigerians are still finding it difficult to believe that after two and a half years of the present administration of President Buhari, housing for the poor is not having any direction or blue print for future hope. Olorode and Igbolo (2015) assert that this is a presumed government that came to fight for the masses, nothing seems to be working out, all promises made before the election as gone to “voice mail”, and this is saddened. Olukotun (2015) correctly in The Punch May 29, 2015: p. 96, doubted the feasibility of the promises to “grow the economy by 12 per cent annually, mount an elaborate social welfare programme … [employing] 25 million people [with] N5,000 monthly and dish out one free meal a day to all public primary school pupils …[get] the naira to be at par with the dollar, give Nigerians electricity round the clock”, all these mounted to zero.

4. Summary of Similarities and Differences of Both Countries LCH Policies Table 4 shows the differences and similarities of Malaysian and Nigerian LCH policies

respectively. Table 4 is divided into two sections; the first section outlines the similarities that are common to both countries LCH policy, although with a slight difference in some instances, while the second section highlights the differences. Table 4 reveals that in Nigeria, self-help is one of the means of LCH provision. This is because the Nigerian Government Institutional framework and regulatory policies failed to address the needs of the LIEs. To worst the scenario, there is no policy that instructs the private developers to make provision for housing LIEs in their housing project. The Nigerian Government have a lot to learn from the Malaysian Government LCH policy in respect to price control, cross subsidization, 30% provision for LIEs, LCH subsidies in different forms both from the federal and state governments to LIEs house-buyers. Hence, these findings corroborate Abdullahi (2013) submission that country with many developmental strides, for example Malaysia seems to perform more in implementation of LCH policies and programmes than the less developmental country, for example, Nigeria.

The provision of LCH scheme in Nigeria seem to have been either forgotten or has eluded the

government, leaving the LIEs to their fate. In the 11th MP (2016-2020), Malaysian Government plans to provide 240,000 units of LCH via various programmes. In Nigeria, there is no template or figure to show what the federal plans to do, only few states came up with shoddy plans that is not financial viable and social accessible to the LIEs. For example, Lagos State, can LIEs afford to buy a house of N10,000,000:00 (Ten Million Naira Only) (Akintomide, 2016)? The Nigerian Government has a lot to do if this LCH policy would succeed. The Nigerian Federal Government LCH scheme from 1962-2010 was 95,594 for a population of over 170 million, refer to Table 3,


while the Malaysian Federal Government LCH scheme only from 1971-2010 was 604,517 for a population of 31.7million (Abdul-Aziz, Tah, Olanrewaju, & Ahmed, 2017). However, the implementation and monitoring of the open registration system (ORS) of both countries are weak. In the case of Nigeria, we need to start afresh while in the case of Malaysia, there is need to resuscitate the existing ORS, most especially at state level. The relevance of database in planning and implementation of policies and programmes cannot be over emphasised.

Table 4: Similarities and Differences of Both Countries LCH Policies. (Compilation from Asek (2007), Aigbokhan (2008), Aribigbola (2008), Ibimilua and Ibitoye (2015), 11th Malaysia Plan

(2016), Abdul-Aziz et al. (2017), Ebekozien et al. (2017A), (2017B), World Bank (2017)) Theme Malaysia Nigeria

Similarities 1.Development category

Developing country but aiming to become a developed nation by 2020 (feasible).

Developing country, in 2000, started aiming to become developed nation by 2020 (not feasible)

2.Policy target Low-income earners in the country. Low-income earners in the country. 3.Government system/colonisation

The federal system, colonised by British Government, and independence in 1957.

The federal system, colonised by British Government, and independence in 1960.

4.National Housing Policy (NHP)

National Housing Policy 1991, 2011, faulty open registration system (ORS).

NHP 1991, 2002, 2006, 2012, faulty open registration system (ORS), no database.

5.Land admin. State matters. State matters. 6.Aim of policy Make home affordable and accessible to the LIEs. Make home affordable and accessible to the LIEs.

Differences 1.Providers of LCH Public and private developers More of self-help, few public and private developers 2.Ceiling price, target income, sales within moratorium.

RM 42, 000 per unit for household income not exceeding RM 2,500/month, cannot sell within 10 years.

No established parameter. It is free for all, can sell same day if lucky to acquire one. There is no regulation and anti-poor.

3.Price control and cross subsidisation

These two concepts are to address the needs of the LIEs. Although not very effective but in operation.

The federal government does not know if the poor needs home, only a few states but price control and cross subsidisation are missing.

4.Institutional and regulatory framework

There is LCH Institutional and regulatory framework policy, although need to be strengthened for better efficiency.

Lacks LCH Institutional and regulatory framework policy, hence give room for “anything can go syndrome”.

5.Government role

The federal provide grant and loan for housing while states complement with their various LCH programmes for the LIEs. The federal and state government gives subsidies to qualified persons, hence reduced rejection rate.

Table 3 reveals that LIEs is on their own, few projects that are supposed to be for the LIEs are sold to the highest bidders. There is no control like Malaysia, hence, of no resultant effect to the LIEs.

6.Private developer’s role

The law of the land direct private developer to construct 30% of LCH for 10 acres and above. This varies from state to state.

It is free for all, so private developers do what they like even if the development area is 50 acres.

7.Individual role The participation of individual is low. The participation of individual is high. Most LIEs acquired their homes via this method.

7.Leakages in LCH provision

Evidence of leakages in LCH provision (Ebekozien et al., 2017B).

No parameter for measurement, hence, leakage is an understatement.

8.Building plan approval

The districts/local authorities are the ones in charge of building plan approval.

The state governments housing and planning ministry is the one in charge of building plan approval.

9.Level of LCH Policy implementation

Five years housing plan (every five years), guided by NHP 2011, implementation above 50%.

The NHP last reviewed was 2012, implementation only on paper, less than 10%.

10. Policies Housing policies promote pro-poor growth and reduce disparities in access to financial credit.

Housing policies promote inequality between the poor and rich. Also, there is a high disparity in access to financial credit.

11. Land/Housing units (1962-2010)

Limited land and 604,517 units, government lead by example.

Surplus land, no policy direction and 95,594 units, poor commitment from government.

12. Poverty lines 3.8 as at 2009, 0.6 as at 2014. 46 as at 2009. This calls for concern.

5. Conclusion Although there are limitations from both countries LCH policies, this paper concluded that the

Nigerian Government has a lot to learn from the Malaysian LCH policies. In the Nigerian context, *Corresponding author (Yasser Arab).. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/139.pdf.

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LCH policy strategy should be government-driven with a functional institutional framework for implementation and monitoring. This should be backed-up with necessary legislative laws and funding for better efficiency and continuity. Also, Nigerian Government should as a matter of urgent necessity embarks on cost-effective and LCH reforms to create opportunities for the poor, and thereby promote pro-poor home-ownership policies just like the Malaysia approach. There is need for the Nigerian Government to study the Malaysian LCH Policies, if genuinely, the wishes of the masses to be sheltered is their goal.

In the Malaysian context, there is need for more cooperation, consultation, sharing knowledge

within the stakeholders, setting aside politics to getting the Malaysian LCH provision to the global standard and a resultant effect of making homes available to every Malaysian household before the year 2020. Provision of Malaysian LCH by private developers should henceforth be based on targeted cumulative acres/units as it applies to state by state as against per project. This would put to check developers that have over the years tactically avoided the provision of LCH by “project splitting”. Also, Malaysian Government should create an agency/unit/department within the Ministry of Housing with sole responsibility to coordinate all sales, auctions and rental issues with LCH. The unit among others will ensure that only LIEs should be eligible to participate in auction/sales/rent of LCH. This unit should be back-up with legislative power and well funded to buy LCH auctioned property and recycle via the waiting eligible list. This measure would mitigate illegal transactions and profiteering that takes place in LCH market.

There is the need for both countries to revamp their open registration system to ensure easy

monitoring and implementation of policies. This paper has succeeded in given useful and practicable housing policies to the Nigerian Government to solve problems confronting LIEs in the society. Therefore, sustainability of LCH provision for LIEs is inevitable; hence, LCH policies and programmes should be economically viable, socially acceptable, and technically feasible with all parties genuinely involved. This paper therefore recommends a further study to test the suggested new measures in the field that would strengthen and improve the Malaysian LCH Policies.

6. References Abdul-Aziz, A-R., & Kassim, P. S. (2011). Objectives, success and failure factors of housing public-

private partnerships in Malaysia. Habitat International, 35(1), 150-157.

Abdul-Aziz, A-R., Tah, J. H. M.., Olanrewaju, A. L., & Ahmed, A. U. (2017). The nexus between government and private developers in Malaysia housing sector. In Sengupta, U., and Shew, A. (Eds.). Country of age: trends and issues in housing in Asia Cities. London: Routledge.

Abdullahi, C. B. (2013). Low-income housing policy: a comparative study of Malaysia and Nigeria. PhD Thesis submitted to University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abdullateef, O., Seong, Y., & Lee, L. (2016). Rethinking affordable housing delivery: an analytical insight. MATEC Web of Conferences.

Aigbokhan, E. B. (2008). Growth, inequality and poverty in Nigeria. Economic Commission for Africa. ACGS/MPAMS Discussion Paper No.3, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


Akintomide, D. (2016). Only 5% of Nigerian housing stock affordable; building for LIE not profitable, experts react. Nigerian News Direct. Retrieved from www.nigeriannewsdirect.com/only.

Aribigbola, A. (2008). Housing policy formulation in developing countries: Evidence of Programme Implementation from Akure, Ondo State-Nigeria. Journal of Human Ecology 23(2), 125-134.

Asek, B. M. (2007). The people housing programme: a study on the implementation of Federal Government housing in Peninsular Malaysia. Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Bahare, F. (2017). Evaluation of national policy toward providing low-cost housing in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 9-19.

Bakhtyar, B., Zaharim, A., Sopian, K., & Moghimi, S. (2013). Housing for poor people: a review on low-cost housing process in Malaysia. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 2(9), 126-136.

Ebekozien, A., Abdul-Aziz, A-R, & Jaafar, M. (2017A). Federalism in low-cost housing provision in Malaysia. Proceedings of 2nd USM-International Conference on Social Sciences (USM-ICOSS) 2017, held 23-25 August, p.153-160, at The Gurney, Resort Hotel and Residence, Penang, Malaysia.

Ebekozien, A., Abdul-Aziz, A-R, & Jaafar, M. (2017B). Leakages in low-cost housing provision in Malaysia. Proceedings of 2nd USM-International Conference on Social Sciences (USM-ICOSS) 2017, held 23-25 August, p.161-168, at The Gurney, Resort Hotel and Residence, Penang, Malaysia.

Eleventh Malaysia Plan. (2016). Eleventh Malaysia Plan 2016-2020. Kuala Lumpur: Percetaken Nasional Malaysia Berhad.

Ibem, E. O., Anosike, M. N., & Azuh, D. E. (2011). Challenges in public housing provision in the post-independence era in Nigeria. International Journal of Human Sciences, 8(2), 421-443.

Ibem, E. O., Opoko, A. P., & Aduwo, E. B. (2013). The challenges of public housing in a democratic Nigeria: a case study of the Presidential Mandate Housing Scheme. Scottish Journal of Arts, Social Sciences and Scientific Studies, 9(1), 23-39.

Ibimilua, A. F., & Ibitoye, O. A. (2015). Housing policy in Nigeria: an overview. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 5(2), 53-59.

Mohammed, Y. U., David, M., & Seow, T. W. (2012). The current practices of the Malaysian formal low-cost housing provision system. Proceedings of international conference of technology management, business and entrepreneurship, 211-237.

Odunsi, W. (2017, August 28). CBN reveals how Nigerians can own a new home, pay within 25 years. Daily Post. Retrieved from www.dailypost.ng/2017/08/28/cbn

Olawale, S. B., Lawal, A. A., & Alabi, J. O. (2015). Nigeria housing policy: any hope for the poor? American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(4), 29-35.

Olorode, O., & Igbolo, A. M. (2015). Determinants of the outcomes of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria. The real issues and their implications. A paper presented at the Conference of the Electoral Institute, Abuja, Nigeria.

Olotuah, A. O. (2002) Towards meeting low-income earners housing needs in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria Journal of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. 15, 15-24.

Olukotun, A. (2015, May 29). Will Buhari break the jinks of underperformance? The Punch, p.96.


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Onibokun, A. G. (1985). Housing needs and responses: A planner’s viewpoints. In A. G. Onibokun (ed.). Housing in Nigeria. Ibadan: Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Shuid, S. (2013). Low medium cost housing in Malaysia: Issues and challenges. ResearchGate, 1-13.

