aquacity

This image of an water-centric development, a concept to develop new communities over large bodies of water covered areas, in this case a major coastline along the North bounds of East Malaysian waters. The Project calls for a prototype container, structurally a circular rig with pneumatic features and aquarium-specifications glass sides permitting views into the ocean. Over a long stretch, we might see more of these connecting to each other, forming a network of floating "air bubbles", some serving to provide communication devices and facilities, public reception, and others shall merely provide food and storage items.

Technically a project using water as technology for support and structure, a concept to push modern developments forward using the potential of water environments and generating more awareness in our very limited appreciation of the vastly neglected resources that we have around our congested and polluted cities.

Aquacity is one project whereby the support structure and foundations of a building is provided through the application and understanding of fluid mechanics, the water itself assisting with reducing the cooling loads on the enclosed space with careful mechanical ventilation and design. The site is immediately constructible, devoid of any need to invest in high energy foundation systems commonly required for land bound development. Communication network is again free of charge, the water body permitting simple low-tech transportation systems which can be energy-saving and completely free of fixed, pre-defined or often limited permanent routes offered by traditional road networks.

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linearCity

Not too many years ago, zlgdesign was commissioned to create a new concept for innercity living, and behold today we have the LRT system and the new KL Light Monorail Transit System, running along the once dilapidated KL "longkang", this being not so long ago, the single largest sewer, connecting all but the back of major run-down,still kicking, older buildings that make up what is still the original center of the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Brought out from the good days of the AA walking city idea, inspired by the legendary Professor Peter Cook, and his late colleague Ron Herron, both having met with huatlim and having contributed a vast amount of resources to this Project, Susanne ZEIDLER included, in their office and at home, the Project team members are back. The Project after some eight years, actually materialised, after many economic sanctions and painful financial diaspora and take-over attempts failed to meet the challenges of this extraordinary concept, the dream development is now slowly taking shape in the form of simple white, modernist structures dotted along the riverside of Sungei [river] Klang.

This has to be the one single high-octane high-concept ultra project deserving of good and fair publicity, but it never did any, and no one really got anywhere, let alone Professor Peter Cook and the late Ron Herron or indeed the original designers who now wors at ZLG Design Studio. KL-LinearCity went through two major presentations to the ex Prime Minister, and one major paradigm shift for Malaysian Architecture.

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www.zlgdesign.com