Stone, M. E. (2006). What is housing affordability? The case for the residual approach. Housing Policy Debate, 17(1), 151-184.

Tenth Malaysia Plan. (2011). Eleventh Malaysia Plan 2011-2016. Kuala Lumpur: Percetaken Nasional Malaysia Berhad.

The Sun Malaysia. (2016, October 24). Bringing affordable housing to the people. The Sun Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.pressreader.com

UN-HABITAT. (2006). National trends in housing – production practices Volume 4: Nigeria, Nairobi: United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Abuja: Author.

UN-HABITAT. (2010). The State of African Cities 2010-governance, inequality, urban land markets, Nairobi: United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Abuja: Author.

Wahab, E. (2006). Independent judiciary and sustainable democracy. In challenges of sustainable democracy in Nigeria, 209-234. Ibadan: John Archers.

World Bank. (2017). Poverty headcount ration at national poverty lines (% of population). Retrieved from https//data.worldbank.org/indicator

Zaid, M. S. (2015). Measuring operational affordability of public low-cost housing in Kuala Lumpur. A case study of people’s housing programme public low-cost housing in Kula Lumpur. International Journal of Social Science, 4(4), 54-74.

Andrew Ebekozien is a senior lecturer at Auchi Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria. He earned his bachelor degree from Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA). He is taking a graduate study at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. His research is related to low-cost housings.

Professor Dr.Abdul-Rashid Bin Abdul-Aziz is a Professor at the School of Housing Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Professor Rashid holds a B.Sc Hons. in Quantity Surveying from University of Reading, M.Sc. Construction Management from Brunel, and Ph.D. from Reading. His area of interests are International Contracting and Foreign Work.

Professor Sr. Dr. Mastura Bin Jaafar is a Professor and currently attached to the Quantity Surveying program at the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She earned her BSc (Building Economic and Management), MSc (Project Management), and PhD (Strategic Management) from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. Her areas of research, publication, and supervision interests include strategic management in the construction, housing, and tourism industries, entrepreneurship, project management and procurement management.

Note: The original work of this article was reviewed, accepted, and orally presented at the 3rd International Conference-Workshop on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design (ICWSAUD 2017), a joint conference with the 3rd International Conference on Engineering, Innovation and Technology (ICEIT 2017), held at Royale Ballroom at the Royale Chulan Penang Hotel, Malaysia, during 13-15th November 2017.



http://TuEngr.com

A Study on Kevin Lynch’s Urban Design Elements: Precinct 9 East Putrajaya Norul Fazlina Khashim a*, Mazran Ismail a, Ahmad Sanusi Hassan a and Najib Taher Al-Ashwal a

a School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia,11800 Penang, MALAYSIA A R T I C L E I N F O

A B S T RA C T

Article history: Received 31 August 2017 Received in revised form 17 November 2017 Accepted 25 November 2017 Available online 01 December 2017 Keywords: Built environment; Mental mapping; Mental Image; Urban Modern; .

Urban design elements are very important in defining a place, intended for people to easily understand what opportunities it offers. This paper presents a case study of the urban design elements in Precinct 9, Putrajaya which refers to physical form by defining and examining five urban design elements i.e. paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. This paper discusses the relationship and the quality of these variables to evaluate response towards urban context in connects between people and the places. This research is used qualitative analyses method by studying the urban elements through the inventory of the layout plan, observations and interview the residents to determine its characteristics and to evaluate on the response of the community. The main findings of this research showed that Precinct 9, Putrajaya has successfully applied these urban design elements in its planning and play a specific role in turning urban areas functional, vibrant and attractive. This study showed that urban development with quality urban design elements in Precinct 9, Putrajaya managed to connects between people and the places. © 2017 INT TRANS J ENG MANAG SCI TECH.

1. Introduction The built environment includes buildings, streets and elements is functions to shape to integrate

the urban form. Urban design core objective is based from structural, functional and aesthetical form of planned and designed city (Moughtin, 1999). The relationship between people and the place could be established through visual perception and the senses with the urban design elements. It also became an important part to build the environment of a neighbourhood, town or city. At various parts in Malaysia, urban design directions are low compared to the modern designed city. The authority already takes some initiatives to improve the social and economic but the urban design direction still poor in the physical quality aspects. Based on the research by Hall (2014), the planning of a city must be based and focused on the making of spatial order. It is believed to be a


*Corresponding author (N.F.Khashim). Tel: +60-19-3331174 E-mail: [email protected] ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/153.pdf.

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unique form of planning as it focuses on the spatial plans and their application.

Putrajaya, known as the federal administrative center of Malaysia, are located about 30 km south of Kuala Lumpur and it is named after the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. Putrajaya is designed as a smart city and a town in modern garden city, has started its project in 1990s and began operating when the federal administrative center was shifted from Kuala Lumpur in 1999 because of overcrowding and congestion. Putrajaya is the focus of strategic planning by the surroundings with landscaped streets, beautiful gardens and a monument in the middle of greenery in urban areas.

Precinct 9 is a residential area where there are many public amenities located near one another. All the amenities are within a short walking and driving distance. Public transport is also readily available and a monorail project has been planned to be made here. The design of housing here is very modern with western-style features with no fence or gates around the house. Although there is doubt in terms of the supervision and safety, residential areas here are regularly patrolled by local police forces. Most of the population is made up of civil servants from various government agencies. The residential areas are surrounding the government building which is the workplace for most residents, it provides easy access for the residents commuting from home to work. Furthermore, recreational facilities and social and community complex nearby residents here make life more comfortable, well-planned and organized.

Lynch, K. (1960) analyzed on the way a citizen can successfully function in his own environment as well as interacting with the other citizens. By defining a legible city as a characterized visual quality of clear space, he believed in the importance of a city’s public image. He concluded that the way finding for the individual inside the city must be an easy and quick movement as the city creates a mental image.

This paper presents a case study of the urban design elements in Precinct 9, Putrajaya which refers to physical form by defining and examining five urban design elements i.e paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. Researcher make judgements on the quality and how the elements can produce connections between people and the places, movement and urban physical form into the formation of places with the goal of making urban areas functional, vibrant and attractive. From the study, it is expected to find out whether the site successfully adapt the urban design elements not only on its usage, but the also the urbanity of the space. it could be used as a standard to measures the quality of the urban design fabrics in relation to their space characteristics.

The following objectives are incorporated in the study: i. To determine on how the urban design elements are being implemented in Precinct 9, Putrajaya.

ii. To measure the effectiveness of the urban design elements used in urban planning.

The reasons of choosing the site are: (1) it is a relatively new development and symbolizes

Malaysia’s ideology and aspirations for new urbanism and (2) it can be easily accessed for the purpose of conducting this study. Furthermore, this would help to obtain specified results in the

154 N. F. Khashim, M. Ismail, A.S. Hassan and N.T. Al-Ashwal

study of the application of urban design elements in Precinct 9, Putrajaya.

2. Literature Review Mental image or mental mapping has an important influence on our experience about the city.

According to (Sulsters (2005), Brettel, (2006) and McAndrew (1993)), the formation of mental image comes from the field of science cognitive psychology. It can bring strong response and perception in attracting people to pleasant places. Image is the set of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a person holds regarding a city (Kotler, 1993). Therefore, image is the mental picture that people hold about that city. Understanding these mental pictures is important because ‘‘people’s attitudes and actions toward a city are highly conditioned by that city’s image (Kotler, 1997; Jaffe & Nebenzahl, 2006).

Kevin Lynch (1960) has introduced the urban design elements from his research over a five-year study of Jersey City, Los Angeles and Boston on his observation towards information of a city and use it to create a mental map. Lynch's conclusion was that people formed mental maps of their surroundings consisting of five basic elements. The five kinds of basic urban design elements which people create their mental images of a city are paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks.

Based on Lynch (1960), path is considered as the most important elements in urban design and it is the first element designed in planning. Path is defined as the passages that experiences from the people moves: walkways, streets, transit line, railroads and canals. This is the most important element in people's mental image toward the city. While, edges are defined as the boundaries that separate the continuity which is not use as paths: shores, railroad cuts, edges of development, walls. Districts are the medium-to-large sections of the city which the observer mentally enters "inside of," and which are recognizable as having some common, identifying character (Lynch, 1960).

Node is a point, the strategic and important spot which are the intensive foci in a city. They may be primarily concentrations or junctions. In another word, nodes can be defined as the gathering point in the city. In addition, the location of nodes determines their utilization as placing nodes on the main routes can make the movement more efficient than those located far away from the main routes. Landmarks also can be defined as another type of point-reference, but it’s only can be seen from the external. It is usually defined as a physical object: sign, mountain, store or building. The legibility of a city usually depends on landmarks as they act as very important cues in way finding process for every individual in the city (Lynch, 1960).

3. Research Methodology This study adopts case study approach in which fieldwork in undertaken. Observation

technique are used to ensure that maximum capacity of information can be collected and to be free to observe the urban elements more detail based on the five urban design elements that identified by Kevin Lynch theories. The visual quality that forms the urban physical character were observed in


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detailed on the selected location of this study. There is only one site selected that are used as a pilot study. The most rational single case in the research need confirmation, challenge or extend theory (Yin, 1994). A single case study approach had been used to examine the applicability of the use of mental image technique by observation.

A qualitative research is chosen for the reasons: (1) to explore the urban design elements in Precinct 9, Putrajaya to understand the site fully, (2) to understand the context of the site by observing and collecting data in person and (3) to give a clear explanation on the five elemental components of urban design by using residential survey to help form the hypothesis. This observation was conducted within a period of one week starting from the 1st to 7th April 2017 and from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. The information obtained from this observation technique will be described through several diagrams accurately by category of the urban design elements which has been listed on this study.

A literature review of secondary printed sources such as books, journals, and articles was conducted to gain a background understanding of urban design elements. Others than that, the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected via non-structure interview will be analyzed and documented. Random face-to-face non-structure interviews were conducted on-site. The interviews provided a more in-depth understanding of the residents towards the perception of their neighbourhood unit. They were conducted informally with the residents at random while doing site inventory. Such materials as photographs, clinical record case, video, movies, memos, letters, diaries were use as the supportive documents for interviews and observations (Bogdan, R.C., & Biklen, S.K, 1998).

4. Study Results

4.1 Description of the Site Area Based on stern et al. (2013) the movement of a garden city has been among the main factors in

the urban planning of a city. The city is separated by 20 precincts with the goals of garden city as its direction, already well-planned with five areas in the core area which comprise of government, commercial, civic, mixed development as well as sports and recreational. The remaining fifth teen precinct is designed as functional support of core area known as peripheral area and others twelve of the precinct is dedicated for residential neighbourhood. Malaysia has experienced spectacular urban spatial transformation from traditional water village, British colonialism to pre- & post-independent and now the fast growing modern urban design (Hassan, 2005). Putrajaya is known as the major intelligent garden city in Malaysia, 30% from the 14,780 hectares if the area is specifically build for administrative center with the remaining the build for the urban garden city.

In the early 1990s the Malaysian government had decided to build Putrajaya to be the administrative capital for the federal government of Malaysia (Moser, 2009). The city located about 25km south of Kuala Lumpur on the highway between Kuala Lumpur and the International Airport and this location gave her extra importance and viability as a new city (Ariffini, 2003). The selected area of Precinct 9 which was chosen as a case study in this research is the east of Putrajaya city


(Figure 1). The Precinct 9 is located in the east of Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, in a modern urban design concept and residential neighbourhood. Precinct 9 offers a proper mix of open space and land uses combined with a range of public realm initiatives that creates a vibrant urban neighbourhood. The selected location of this study area can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 1: The selected area of Precinct 9, East Putrajaya (The case study).

Figure 2: The selected location of this study area in the city (Precinct 9)

4.2 Urban Design Elements

4.2.1 Path Paths can be defined as the channel of movement within the city such as alleys, streets,

railroads, motorways and canals. The importance of paths can be identified through their identity. This could be achieved by the strength in building facade along the paths as well as specifies features such as pavement textures and plantings. Accessibility to precinct 9, Putrajaya are visible due to main intersections towards the precinct have clear signage and it is easier to people around the precinct to find the way. Furthermore, the colorful and decoration landscape gives the users a


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sense of welcoming when they enter to the area. Based on the site survey, people can easily find the ways around the precinct without getting lost due to the reason of legibility in designing the paths. Moreover, the paths in the precinct are clearly defined as one enters the site.

Figure 3: Paths configurations that showing different type of roads.

The selected study site was in the middle of a modern city. Therefore, there is only land route

can be accessed through the site (Figure 3). This area can be accessed through the highway of Persiaran Utara. Persiaran Utara is a major highway in Putrajaya. It connects Putrajaya-Cyberjaya Expressway interchange in the west to Putrajaya and interchange of the South Klang Valley Expressway in the north. The major routes that were passable and nearby to the site is from Lebuh Perdana Barat which connects to the Putrajaya roundabout and also Lebuh Sentosa which connects Precinct 11 in the north and to the Core Island of Putrajaya in the south. These three main routes have 3 lanes with minimum road width of 3.5 meter including the shoulder of the road to allowing traffic conditions are always good and safely.


Furthermore, Persiaran Barat and Jalan P9 become the secondary entrance routes to the site. These roads will be highly or partially congested during 8-9am and 5-6pm. This is because the study area is a residential zone there have the movement of the residents before and after office hours. Each of the main road act as divider to each precinct. The importance of paths is to divide the territory and functions of area. In fact, it generates the different way of architectural values, and density between these two cities.

There are varieties of experience feelings by researcher in understanding certain conditions on the route: the narrowness of laneways, high bridges over water, or surfaces which are smooth or rough or sloped or stepped (Lynch, 1960). The strength of the site study is a planned city that is already designed pedestrian pathways at every road which has been separated. The separation of pedestrian pathways from vehicular traffic encourages playful use of public space, and does not merely optimize efficient flows. It allows users to forget the practicalities of watching out for traffic and to focus on the various other sensations available as they move along a path.

Figure 4: The edges line within the site study as a separation between two sections that breaks its

areas and functions.

4.2.2 Edges Edge is a separation between two sections that breaks its continuity such as sewers, or by a

sharp contrast in density or the built environment (Figure 4). Edges is the boundary of an area which is topological, something which an observer can position themselves, rather than the district (Dalton and Bafna, 2003). The planning authority’s attempt to create a green city in Putrajaya seems to reflect onto the precinct edges as it encourages people to explore the precinct.


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In this study, edges can be categorized as the contour of the land and the retaining wall in the area itself. The terrain of hills along the research site separates the functions of each area and districts. Contour and retaining wall is used as a divider between the road and residential areas, other than providing a functional support for keeping soil in place, this element also providing safety for the resident. Concrete retaining walls can serve aesthetic and landscape design functions as well. As mentioned previously, Putrajaya is recent developments are more to modern urban in nature concept. Planting trees closely and in linear serves as a shading to the space. These trees also act as dividers for areas and the functions.

Figure 5: Division of district within the site study in accordance to function of the space

4.2.3 District District can be defined as a few sections that connecting to each other to become a city. These

sections share the same characteristics or attributes common to each other to determine the identity of the city itself. Usually, some unique arrangements of the paths or districts become the common practice. The division of the district at Precinct 9, Putrajaya is generally based on the function of the land use. The classification some parts of the areas have different functions of land use such as residential (yellow), educational (pink), public amenities (blue) and green spaces (green) as shown in Figure 5.

Most of the areas are used as residential, commercial and hospitality industry and institutional area. The urban concept of Putrajaya itself is clustered which is all the amenities are centralized for the residents. This separation between the functions of land uses creates some visual readable


districts which increase the precinct’s intelligibility in term of urban spaces. Hence, the intelligibility of the precinct serves as a core element of the district in creating its visual identity. The classification of district in this research is based on the distribution of population density.

The most important zoning area that can be seen in the site is the residential area. Furthermore, Precinct 9 in Putrajaya is a mixed development township situated on freehold land is the main residential area in Putrajaya. The houses feature a variation in term of design, cost and location to suit the affordability level of the residents which consists of low-cost flat, terrace houses and high-rise apartments. Furthermore, the residential district equipped with the facilities such as bus stops, car parks, pedestrian, cycling path & decorative landscape. Master plan of Precinct 9, Putrajaya also features green districts. There are many parks and gardens spread within the precinct and truly accessible by the residents of the precinct.

Another important district in this research is the hospitality industry area. Hospitality industry is categorized as a vast field in the service industry which includes lodging, event planning, theme parks, transportation, and other related fields within the tourism industry. According to Basri (2013), the results of visits to destination affected by three major elements in the destination areas, the place or object of tourist attractions (points of interest), physical facilities and hospitality (service and hospitality). Besides that, institutional zone also plays an important role in defining the district in the Precinct 9. There are two schools were built here in the Precinct 9, SMK Putrajaya Precinct 9 (1) and SMK Putrajaya Precinct 9(2) IB World School.

4.2.4 Nodes Nodes can be defined as the strategic spots in a city into which an observer can enter, and

which are the intensive foci to that site. Clearly can be viewed the nodes for this area is more focused on the public amenities zone area (Figure 6). The nodes which is the main focus to the public in this research area is Seri Teja Food Court. This food court is selling a variety of foods and beverages and operates from the morning till the night. The design of this building that covered with roof tensile with the comfortable open space layout is a major factor which encourage people to visit. They often visit it area to buy food regardless of whether at morning or night. This node is very important not only as a food court but as a gathering space for family and friends.

In addition, in front of the Seri Teja Food Court also become nodes of this area. A row Darussalam’s shops building became the focus point to the public because it provides a wide range of sale product and services from a different store. The third nodes in this area is Neighbourhood Complex Precinct 9 which has been in operation since 2008. It provides facilities such as a multi-purpose room, multi-purpose hall, badminton, tennis and squash courts, a gym, a swimming pool, an amphitheater and a playground. The multi-purpose hall in the complex are often reserved for the public to hold any occasion.

Another important node for this area is an open space near the Neighbourhood Complex Precinct 9. Research done by Lydon et al. (2015), they concluded that by re-imagining parks to *Corresponding author (N.F.Khashim). Tel: +60-19-3331174 E-mail: [email protected] ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/153.pdf.

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http://www.propwall.my/putrajaya

create a vibrant plaza as neighbourhood gathering place could be a way to shape urban spaces in a new development to inspire the residents. The open space and recreation areas in this research site are aimed to encouraging residents to venture into recreational activities, and generate social interaction among residents to gather and interact between each other. This area provides a free aerobics exercise classes for all the residents of Putrajaya in fostering a healthy lifestyle. This area can only be accessed by foot and bicycle, serve the purpose of creating a node.

Figure 6: Labelling of the nodes within the site study accordance to the hierarchical order

4.2.5 Landmarks Landmark is a location or building or object which is an important sign for an area (Figure 7).

The main landmark in this area is a Neighbourhood Complex Precinct 9. This building was constructed for the purpose of encouraging interaction between the residents. This is because this building is one of the main focus (node) that offers a variety of leisure activities and ceremonies to the residents in Putrajaya. In addition, Neighbourhood Complex Precinct 9 is known through social media nowadays as a community amenities that service with variety of facilities. In addition, another landmark in this research area is Restaurant Darussalam (Mamak Double). This restaurant is specializing in serving food of Nasi Kandar for 20 years. They serve Breakfast, Lunch, Goreng Mamak, Thai Foods, Traditional Dinners and also appetizers. Thus, this restaurant is highly


recognized and become the focus point to the public from various places. As Neighbourhood Complex Precinct 9 is easily identifiable, it helps to signal the precinct as well as conforming of the route followed.

Figure 7: Labelling the landmarks that are dominant within the site accordance to the hierarchical

order

Other landmarks that can be an important sign for this research area in Precinct 9 is SMK precinct 9 (2) IB World School. This school is known in the world and it is among the top 10 schools in Malaysia involved in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programmed (IBMYP) under the Malaysian Innovation Agency (AIM) and the Ministry of Education since 2013 with the design concept of 'school in the park ". Furthermore, SM Precinct 9(1) is also as a landmark in this research area due to its location at the crossroads which it is ease to be seen by the public from the main road. Its position is also higher than street level come with modern design


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concept of the building where it is being one of the public attraction. Both school create physical characteristic of landmarks based on singularity, uniqueness and memorable in the context.

Figure 8: Combination of all urban design elements that founded at the study area.

5. Discussion According to Lynch’s theories of urban design elements, in this case study at the selected area

in Precinct 9, Putrajaya, researcher have identified five of urban design elements act as public attraction that create mental image and unique visual reference points in urban space i.e. paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks (Figure 8). The visual reference points of all five urban design elements highlight that each provides various opportunities for community. The overall plan showing that the precinct has been designed properly to informed that Putrajaya as the new city by the use of the whole urban design elements witnessed through their layout. The integration of the city in the garden has been demonstrated successfully and regularly in this plan. This will lead to a comfort and ideal placement for the whole neighbourhood to live and work.


The path of the precinct 9, Putrajaya shows a formed curvy linear and regularity pattern with all the types of roads carefully laid out to avoid confusion. The intersections of each residential zones are located strategically to avoid the issue of traffic congestion. In this study, the landmarks and nodes are usually defined as physical objects which easily can be seen which is signage, building or open space. Both of these elements have an important function and affects daily activities for the communities. In this study, Neighbourhood Complex Precinct 9 and Seri Teja Food Court is the main focus for the public in the Precinct 9, Putrajaya. Both these buildings have been selected as a landmark and nodes of urban design elements because it offering services and public facilities for the community at that areas. Most of the elements that selected by the communities as an important urban design elements in this area is a convenient place that they are easy to gather to dine, entertain and chat with family and friends.

By providing an easy and comfort route in addition that the area has been zoned as centralized, makes it easier for communities to go to that area. Lebuh Perdana Barat and Lebuh Sentosa have been chosen as important paths elements to accessed to this area is because these main routes have 3 lanes with minimum road width is 3.5 meters including the shoulder of the road to allowing traffic conditions are always good and safely. Along the Lebuh Perdana Barat and Lebuh Sentosa, there are also obtained edges elements that serves as a divider became important roles marking boundaries of each zone which was held to protect the communities in this area. The separation from the function and neighbouring precincts on the landscape and retaining wall itself is done by the location of the highway which can be seen as a crucial element in dividing the precinct. Precinct 9, Putrajaya can be said to have clear and distinct edges. The planning of precinct 9, Putrajaya was based on the group of zones.

Therefore, the public amenities play an important part in the planning and designing the precinct. The location of public amenities is at the centered location based on the legibility level of the areas. Determining the location for each type of zones is not only related to accessibility but also on the spatial regions. This could be seen in the planning of public amenities near the main road to cater the for public views while the residential zone is situated end of the roads for privacy. Another node in the precinct is the parks and the gardens around the precincts. These parks and the gardens serve their purpose as a means of social gatherings and human activities but the lack of regular maintenance by the authorities cause some of the parks and gardens are in bad physical conditions. This will lead to a negative impact on the unity between the residents and their surrounding urban environments.

6. Conclusion In this study, researcher has been identified the five urban design elements in the selected area

in Precinct 9, Putrajaya through these qualitative analyses method by studying the urban elements through the inventory of the layout plan, observations and interview the residents to determine its characteristics and to evaluate on the response of the community. The results of this study showed


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that all of the urban design elements play a specific role in turning urban areas functional, vibrant and attractive for the communities. The design of Putrajaya as a new city in a garden concept was successfully build as planned to reveal their various functions from the urban design elements especially to its residents and communities. Their continuous design in the precinct showed the prospect in its pattern each included visual perspective, the zoning and space of each areas, nodes and landmarks as the visual identity key to the city.

With the well-planned design as a city in the garden, there are some improvements are needed to highlight the main functions of the identity of the individual images, public community and physical fabric. The case study of precinct 9 shows that the overall plan and design is successfully presented throughout their urban design elements in people understanding by visual and observing the basic layout or the views of the well-planned used area. Urban design elements are very important factors to connect people and the place in the urban context in providing a different experience to them and strengthen the mental image of a particular area. However, prolong the framework observation period can lead to the better results in this study. In addition, other research methodology should be used such as record and specific interview. By interviewing communities, it will allow them to have stronger mental image with the area to strengthen the results in this study. Therefore, the researcher will better understand and familiar with the real situation around the study area.

7. Acknowledgements The author would like to acknowledge the Universiti Sains Malaysia for funding this research

and the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia for this research project.

8. References Ariffini, S. B. (2003). Putrajaya, Malaysia. Australian Planner, 40(3), 40-42.

Basri Rashid (2013) Elemen destinasi dan kesan terhadap pengalaman percutian. Malaysian Journal of Society and Space 9(4), 118-127.

Brettel, A. (2006) The Effects of “Order” and “Disorder” on Human Cognitive Perception in Navigating Through Urban Environments.

Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, S. K. (1998). Qualitative research in education: An introduction to theory and methods (3rd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Hall, Peter. (2014). Cities of Tomorrow: An Intellectual History of Urban Planning and Design Since 1880. 4th Ed. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing.

Hassan, A. S. (2005). Konsep rekabentuk bandar di Semenanjung Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur dan bandar-bandar di sekitarnya. Universiti Sains Malaysia Press, Penang.

Hassan, Ahmad Sanusi, Arab, Yasser & Ismail, M. (2015). Architectural Styles and Developments of Apartments in Putrajaya, Malaysia. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 4 (3), 191-206.

Jaffe, E. D. & Nebenzahl, I. D., 2006. National Image and Compatitive Advantage: The Theory and


Practice of Place Branding. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press, 2nd Ed.

Lydon, Mike, Garcia, Antony & Duany, Andres. (2015). Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change. Washington D.C.: The Street Plans Collaborative Inc.

Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Moser, S. (2009). Putrajaya: Malaysia’s new federal administrative capital. Cities, Vol. 27(4), pp. 285–297.

McAndrew, F.T. (1993) Environmental Psychology. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

Kotler P., Haider D., Rein I., (1993), Marketing Places: Attracting Investment and Tourism to Cities, States and Nations, Free Press, 1993.

Peter Hall, Mark Tewdwr-Jones (2010). Urban and Regional Planning.

Stern, Robert A.M., Fishman, David & Tilove, Jacob. (2013). Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City. New York: The Monacelli Press.

Sulsters, W.A. (2005) Mental mapping, Viewing the Urban Landscapes of the Mind. International Conference “Doing, Thinking, Feeling Home: The Mental Geography of Residential Environment”, at the OTB in the City of Delft, Netherlands, 14-15 October 2005.

Norul Fazlina Khashim is a graduate student at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Her research encompasses to urban design elements.

Dr. Mazran Bin Ismail is a lecturer at the School of Housing Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He received his B.Sc (HBP) in Architecture, M.Sc in Housing and Ph.D in Architecture (Energy Efficient Design) from USM. His main research interests are climatic responsive architecture, low energy ventilation technologies and thermal comfort studies in tropical building.


Najib Taher Al-Ashwal is a PhD candidate in School of Housing, Building and Planning at University of Science Malaysia (USM). He earned an MSc in Architectural Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi Arabia in 2008. He holds a B.S of Eng. in Architecture from Sana’a University, Yemen.



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Investigating Urban Design Elements of Bandar Baru Sentul, Kuala Lumpur Wan Abdul Hakkim Wan Abdullaha a*, Muna Hanim Abdul Samad, Ahmad Sanusi Hassan a and Yasser Arab a


A B S T RA C T

Article history: Received 31 August 2017 Received in revised form 17 November 2017 Accepted 25 November 2017 Available online 01 December 2017 Keywords: city typology; Urban Architecture; Built environment; Modern city; .

Problem statement/Literature Review: An urban area can be defined by its urban design elements. This study seeks to ascertain the quality of urban planning of Bandar Baru Sentul which is based on modern city typology, and to identify and analyze the urban design elements of the site. Methodology: The urban design elements will be analyzed using qualitative research method which is based upon accumulative observation around the given site. Results & Analysis: The site has a clear path and ease of circulation. Its edges are also well defined and the identity of each district are distinguishable. The nodes are easily recognized, the same that can be said for the landmarks scattered around Bandar Baru Sentul. Conclusion: The quality of urban planning of Bandar Baru Sentul is above average due to its well-planned site layout. It shows how a well-planned area and its urban design elements have influence on the site, therefore, ought to be considered in the design stage where it can be optimized for better planning. © 2017 INT TRANS J ENG MANAG SCI TECH.

1. Introduction Urban design addresses both the functional and aesthetic aspects of a city’s built environment.

A proper implementation of urban design elements is crucial to develop a guideline so as to create a desirable living environment and an appropriate city image and identity. When cities were industrializing rapidly at the beginning of the 20th century, Sir Ebenezer Howard, the first theorist of modern urban planning started The Garden City Movement in 1898. Although the idea were considered utopian, it was implemented widely because of its practicality (Hall & Tewdwr-Jones, 2011). From here, the urban design theory started to expand.

As Malaysia is moving towards a developed country in status, Kuala Lumpur has seen massive development with post-modern style buildings that blends complex geometric elements with


*Corresponding author (W.A.Hakkim Wan Abdullah) Tel: +6014-5260812 E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/169.pdf.

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colonial, modern and traditional architecture style (Hassan, 2005) which has left a city that is fragmented and lacking in visual and physical coherence. The increase of population has created an awareness of the importance of a well-planned urban area (Hassan, 2015). The aims of this study are to:

• Investigate the quality of urban planning of Bandar Baru Sentul which is based on modern city typology.

• Identify and analyze the urban design elements of the site.

2. Literature Review The Image of the City was published by Kevin Lynch in 1960 with the concept of legibility,

narrowing down the urban design theory into five elements: path, edge, district, node and landmark. Rather than perceiving the master plan in two-dimension, he introduced the use of picturesque mental mapping to better understand a city’s planning (Lynch, 1960). These elements are the ones to be observed and identified in the site chosen for case study that is Bandar Baru Sentul.

2.1 Path Paths are the main elements in urban space. It is usually defined as the access of moving

around within the city such as roads, railways or even waterway. Identifiable and continuous paths will have a clear direction on its origin and destination. This helps in tying the city together with its surrounding contexts. “It is impossible to create a clear city image while its paths remain confused and disordered” (Lynch, 1960). A clear path will ensure a better navigation and accessibility as well as reducing the issues that can occur such as traffic congestions and accidents.

2.2 Edges Edges are boundaries that separate two districts visually. It is the element that breaks the

continuity of the city, making it visible that the city consists of different areas. Despite that, these boundaries are often defined as a unity rather than isolation because even though it breaks the city, it also ties several different elements together, making seamless transition from one area to another (Batty & Longley, 1994). In other words, it must be visually prominent yet the observers will still mentally omit the edges. Some elements of edges can be from paths such as rivers, highways, and railway or other things like parks and difference in building height.

2.3 Districts Districts are areas of the city with the same character. Not to be confused with edges, district is

the area itself while edges are element that breaks the areas. These characters can be distinguished by endless varieties of components: building typology, form, detail, use and so on. Districts are also known as zoning, which addresses a series of relationships and concepts that share a common fundamental characteristics (Rossi, 1982). These components are usually clustered together in similar characteristics to create a distinct contrast for different areas of the city.

2.4 Nodes Nodes are strategic centers which observers can enter. Basically, there are two types of nodes:

170 Wan Abdul Hakkim Wan Abdullaha, Muna Hanim Abdul Samad, Ahmad Sanusi Hassan and Yasser Arab

junctions of path and area of attractions (Lynch, 1960). Nodes usually have a distinguished boundary, defined by a unique feature providing a strong sense of place. It is also defined as the gathering point of the city, which means that it does not necessarily have a specific form or shape. A successful node should be able to intensify surrounding characters while becoming the center of concentration.

2.5 Landmarks Landmarks are reference points which can be defined as physical elements that are

recognizable for the purpose of way-finding as well as a strong identity of the city. Not to be confused with nodes, landmarks are three-dimensional objects with particular meaning which insists that landmarks should have an individual form as opposed to nodes which are usually consists of just spaces (Lamit, 2004). Good landmarks are usually dominant and contrast from the surrounding which make them memorable and unique in a certain urban context as tourists who doesn’t understand and read the native language will usually depend on a city’s landmarks for navigation and way-finding (Salmi, 2002).

2.6 Bandar Baru Sentul The study comprises of the whole township of Bandar Baru Sentul (Figure 2). Bandar Baru

Sentul is a major township in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sentul is a satellite city for the city center of Kuala Lumpur, located only 3km north from the heart of the city (Figure 1). The site was chosen because: (1) it can be used to represent the effect of the rapid development of Kuala Lumpur had on its neighborhood’s planning, and (2) it is easily accessible for conducting this study.

Figure 1: Key Plan & Location Plan of Bandar Baru Sentul (Courtesy of Google Maps)

3. Methodology The research was done using qualitative research method which comprises of direct and

accumulative observation around the site while referring to Kevin Lynch’s theory of urban design *Corresponding author (W.A.Hakkim Wan Abdullah) Tel: +6014-5260812 E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/169.pdf.

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elements. The site layout plan of Bandar Baru Sentul was drawn using AutoCAD initially to have an initial understanding of the site. After the site plan was drawn, an on-field study was conducted via a site visit to the site to have a better understanding of the site as well as to match the data obtained the site layout plan that was done earlier. The urban design elements identified then expressed using the combination of AutoCAD drawing and edited in Adobe Photoshop.

Figure 2: Layout Plan of Bandar Baru Sentul

The scales of measurements for urban design elements in the site vary. Paths are determined

by width and the importance they have on the site, while edges are determined by the sense of boundary that they visually breaks Bandar Baru Sentul with it neighborhood contexts or even within the site itself (architecture). Districts are based on area’s identity and its functions, nodes by their popularity, whereas landmarks’ hierarchical order are determined by its importance, attraction, and prominence.

4. Analysis

4.1 Path Marked with red circles in Figure 4, there are four entrances to the site which comes from

Sentul West, Setapak, Putra, and Titiwangsa (Figure 3) respectively. Surrounding Bandar Baru Sentul is the arterial road that made up from Jalan 2/48a and Jalan 1/48a. These roads are the widest in the area, measuring from 15m (50 foot). These roads wrap the city around it, creating a mental image for users that can easily be recognized.


Figure 3: Entrance to Bandar Baru Sentul from Titiwangsa

From there it leads into the collector roads on the site that directs the users into the specific areas of their destinations. The collector road varies in width, because some of the roads like shown in Figure 6 are equipped with parking area on both sides, usually situated near public amenities such as mosque and school. Although the problem of heavy traffic still exist on the site mainly due to the high density of the area. On the west of the site, there’s also a railway for Light Rail Transit (LRT). Albeit with the heavy traffic condition, navigating through Bandar Baru Sentul has been made easy because of its clear and well planned path. Referring to previous figures, the roads are also well shaded as the trees along the roads are the types with large crowns that provide enough shades for the pedestrians and motorists alike.


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Figure 7: RapidKL bus service available in the site (left), and free school buses (right).

In terms of transport, there are a lot of categories. Most of the people in the site at the time of

visit are using their own private vehicle like cars and motorcycle. For public transportation, there are ranges of options available such as taxis, RapidKL’s buses, LRT trains, and even free school buses for the township’s residence that can be considered a very commendable effort to ease the heavy traffic that occurs almost all time at the site (Figure 7).

Figure 8: LRT Railway at the west side of Bandar Baru Sentul.

4.2 Edge There are two types of edges that can be perceived at the site namely the man-made and natural

edges. The overall site is bounded by LRT railway at the west side and Gombak River at the east side. On the west side, the elevated LRT railway creates a visual barrier with Sentul Raya, where the iconic The Capers apartment complex is situated (Figure 8) although the physical characteristics of the two areas do not hold much difference.

On the other side, the Gombak River lies a little bit lower than the line of sight. Gombak River is a tributary of the main Klang River, starting from Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur all the way to Gombak. Nevertheless it creates the needs for bridges to cross the river and the vegetations that grows along the river further add to its presence on the site (Figure 11). It is an existing boundary, separating Sentul and Titiwangsa thus making it the most prominent edge on the site.

The last edge that has been identified at the site is the difference in building height. Most of the buildings in the township are high-rise apartments. Although some of them are medium-rise like Pangsapuri Sri Negeri Sembilan (Figure 10), and low-rise like the UTC complex and the surrounding shophouses which spans for 3-4 storeys. This creates a very distinct visual difference but not to the point that they feel disconnected.


Figure 11: Gombak River at the east side of Bandar Baru Sentul.

4.3 District The planning of Bandar Baru Sentul is mainly focused on residential districts. These districts

share the common trait that all of them are vertical living units as there are no landed property can be found at the site. As can be seen in Figure 12, the residential district covers around 70% of the whole township. Other districts include commercial district, educational district, and religious district. However, the districts do not possess clear boundaries and kind of blended in with each other mainly in religious district, or the clear traits of a typical government school architecture in Malaysia in the educational district (Figure 15). The distance between each districts are also still in walking distance so the transition from one district to another can be done in ease. The commercial district in particular, is located at the very center of the township so that the residential districts all around can easily access the area.


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Figure 15: View between educational and residential district.

4.4 Node From the observation in the site, there are several types of nodes in the area. The first type of

nodes is the community area, which includes the field of Pusat Komuniti Sentul Perdana, shophouses around Urban Transformation Center (UTC) Sentul, and the parks provided in the residential area. Pusat Komuniti Sentul Perdana is the main community center in Bandar Baru Sentul. Its complex consists of a public field and a community hall. At the time of visit, the community hall is being used for the training of taekwondo class while there are a couple of people jogging around the field. From this it can be concluded that the community hall is only used at the time of events which cannot be considered a node but the field is the node where the community gather for recreations and picnics (Figure 16).

Figure 12: Districts of Bandar Baru Sentul

Figure 14: Religious district.

Figure 13: View between commercial

and residential district.


Figure 16: Pusat Komuniti Sentul Perdana and the field in front of it.

Similar to the public field, the residential parks also provide an area for recreation and often are fully occupied by the young generations of the residents. The parks are provided for each residential complex but the use is not limited only to the residents of corresponding complex. Next there are the shophouses near UTC building. These shophouses are located at the very center of Bandar Baru Sentul thus making it a strategic node as one of the main center of attraction. The area is always full of people as long as the shops are open. There are also restaurants and hawkers opened their stalls at the sidewalks that further increase the concentration of people going to the area. The shops offers variety of products that attract a lot of different kinds of target users to the shophouses.


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Figure 20: Masjid Amru Ibn Al-‘As’ gathering area.

The last type of node is the religious node. It is notable that the mosque in the area, which is Masjid Amru Ibn Al-‘As has its own gathering area (Figure 20) and kitchen. There are also a lot of banner promoting programs that will be held at the mosque around the compound, example given, the banner in Figure 20. During the visit to the mosque, there are quite a number of people present even though it is not prayer time. This shows that the mosque is also one of the nodes of Bandar Baru Sentul.

Figure 21: UTC Sentul building (left), site’s main intersection (right).

4.5 Landmark There are quite a number of landmarks identified in the site, five to be exact, ranging from

significance, uniqueness and importance that they have on the site. The most prominent one has to be UTC Sentul (Figure 21). This is because the building is the center of the township, be it by location, or by the importance and significance that it holds. People who are going to Bandar Baru Sentul mostly name UTC Sentul as their first waypoint, because the building is strategically located at the center and main intersection of the site and from there, people have access to all the areas in Bandar Baru Sentul.

There are also other landmarks that are identified by its significance on the site which is Pusat

Komuniti Sentul Perdana as the main community center, and also Masjid Amru Ibn Al-‘As that is the only mosque in the township. The township is also equipped with two LRT stations, namely LRT Sentul and LRT Sentul East. These stations are definitely important landmarks as they are situated near the site entrances and the only way to get in into the site via rail transit. They are also the easiest landmarks for tourists to find their way around the site.


Figure 22: Landmarks in Bandar Baru Sentral

5. Discussion After the site observation, the urban design elements of Bandar Baru Sentul were identified

based on the various scale of measurements that has been discussed in research methodology. As Bandar Baru Sentul can be considered a new township, the planning is not as hectic and the relationships with the neighboring contexts are also carefully laid out.

5.1 Path Paths’ hierarchical orders were determined by width and importance. The township of Bandar

Baru Sentul is surrounded by a series of arterial road which consists of Jalan 1/48a and Jalan 2/48a. These roads are the widest in length compared to the other roads in the site and the most important road access by the vehicles as they connect Bandar Baru Sentul to surrounding areas. The roads have a very clear direction and minimal difficulties can be found navigating through them.

5.2 Edge Edges for Bandar Baru Sentul helped to create boundaries for the site. The two edges, namely

Figure 23: (1) LRT Sentul East.

Figure 24: (5) LRT Sentul.


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LRT railway and Gombak River have created distinct boundaries, breaking the site from its neighbors and determining the area of its own. This is crucial as people will be able to identify where they are currently positioned by referring to these two edges.

5.3 District Districts are divided based on identity and usage. The most prominent district in the site is the

residential district which covers about 70% of Bandar Baru Sentul. In spite of this, other districts like commercial, educational, and religious district effortlessly blend with the residential buildings, providing a sense of place. This also increases the accessibility so that a lot of problems can be avoided from occurring.

5.4 Node Nodes are measured by their popularity. Although a total of five nodes were identified, only the

residential parks are used most of the time during the site visit. Places like Pusat Komuniti Sentul Perdana and the mosque are only used at a certain time of the day. This shows that some nodes of the site are not fully utilized. It is also notable that the shophouses area are full of people whenever it is opened.

5.5 Landmark Landmarks’ hierarchical order are determined by its importance and attraction. From 5

landmarks identified in the site, it is concluded that UTC Sentul is the most important as it is the most identifiable and due to its location in the center of Bandar Baru Sentul, it is the one people used the most as wayfinding and the activities surrounding it also attract people to the landmark.

6. Conclusion The quality of urban planning of Bandar Baru Sentul is above average due to its wellplanned

site layout. The majority of residential building in the area are high rise apartments thus solved the land scarcity problem in urban area to accommodate the rising population (Hassan, 2015). Although several issues need to be addressed like the bad traffic condition of the site, most of the problems come from the vehicles parked at roadside due to the lack of parking area in the site, multi-storey car park can be introduced to the site to overcome this issue. Almost all the urban design elements of Bandar Baru Sentul are effective with the exception of its nodes. “The activities of a town take place in public and private spheres” (Krier, 1979). Nodes in the site are under-utilized due to lack of activities and mainly because it’s a residential area thus it is only used by the surrounding residents.

7. References Canniffe, E. (2014). Kevin Lynch: The Image of the City (1960) [Blog post]. Architecture + Urbanism.

Retrieved from http://architectureandurbanism.blogspot.my/2014/01/kevin-lynch-image-of-city-1960.html

Batty, M. & Longley, P. (1994). Fractal Cities: A Geometry of Form and Function. San Diego, CA and London: Academic Press.


Hall, P. & Tewdwr-Jones, M. (2011). Urban and Regional Planning (Fifth Edition). New York: Routledge.

Hassan, A.S. (2005). Konsep Rekabentuk Bandar di Semenanjung Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur dan Bandar-Bandar di Sekitarnya. Penang: USM Press.

Hassan, A.S., Arab, Y. & Ismail, M. (2015). Architectural Styles and Developments of Apartments in Putrajaya, Malaysia. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 4 (3), 191-206.

Krier, R. (1979). Urban Space. London: Academy Editions.

Lamit, H. (2004). Redefining Landmarks. Jurnal Alam Bina Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 6, 66-76.

Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. Boston: MIT Press.

Rossi, A. (1982). The Architecture of the City. New York: MIT Press.

Salmi, P., Ginthner, D., & Guerin, D. (2002). An Exploration of Critical Factors for Accessibility and Way-finding for Adults with Mental Retardation. Unpublished work, University of Minnesota.

Wan Abdul Hakkim Wan Abdullaha is a graduate student at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Her research encompasses to urban design elements.

Dr.Muna Hanim Abdul Samad is currently an Associate Professor in the Architecture Programme of the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She completed her PhD in UMIST, UK in the area of fire safety in 1995. However, due to her interest and passion for sustainable design and education she has spearhead the Architecture Programme towards sustainability or eco-friendly architecture training for future architect during her tenureship as the Architecture Programme Chairman. She has embarked on a few researches in the area of sustainable and green architecture. She has also expressed her views in national and international conferences on the subject of sustainable architectural education and green design.


Yasser Arab is a research assistant and currently pursuing his PhD in sustainable architecture on Resident’s Satisfaction and Sun Shading Model of Apartment Façade in Penang at school of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia, he is teaching Studio For first year student and involved in supervising student of Master of architecture. He obtained his Master degree in Sustainable Architecture from Universiti Sains Malaysia, his research was related to natural lighting in Turkish Mosques. He got his bachelor of architecture from Ittihad Private University, Aleppo, Syria. He is registered Architect in the Syrian Engineers Union.



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A Study on Sharing Home Ownership Schemes in Malaysia Abdunnaser Ali Moh Abujrad a*, and Ahmad Sanusi Hassan a


A B S T R A C T

Article history: Received 31 August 2017 Received in revised form 15 November 2017 Accepted 25 November 2017 Available online 01 December 2017 Keywords: Affordable Housing; Modern city; Penang .

The role of a house is more than a shelter, but a place for us to grow and affect us physically and psychologically. In today’s world, housing prices are rising faster than wages in many parts of the world. In Malaysia, house prices particularly in urban areas such as Penang and Kuala Lumpur had risen rapidly over the past few years. This situation has caused many people especially the medium and low-income groups unable to afford a house of their own. Through the Malaysia Five-Year Plan, various programs are created and have been undertaken by both government bodies and private agencies in order to help to increase home ownership amongst its citizens. So far, the government of Malaysia has done a job well done in combining the effort of the public and private sectors to build affordability houses for its citizens. In order to enhance the current available housing policies, the government of Malaysia should turn towards other developing countries and learn from their housing program. One particular method that has been explored and adopted by many countries and has been proven to be quite successful is the sharing home ownership. In 2014, Penang became the first state in Malaysia to introduce such scheme. This paper therefore discusses the possibility of implementing sharing home ownership schemes in a higher level throughout Malaysia. © 2017 INT TRANS J ENG MANAG SCI TECH.

1. Introduction Due to urbanization and the overall natural growth, today, more than 50 % of the world's

populations are living in urban areas (United Nation, 2014). This figure is expected to increase to 66 percent by 2050, with almost 90 % of the increase concentrated on Africa and Asia (United Nation, 2014). The urban population explosion, however, has caused housing shortages, with cities becoming overcrowded (Hassan, 2015). As a result, greater demand for housing will contribute to the increase in house prices (MacDonald, 2011).

In this modern era, housing prices are indeed rising faster than wages in a number of countries


*Corresponding author (A. Ali M. Abujrad). Tel: +60-126103872. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/183.pdf.

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(International Monetary Fund, 2015) due to several factors thus has caused many people unable to purchase a house. Property prices in Malaysia alone, especially cities like Penang and Kuala Lumpur, has rose by up to 40 % in 2010 (Yeoh, 2012) and will continue to rise in the following years to come (Penang Institute, 2013). The average price of a residential property in Kuala Lumpur is nine times the average urban household annual income, whilst the Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey rates markets where property prices are 5.1 times the median income or more as “severely unaffordable” (National House Buyers Association, 2011).

Due to this matter, affordable housing has become one of the main concerns for many especially the local authority in the recent years. One way to increase home ownership amongst the low-income earners is through a method known as sharing home ownership. Sharing home ownership schemes have long been a common and popular practice in developed countries like the United States and United Kingdom. However, sharing home ownership scheme is a new thing in Malaysia following its recent introduction in the state of Penang and the local government plans to fully implement such scheme starting in February 2014 to help low-wage earners to afford their own home (Penang Property Talk, 2013). This paper is therefore to discuss further regarding sharing home ownership scheme in Malaysia.

2. Sharing Home Ownership Sharing home ownership schemes provide a low-cost route into home ownership (Shelter,

2014). It is intended to provide an alternative route into home owning for people who would otherwise struggle to buy a home (Shelter, 2014). Basically, in sharing home ownership, it allows a person, even if they are unable to afford a mortgage on the whole of the current property value, to part purchase a share of the property and part rent on the remaining shares. A person can buy the share using savings or a mortgage or a combination of both (Shelter, 2014).

As we all know, when applying for a home loan, prospective buyers may find they must provide the lender with a mountain of paperwork. This is because the lender wants to ensure that the prospective buyers have the financial means to pay off their new mortgage, as well as any other long-term debts (such as car loans) and other living expenses. As a result, it may be a struggle for those low-income earners to get a full mortgage. Sharing home ownership therefore increase the chances for low-income earners to be able to obtain a loan from the bank since they need not to apply for a 100 % mortgage.

Most models operate from a minimum share of 25% and up to 75 % of the full value of the property (MacDonald, 2012). Typically, a social housing provider would own the remaining share of the property and the household will have to pay rent on that share (MacDonald, 2012). The household can increase his or her share of the property by buying more of it over time (Shelter, 2014). Sharing home ownership schemes can be seen as an effort that can make housing affordable to the low-income groups. This is because sharing home ownership schemes has been proven to be able to improve home ownerships in many countries since employing a sharing home ownership model would scale the high-priced property back within affordability levels, reducing monthly

184 A. Ali M. Abujrad, and A. Sanusi Hassan

costs, while also reducing the deposit requirement (MacDonald, 2012).

3. Definition and Philosophy in Other Countries A whole variety of terms, definitions and concepts that refer to sharing home ownership can be

found across other countries. The following discusses the sharing home ownership schemes that are being applied in other countries as well as in Penang, Malaysia.

3.1 Sharing Home Ownership in the United State Sharing home ownership in the United States is known by many names and can be different

across other states e.g. shared equity home ownership (not to be confused with shared equity schemes offered in the United Kingdom), resale-restricted housing, owner-occupied housing and so on (Davis, 2006). There are three distinguishing features in the shared equity home ownership schemes offered by the United States, namely: the owner-occupancy of residential property; the fair allocation of equity between one generation of lower-income homeowners and another; and the sharing of rights, responsibilities, and benefits of residential property between individual homeowners and another party representing the interests of a larger community (Davis, 2006). Owner-occupancy of residential property means that the individuals occupying the housing are homeowners, not tenant (Davis, 2006) thus the name owner-occupied housing.

Fair allocation of equity means that owners of a shared equity home will be able to recoup their investment when they resell their homes, along with some growth in equity (Davis, 2006). However, homeowners are not allowed to walk away with all of the value embedded in their property. Much of it is retained in the property itself, producing a relatively affordable purchase price for the next homebuyer of modest means (Davis, 2006). This explains the terms “resale-restricted housing”. Majority of shared equity home ownership programs are resale-restricted programs, meaning that they restrict the maximum price for which the home may be resold (Thaden, 2014).

The third distinguishing feature is the emphasis they place on what is shared between individual homeowners and a larger community. Only part of a property’s unencumbered value is a product of an individual’s personal investment in purchasing and improving the property. The rest of it, often the bulk of it, is a product of the community’s investment: equity contributed at the time of purchase in the form of a public grant, charitable donation, or municipally mandated concession from a private developer; and equity accruing to the property over time because of public investment in necessary infrastructure (roads, schools, utilities, etc.) and economic growth in the surrounding society (Davis, 2010). In a review of models of shared-equity homeownership, John Davis (2006) identifies deed-restricted housing, community land trusts and limited equity cooperatives as the main models in America (Mowbray et. al, 2007).

3.2 Sharing Home Ownership in England, United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, sharing home ownership was introduced in the 1980s to help people


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who were in housing need and could not afford to buy a home outright (Alakeson et. al, 2013). Previously known as the part buy part rent scheme, most shared home ownership schemes today are provided through the housing associations (Gov.UK, 2015). Housing associations are independent, not-for-profit companies set up to provide affordable homes for people in housing need (National Housing Federation, 2010). Housing associations are also known as Registered Social Landlords or Private Registered Providers of Social Housing (Gov.UK, 2014). Many housing associations are funded and regulated by the Home and Communities Agency (HCA), a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLC).

In order to be eligible for this scheme, prospective buyers (Help to Buy, 2015):

1. Should have a combined household income of £60,000 or less per year outside London.

2. For the cases of families in London, prospective buyers should have a combined household income of £66,000 or less per year for a home with one or two bedrooms or £80,000 or less per year for family homes of three bedrooms or more.

3. Should be first-time buyer (or you used to own a home, but can’t afford to buy one now)

Apart from that, priority is given to those who are already renting a council or housing association property or Armed Forces personnel (Help to Buy, 2015). There is also other shared home ownership schemes that gives priority to other specific groups of people such as the Home Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities (HOLD) for those who have a long-term disability or the Older People’s Shared Ownership for those who are aged 55 or over (Help to Buy, 2015). The standard model of sharing home ownership schemes is that the purchaser buys a share of the property title on a leasehold basis that is normally in the range of 25 % to 75 % of the value of the property and then pays rent on the remaining unowned share to a housing association who owns the remaining share (Alakeson et. al, 2013). The purchase of the share is usually funded by taking out a mortgage (Alakeson et. al, 2013). The rent is capped at 3 % of the value of the unowned share, but is typically set at 2.75 % (Alakeson et. al, 2013).

Over time, buyers have the opportunity to increase the share of the property they own by buying more shares when they are willing or able to afford through a process known as “staircasing” (Council of Mortgage Lenders, 2012). Staircasing the shares allow the rent to be reduce, even reducing it to nil if 100 % ownership is achieved (Council of Mortgage Lenders, 2012). Staircasing down to reduce the percentage of equity owned is only possible in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Housing Association (Alakeson et. al, 2013). Upon owning 100 % share of the property, the purchaser can sell the house (Gov.UK, 2015). However, the housing association has the right to buy the property back first (Gov.UK, 2015). This is known as ‘first refusal’ and the housing association has this right for 21 years after a person fully own the house (Gov.UK, 2015). Besides that, the housing association also has the right to find a suitable buyer for the property (Gov.UK, 2015).

Over the last 30 years, sharing home ownership schemes have been developed in the United


Kingdom as a way of supporting middle-income households with “affordable” home ownership, without the need to invest in huge subsidies in middle-income housing, typically helping key workers and other first-time buyers get on the property ladder (MacDonald, 2012). Since 1979, over 170,000 shared home ownership sales have been completed (MacDonald, 2012).

3.3 Shared Ownership Scheme (SOS) in Penang, Malaysia The Penang State Government has introduced Malaysia’s first ever sharing home ownership

scheme known as Shared Ownership Scheme (SOS) (Official Portal of Penang State Government, 2013) and the local government plans to fully implement such scheme starting February 2014 in a bid to help low-wage earners to afford their own home (Penang Property Talk, 2013).

According to The Star (2013), most low-wage earners are unable to buy houses because they are not qualified for bank loans due to their low income. Many of them are unable to apply even for 80 % of the loan which is the problem this scheme intends to address. With this scheme, eligible home buyers need only to apply for a housing loan 70% of the market price of the housing unit they are purchasing, while the government will provide interest-free funding for the remaining 30% (The Star, 2013). The new home owner will need to pay back the 30 % to the state every month and the house will be in their name (The Star, 2013).

Through collaboration between the state government and project developer, Asas Dunia Berhad, the state government has purchased 104 units of low-cost houses in Taman Sungai Duri, Seberang Perai Selatan which will be used as a pioneer project for this scheme and the state government planned to extend the scheme to other locations if there was good response from the public (Bernama, 2014). The market price for a unit is RM38000 and under this scheme, eligible buyers need to obtain only 70 % of the loan on the house price while the other 30 % can be obtained from the state government (Bernama, 2014). Eligible buyers will first need to register with the state’s housing department in order to purchase the unit (Bernama, 2014).

4. Analysis of Sharing Home Ownership No property scheme is perfect, but shared ownership has been going for years in many other

countries and is immensely flexible in helping people onto the property ladder (Shannon, 2012). The following therefore discusses the pros and cons that may be faced when applying for sharing home ownership schemes.

4.1 The Pros of Sharing Home Ownership Schemes The primary benefits of sharing home ownership models are lower entry costs and lower

monthly financial commitments. As mentioned several times in the previous section, many low-income earners are unable to buy houses because they are not qualified for bank loans. Through shared home ownership schemes, the cost of entry towards home ownership can be reduced since they only need to buy part of their house first. Some schemes like those offered in England allow low-income earners to get onto the housing ladder by just owning as low as only 25 % of the *Corresponding author (A. Ali M. Abujrad). Tel: +60-126103872. E-mail: [email protected]. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/183.pdf.

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property. The total monthly outgoings for those who are sharing home ownership would consist of a mortgage repayment to the lender and a rental payment to the social housing provider (Parton, 2012). Taken together, these payments are usually not as much as the monthly mortgage payment for outright purchase would be (Parton, 2012).

By increasing the affordability of the household, this also provides greater access, and offers increased choice and higher quality options than a conventional purchase on the open market. In other words, a person would generally being able to buy a bigger property than he or she would otherwise be able to afford. Besides that, another promised benefit of a shared ownership deal is that it allows greater flexibility (Fearn, 2012) by letting investors to invest according to his or her own ability and time. This is especially true when it comes to the staircasing process. Should the shared owner’s circumstances change for the worse, he or she can staircase up as well as down, even converting to becoming a full ownership of the property (Fearn, 2012). A household also save money on maintenance and redecorating as the social housing provider is responsible for the property's structure and the property will usually be a newly built or refurbished one.

In some countries, a taxpayer that is currently having sharing home ownership may get tax relief on their mortgage. Besides that, they will also be exempt from paying stamp duty if the share they are buying is worth less than the lowest stamp duty threshold. There are psychological benefits as well with sharing home ownership, which come from being associated with the dominant tenure. Tenure conveys a sense of pride, status and advancement for many people. Owning a home is an important source of ontological security in this modern society, providing a sense of the reliability of things and place. Those unable to access this dominant tenure feel increasingly detached, and even partial ownership allows households to demonstrate that they are part of the “mainstream”. Through sharing homeownership, it can help these low-income earners to get a step onto the property ladder.

4.2 The Cons of Sharing Home Ownership Schemes A lot of people go down the shared home ownership route because they're on a tight budget and

they believe that this way of buying a home would be cheaper than a conventional purchase (Parton, 2012). The process of buying a house under shared home ownership is broadly similar to a regular purchase and it is certainly true that only having to find a mortgage for as little as 25 % of the purchase price does save you a lot of money (Parton, 2012). However, there are still other costs involved when applying for a shared home ownership house such as appointing a solicitor, arrangements fees, valuation fees and so on (Parton, 2012). Based on a report by researchers at the University of Cambridge for Thames Valley Housing, staircasing and selling of shared home ownership property is also not always as straightforward as imagined (Parton, 2012).

Staircasing by right should be an advantage since it allows greater flexibility (Fearn, 2012) by letting investors to invest according to his or her own ability and time. However, a major downfall in staircasing is that it must be done in a minimum of 10% shares (Council of Mortgage Lenders, 2012). Besides that, the cost of each additional share will depend on how much the property is


worth at the time a shared owner wants to buy the additional share, not the value at the time of the original purchase (Parton, 2012). The housing association will get the property valued to establish the price of the new share based on current market values (Parton, 2012). If the property prices in that area have gone up, staircasing will be more expensive per share than when bought initially (Parton, 2012). On the other hand, if the property price has dropped in value, buying additional share will be cheaper (Gov.UK, 2015). However in reality, house prices are constantly on the rise and incomes have failed to keep up, this has caused staircasing to become more difficult. Unable to staircase up, many shared owner remains a part owner for the long term (Alakeson et. al, 2013).

When it comes to selling the property, the owner is obliged to sell the property back to the housing provider as a first resort and for a period of usually eight weeks, the housing provider has the exclusive right to market the property for the owner’s behalf. The effectiveness of housing provider in marketing property does vary, but many sharing homeowners feel that they don't sell as effectively as a real estate agent would. There are also likely to be restrictions on whether you can rent the property out. In the great majority of cases, sub-letting is not allowed. One argument suggests that sharing homeownership models can actually limit social mobility. As households become trapped in the tenure, with the majority unable to raise the additional capital or increase mortgage repayments in the future to buy out their equity partner, they may never reach full ownership.

5. Proposal for Implementation in Malaysia In response to the issue of rapid rise in housing prices, several attempts have been made by the

local authorities in order to increase the home ownerships of fellow Malaysians. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government whose objectives is to “ensure adequate balanced housing development and provide affordable housing for those who qualify” as well as “regulate aspects of housing development” are the backbone of ensuring affordable housing. There is also Syarikat Perumahan Nasional Berhad (SPNB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Finance, with the objective of “providing quality affordable homes for every family in Malaysia in accordance with the National Housing Objective”. SPNB ensures there is a steady supply of affordable housing to the citizens by providing various schemes such as the Rumah Mampu Milik Programme, Rumah Mesra Rakyat Programme and so on.

As mentioned in the earlier chapter, the recent introduction of sharing home ownership to Malaysia can also be seen as an alternative effort in increasing home ownership. However, much care and considerations should be taken into account before its full implementation next year in order to make this programme a success in offering affordable housing to the people. Developing sharing home ownership models typically takes place at the national level as they require strong government facilitation with new regulations, a clear legal framework and significant public subsidy to stimulate development of these financial models (MacDonald, 2013). While sharing home ownership models do not require heavy ongoing government involvement in management


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terms, the government does need to play a strong role in providing advice, guidance and support to households (MacDonald, 2013). Developments in any new financial models need to be clearly communicated to developers, private equity holders, solicitors, estate agents and financial advisors to raise awareness of a new financial product (MacDonald, 2013).

Equity markets need to be convinced for sharing home ownership products to become a mainstream offering, with clear investor returns and confidence being the key to building scale, and this can only flow from strong government commitment and a setting of the framework (MacDonald, 2013). The lack of familiarity on the part of private equity causes sharing homeownership models to be judged as a higher risk; regulators require lenders to set aside higher levels of capital against sharing homeownership lending, while the repayment profile of loans injects an additional element of uncertainty (MacDonald, 2013). State governments in Malaysia have long enforced conditions and charges on development along with housing quotas, with developers required to build 30 % low cost units (MacDonald, 2013). However, these conditions, charges and quotas need to be revised with a more intelligent understanding of housing requirements at the state level (MacDonald, 2013). The conditions placed on private sector development could be reshaped to accommodate the application of a private sector sharing homeownership model (MacDonald, 2013). Developers could be required to offer a fixed number of retained equity units, for the state to allocate, as part of their housing quota or in lieu of development charges (MacDonald, 2013).

The land-use system can be also being leveraged to produce more affordable housing outcomes, and can potentially be used to develop a sharing homeownership approach (MacDonald, 2013). Land-use rezoning charges, for example, can be traded for housing equity, and government-owned land can be exchanged for equity in a fixed number of units, which the authorities can then allocate to those who are eligible on the housing list (MacDonald, 2013). The introduction of sharing home ownership models, where households are given an option of buying less than 100 % of the unit does bring the benefits of home ownership to a wider range of households while also developing a revolving fund to support affordable housing, as rental payments are collected, and capital gains are made from future resales which can then be recycled for social good. With a sufficient financial pot, sharing homeownership could be offered on application for sub-sale property, reducing the time taken to respond to demand.

6. Results and Analysis

6.1 Household Income For this study purpose, the respondent’s monthly household income refers to the sum of all

forms of income. This includes any financial aid, monthly allowances and salary, side income and so on. Based on Figure 1, the income level of RM 1,000 to RM 1,999 as well as RM 2,000 to RM 2,999 both has the most number of respondents, which are 17 respondents each. The income level of less than RM 1,000 has the second highest number of respondents with the figure of 13 numbers.


Next is the income level of RM 3,000 to RM 3,999 and income level greater than RM 5,000 since both have 8 numbers of respondents. Finally, the income level of RM 4,000 to RM 5,000 has the lowest number of respondents at 7 respondents.

Figure 1: Household income of respondents. (1 RM =0.251885USD).

According to the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2012 (HIS/BA 2012) done by

the Department of Statistics, Malaysia, the mean monthly household income for Malaysians in year 2012 was RM 5,000. On the other hand, the mean monthly household income for income groups of top 20 %, middle 40 % and bottom 40 % in year 2012 were RM 12,159, RM 4,573 and RM 1,847 respectively. Lastly, the median household income in Malaysia was RM 3,626 in 2012. The mean was significantly higher than the median income because the value of the mean is skewed by high-income earners (Yin, 2014). The median gives a more accurate picture of what the ‘person in the middle’ earns. It is the value in the centre of all households surveyed. This means that 50 % of Malaysian households earned RM 3,626 and below in 2012 (Yin, 2014). To sum up, we can deduce that low-income households are those households with less than RM 3,000 per month. Referring back to Figure 1, it is found that 67 % or a total of 47 respondents in the study area are considered to be low-income households.

As mentioned before, one of the main reasons most low-wage earners are unable to buy houses because they are not qualified for bank loans due to their low income. Many of them are unable to apply even for 80 % of the loan. Hence, it is hoped that through sharing home ownership schemes, these low-income earners are able to get their foot on the property ladder.

6.2 Affordable Price Range When the respondents are asked on the pricing range which they considered is affordable to

them, a majority with 39 % or 19 respondents considered the price range less than RM 25,000 as affordable as shown in Figure 2. Further analysis shows that 9 respondents are from the income level of RM 1,000 to RM 1,999 while 7 respondents currently receiving an income level of RM 2,000 to RM 2,999. Another 2 respondents have the income level less than RM 1,000 while lastly, 1 respondent have an income level of RM 4,000 to RM 5,000. Based on Figure 2 also, the second highest are 25 % or 12 respondents who agreed that the price range of RM 25,000 to RM 99,999 is


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considered affordable to them. Of these figures, a majority of 8 respondents are from the income level of RM 2,000 to RM 2,999. Another 2 respondents are from the income level less than RM 1,000. There is 1 respondent each from the income level of RM 1,000 to RM 1,999 and the income level of RM 3,000 to RM 3,999.

Figure 2: Pricing range that is considered affordable according to income levels

From the data above, it shows that low income earners can only afford housing which is less

that RM 100,000. According to the Shared Ownership Scheme in Penang, the market price for a unit is only RM 38,000. On top of that, eligible buyers need to obtain only 70 % of the loan on the house price while the other 30 % can be obtained from the state government.

6.3 Opinion that Housing Provision should be the Sole Responsibility of the Government

Figure 3: Low cost housing provision is the sole responsibility of the government

Figure 3 shows the responses received from the respondents of Taman Tun Sardon and Taman Brown when they are being asked on whether low cost housing provision is the sole responsibility of the government. Based on the figure, a majority of 42 % or 29 respondents strongly agreed with the statement while a small portion of 4 % or 3 respondents strongly disagreed. The second largest


portion which consists of 37 % or 26 respondents agreed that the low cost housing provision is the sole responsibility of the government while other 7 % or 5 respondents gave their disagreement. There are also a small fragment of 10 % or 7 respondents which have a neutral thought regarding this matter.

From the data above, it is hoped that the Shared Ownership Scheme can be implemented beyond Penang Island and maybe by the federal government of Malaysia as an effort to provide more affordable housing for its people.

7. Conclusion and Recommendation The desire for home ownership among many Malaysians is being challenged by many financial

realities such as unable to obtain a loan from the local bank due to their low income. As a result, many people believe that the government which has the authority and power to control and regulate policy should intervene before the housing crisis goes out of hand. New models need to be considered by the government in order to increase home ownership (MacDonald, 2013). The rise of an intermediate housing market, somewhere between rental and owner occupation such as the sharing home ownership schemes has displayed a need for a more diverse understanding of the relationships between people and their housing, and sharing home ownership models present an additional option in addressing the challenges of housing affordability (MacDonald, 2013). In other countries, sharing home ownership has become a more widely used vehicle for building stable home ownership and preserving affordability. Thus, it is hoped that such models will play the same role in limiting the social and economic polarisation which continues to arise between those on the ladder and those who are not here in Malaysia. However, much research needs to be done first before simply adopting existing models used in other countries in order for it to work in the socio-culture and socio-economic context of Malaysia.

8. Acknowledgement The author would like to express his appreciation for the financial support under Research

University Grant by Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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New York, [Accessed on 25th July 2015], Available from: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html

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Abdunnaser Ali Moh Abujrad is a graduate student at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. His research encompasses schematic concepts for home ownership.




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A B S T RA C T

Article history: Received 31 August 2017 Accepted 25 November 2017 Available online 01 December 2017 Keywords: Daylighting; Energy efficiency; indoor environment; energy saving; .

The quality of indoor environment is crucial in office buildings. In a direct way, it affects the occupants’ health and performance. A large amount of energy is usually required to provide and maintain acceptable indoor thermal and lighting conditions. It is found that working spaces are mainly illuminated by artificial lighting systems, which are responsible for a major part of the total energy consumption. The lighting conditions of the interior space can be enhanced by the efficient utilization of natural lighting and the reduction of the amount of energy used. The window to wall ratio (WWR) and the type of glazing play a significant role in controlling the transmitted daylight into space, as well as the heat exchange between the interior space and the outside environment. This paper aims to investigate the impact of the WWR and the glazing type on the total energy consumption. The potential energy savings are also investigated. A parametric analysis was conducted to achieve the research objective using modeling and simulation methods. The main findings of this study showed that the large reduction in the energy consumption can be achieved when a certain glazing type with a high value of visible transmittance is used at small WWR. The type of glazing with a better thermal performance, on the other hand, provides the highest energy savings with larger WWR. The most suitable window area varies according to the zone orientation. © 2017 INT TRANS J ENG MANAG SCI TECH.

1. Introduction Office buildings are characterized by very high rates of occupancy and much use of lighting

and equipment. Therefore, they consume a large amount of energy for spaces’ air-conditioning, lighting, equipment, and other applications. It is reported that a large amount of electric energy required for the working space illumination by artificial lighting. Therefore, the energy efficiency of the lighting systems should be improved to minimize the energy consumption as much as possible. Additionally, the energy efficiency can provide benefits in different economic and environmental


*Corresponding author (Najib T. Al-Ashwal). Tel: +60172502840. E-mail: [email protected].. ©2017. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies. Volume 8 No.3 ISSN 2228-9860 eISSN 1906-9642. Online Available at http://TUENGR.COM/V08/197.pdf.

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aspects. It is reported that the artificial lighting systems are responsible for a significant part of the total energy use in office and educational buildings. For example, it was found that 20 to 30% of the total electricity load in office buildings in Hong Kong is consumed by electric lighting (Li & Lam, 2001). The use of the electric lights considerably varies from country to country owing to the country’s cultural habits and climatic conditions. In the ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand), the electrical energy used for lighting is about 20% to 24% of the total energy consumption in office buildings and schools (Ghisi, 2002). A study on the energy consumption during 1999 and 2000 in commercial buildings in Egypt revealed that about 36% of the electricity was used for illumination by electric lighting systems (el Mohimen et al., 2005). In Saudi Arabia, it was reported that artificial lighting systems account for 20% of the total energy end-use in office and commercial buildings (Hasnain & Alabbadi, 2000).

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in reducing the energy consumption through

daylighting and artificial lighting integration in the architectural design. The reduction in the energy consumption from daylighting will not only minimize electric lighting expenses, but also decrease the cooling load, and consequently smaller air-conditioning systems will be installed (Hassan & Al-Ashwal, 2015). Artificial lighting sources have widely been used as a replacement of natural light, because designers believe that they have full control over the illumination levels by using electric lighting sources. However, electric lighting is recommended to be used to supplement daylight in illuminating spaces with the proposed lighting conditions.

It was an essential task to properly design the buildings to utilize the available natural light

before the existence of the artificial lighting. Large windows and high ceilings were used to provide sufficient natural lighting into the provided space due to the shortage of daylight. Different window designs were found in the southern countries due to the need to minimize heat gain during summer along with providing adequate natural lighting. It was found that incorporating a courtyard to the building design provided acceptable solutions to provide daylight into internal spaces (Phillips, 2004). In addition, the design of the building façade is an essential factor to allow the penetration of available daylight and avoid direct solar radiation (Hassan et al., 2015). Daylighting and artificial lighting are effectively integrated when electric lighting can be controlled according to the illumination level on the working surface. If daylight is properly integrated, the energy required for lighting and cooling the space can be significantly decreased due to reducing the reliance on artificial lighting (Yu & Su, 2015).

Many studies have addressed the implication of daylighting in the indoor lighting conditions

and energy consumption. In Hong Kong, a method was proposed by Lam & Li (1998) to assess the possible decrease in energy consumed by the artificial lighting systems as a result of the daylight-natural light integration in the office buildings. As a result, quite substantial energy savings were estimated. About 59.7 kWh/m2 per year saving in energy used by the electric lighting systems was reported in all zones (Lam & Li, 1998). A methodology to evaluate potential savings in lighting energy when daylight is utilized was proposed by (Ghisi & Tinker, 2005). The results indicated that

198 Najib T. Al-Ashwal and Ahmad S. Hassan

a reduction of about 21% to 86% in lighting energy consumption was observed in Florianopolis. In Leeds, 11% to 44% lighting energy savings were recorded (Ghisi & Tinker, 2005). Krarti et al. (2005) estimated the impact of the window area, the glazing type, and the geometry of building on artificial lighting consumption when daylighting is utilized. Their results revealed that the visible transmittance value of the window and ratio of window to the floor area are the main factors, which significantly influence the predicted savings in energy. Energy savings of about 70% of the electricity used for lighting was accordingly obtained (Krarti et al., 2005). Concerning the use of dimming lighting control system with photoelectric sensors in an air-conditioned open plan office, Li et al. (2006) assessed the potential savings in energy. An annual reduction of about 33% in energy consumed by artificial lighting was estimated with the use of the proposed lighting control system (Li et al., 2006). Bodart & De Herde (2002) assessed the effect of daylighting on the building energy consumption using a combined approach, which integrates daylighting and thermal performance for a typical glazing type used in office buildings in Belgium. The approach implemented could reduce energy consumption by artificial lighting from 50% to 80%. Furthermore, up to 40% of the overall energy savings can be attained not only via minimizing lighting energy consumption, but also via reducing the internal loads generated from the artificial lighting (Bodart & De Herde, 2002). Abdul Fasi & Budaiwi (2015) investigated the potential decrease in energy consumption when both the daylight and the artificial light were properly integrated. The results indicated a significant reduction in the annual building energy consumption for all types of windows. For example, a reduction of about 14% in the total energy consumption was observed using double-glazed clear glass windows and 16% energy saving was obtained using double-glazed low-E windows (Abdul Fasi & Budaiwi, 2015). Al-Ashwal et al. (2014) proposed an approach to help designers select the proper window area in designing windows for energy efficiency. The authors stated that a decrease of about 39% in energy used by electric lighting could be obtained. The total energy used can be minimized by 11% provided that the available daylight is utilized through a proper lighting control system (Al-Ashwal et al., 2014).

In tropical regions, providing natural light for illuminating interior spaces is a key element in

building designs. A minimum reduction of 10% in energy consumption could be managed by using simple daylighting strategies in Malaysia (Djamila et al., 2011). Zain-Ahmed et al. (2002) studied how daylight is properly utilized by using passive solar designs in buildings in tropical regions. The results revealed that 10% of the total energy consumption was reduced when daylighting strategies were properly implemented in the context of Malaysian buildings (Zain-Ahmed et al., 2002). Ossen et al. (2005) investigated the impact of using external horizontal shading devices on the penetration of natural light, solar heat gains, incident solar radiation, and energy consumption. It was found that energy savings of 6%, 8%, 14% and 11% can be attained using optimum overhang ratios of 1.0,1.0, 1.3, and 1.2 on the north, south, east, and west, orientations, respectively (Ossen et al., 2005).

To utilize natural lighting efficiently, windows need to be designed carefully. The design of


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windows needs to be considered at early design stages. This is because windows are the primary source of daylight and at the same time they are regarded as an additional source of excessive heat gain if not properly designed. The design of a window incorporates the selection of proper the glazing type, window to wall ratio (WWR), the height of the window and appropriate shading device. The type of glazing and window to wall ratio are considered as major elements in the design of windows. They both directly affect the amount and quality of the admitted natural light into space, as well as the extent of heat gain or loss. Therefore, the main objective of this research paper is to investigate the impact of the window to wall ratio (WWR) and the glazing type on the window design to achieve energy efficiency in office buildings in a hot-humid climate. The study mainly aims to find out the effect on the total energy used, the energy consumed by electric lighting systems, and the evaluation of the possible savings in energy consumption when artificial lighting is efficiently integrated with daylighting.

2. The Study Approach and the Characteristics of the Building Model Building energy simulation is an essential tool to investigate the energy performance of

buildings. Computer simulation programs are effective analytical tools for constructing the building models, which will be later used for building the energy research and evaluation of architectural design. It was reported that the computer simulation method is a very reliable tool to obtain data related to the illumination level of indoor spaces, because similar readings between the measured on-field and simulated data were found with a minor variation in values (Hassan & Arab, 2014). In this study, the VisualDOE software was selected to carry out the energy and daylight analysis of a typical office building. This software provides the ability for simulation and analysis of various design features and energy efficiency measures, comprising the daylight integration of with the electrical light. This software has been widely evaluated to validate its accuracy and consistency (Bahel et al., 1989; Zmeureanu et al., 1995).

An integrated base case model consisting of a thermal model and a lighting model is formulated according to a survey conducted to define the most common features of a typical office building located in the hot-humid climate of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (Al-Ashwal & Budaiwi, 2011). Some values were assumed according to standards, literature review and logic. The values included occupancy density, lighting, and equipment power density, infiltration, and operation schedules. The base case model has four perimeter zones and a core zone for stairs and services. It has a gross floor area of 484 m2 with the dimension of 22 m on each side of the building. The perimeter zones’ depth was assumed to be 7.0 meter because the effectiveness of daylighting in space is within about twice the room height (Reinhart, 2005). Lighting control properties have to be defined for daylight integration. A dimming control strategy was selected due to the flexibility in response to illumination level changes. Each zone has two sensors for lighting control, and the illumination level was defined as 500 lux according to IESNA standard (Rea, 2000). The types of glazing selected for this study are illustrated in Table 1. They are four different types with different thermal characteristics; all using clear glass. The low transmittance value of the tinted glass is the main reason behind excluding this type of glazing in this investigation.


Table 1: Types of glazing selected for parametric analysis

Glazing Type No: of Layers

Visible Transmittance

Shading Coefficient

(SC)

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

(SHGC)

U-Value W/m2.K

Single-Glazed Clear 6 mm (Clr SG) 1 0.88 0.95 0.81 6.17

Double-glazed Clear 6/12/6 mm (Clr DG) 2 0.78 0.81 0.70 2.74

Double-Glazed Clear Low-e 6/12/6 mm (DG Low-E) 2 0.74 0.65 0.56 1.78

Double-Glazed Clear Heat Mirror 6/12/6 mm (DG HM) 2 0.53 0.40 0.34 2.02

3. Results Analysis and Discussion In this study, the simulations inspect a range of window to wall ratios (WWRs) starting from

0% to the maximum area possible in the exterior wall with a combination of different glazing types selected for this study. The influence of daylight is required at the work plane height (76 cm), so that the window sill is maintained at 80 cm with a window height of 220 cm. According to the simulation results, the building energy performance is recognizably influenced by the area of the window and glazing type used. The results are briefly outlined in the following paragraphs.

3.1 The Impact of Daylight Integration on the Energy Consumed by Artificial

Lighting The impact of various types of glazing with different WWRs on the energy used by the electric

lighting systems was investigated when artificial lighting is integrated with the available daylight using dimming control system. The results of the simulation process revealed that there is a significant reduction in lighting energy consumption for all types of glazing and all possible WWRs when artificial lighting and daylight were integrated. In the north zone, the energy consumed for lighting was dramatically minimized when the area of the window was increased up to 5%, and it gradually declined with larger WWR up to 50% as illustrated in Figure 1(a).

About 40% to 54% reduction in energy consumed for the space illumination was found almost for all investigated WWRs and glazing types. The simulation findings showed that the type of glazing with a high visible transmittance value resulted in a low lighting energy consumption. This can be the result of the high amount of light admitted into space, which will, in turn, decrease the usage of electric lighting. It can be noticed that the energy consumed for lighting is reduced for all types of glazing when the area of the window is increased. This is due to the increase of the amount of daylight transmitted into space. There is a noticeable variation in lighting energy consumption among the investigated glazing types with the small area of windows. However, this variation is insignificant when larger windows were simulated. For other orientations, similar results of energy consumption were found as shown by the simulation results in Figure 1.


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Figure 1: Lighting energy consumption for various glazing types – 2.2 m window height – [a) North

zone, b) East zone, c) South zone, and d) West zone]

3.2 The Impact of Daylight Integration on the Total Energy Consumption The selection of the glazing type and the size of the windows are crucial during the building

design process as it directly influence the energy consumption of a building. The results of this paper demonstrated that the main factor determining the energy performance of a specific window is the value of shading coefficient associated with the glazing type. Figure 2 shows that the lower amount of total energy used can be obtained when a type of glazing with low shading coefficient value is used. The total energy consumption for all investigated types of glazing is minimized as a result of the efficient utilization of natural lighting as shown in Figure 2(a). A noticeable decrease in the energy consumption can be detected with a variation in amount depending on the selected WWR and the type of glazing. There is a very small difference in the amount of reduction in the total energy used with small WWRs and for all types of glazing when daylight and artificial lighting are integrated. The resulting energy consumption is slightly bigger than other types of in small WWR (5-15%) using the double-glazed heat-mirror glass. However, this type of glazing provides lower energy consumption than other types of glazing at large areas of window.

A similar trend in energy consumption was found in other orientations, but with variation in the

amount of the total energy consumed in the building as illustrated in Figure 2. It can be noticed that the total energy consumption is lower in the north zone compared to the south, west, and east zones. It is found that the variation in the total energy consumption is insignificant with the change of glazing type in the north zone. However, this difference is clear in other orientations.

c)

a) b)

d)


In the east and south zones, Figure 2(b) and Figure 2(c) show that a larger reduction in the total energy consumption can be obtained using heat-mirror glass with double-glazed. This can be due to the façade is exposed to the direct solar radiation for a long time during daytime. This kind of glass is good in preventing most of the direct solar heat gain. Furthermore, the maximum reduction in the total energy used is provided by the heat-mirror glass with two layers of glass for all zones, particularly when a large window area is used.

Figure 2: The impact of daylight integration on total energy consumption for various glazing types

– 2.20m window height – [a) North zone, b) East zone, c) South zone, and d) West zone]

3.3 The Expected Energy Savings The possible savings in energy as a result of the integration of electric lighting with daylighting

were investigated for various types of glazing, and WWRs. The simulation findings showed that the window area and the type of glazing have a direct impact on the expected savings in the total energy consumption. This varies according to the zone orientation. The possible reduction in the energy consumption for the north zone can be seen in Figure 3(a). The results revealed that (9.7%-19%) saving in the total energy consumption could be obtained for all the investigated types of glazing with a direct relation with the selected WWR. When a small window area is used (5-10%), the highest reduction in energy is provided by a type of glazing with high visible transmittance (single clear glass). On the other hand, when larger windows (20-50%) are used, about 18% to 19%

a) b)

d) c)


203


reduction in energy could be achieved with double clear glass Low-E. This can be attributed to the properties of the clear glass, which allow more natural light than other types of glass at small WWRs. However, larger window areas allow for more heat gain along with the transmitted light. Using larger windows, a double glazed Low-E is a better choice due to its thermal characteristics.

Figure 3: The expected energy savings for various glazing types – 2.20m window height – [a)

North zone, b) East zone, c) South zone, and d) West zone]

Figure 3(b) shows that about 12.9% to 18.7% saving in energy is expected in the east zone for all the investigated types of glazing based on the WWR used. A Large reduction in energy is provided when a glass with low shading coefficient value is selected, because the east zone is exposed to direct solar radiation for a long time. Moreover, it is found that the double heat-mirror glass provides a lower reduction in energy compared with other types of glazing at small WWR. However, larger savings in the total energy used were obtained when larger windows were used. This is because of the ability of this type of glass to prevent the direct solar heat, which is better than other types and at the same time transmit sufficient daylight into space using window with large areas. Figure 3(c) illustrates the simulation results of the possible energy savings in the south zone. For all the investigated WWRs and types of glazing, about 12.1% to 18.2% reduction in the total energy consumption can be obtained. Using double glass Low-E at (5-15%) WWR can provide the maximum energy savings. However, the highest saving in energy was recorded when the double-glazed heat-mirror glass at larger areas of windows was used. Figure 3(d) shows a possible of 11.3% to 16.8% energy savings in the west zone.

a) b)

d) c)


4. Conclusion In the office buildings, energy is mainly consumed by the air-conditioning system, lighting

system, and equipment. This can be a consequence of the excessive usage of equipment and electric lighting for illumination. In addition, the occupancy rate in office buildings is higher than in other building types. One of the main measures that can be applied to reduce the energy consumption is the efficient integration of artificial lighting with daylight using proper lighting control system. Moreover, daylighting can enhance working space conditions and contribute to improving the occupants’ performance in a healthier working place. The design of windows is key factor to achieve the efficient utilization of natural lighting. Architects and designers should properly select the glazing type, the window area (WWR), the window height, and wisely design shading devices. This study investigated the impact of the window to wall ratio (WWR) and the type of glazing used on the building energy performance. The main findings of this research demonstrated that a significant decrease in the energy consumed for space illumination could be achieved. The visible transmittance value of the glazing type influences the amount of light admitted into space so that larger energy savings can be attained. It is also found that the total energy consumption and the possible savings in energy, when a particular window is used, are highly affected by the shading coefficient value of the glazing type. The selection of the proper WWR is highly influenced by the type of glazing used. Last but not least, large window areas can be utilized when using a glazing type with a good thermal performance.

5. Acknowledgement The authors would like to express due appreciation and gratitude for the financial support under

the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang, Malaysia.

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Najib Taher Al-Ashwal is a PhD candidate in School of Housing, Building, and Planning at University of Science Malaysia (USM). He earned an MSc in Architectural Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi Arabia in 2008. He holds a B.S of Eng. in Architecture from Sana’a University, Yemen.




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