Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld) is set to launch Phases 2 and 4 of Hazelton at Eco Forest in Semenyih, Selangor, early next month. To date, 50% of the two phases have received registrations of interest, which commenced in February.

Following the positive response seen at Phase 1 — which has seen a take-up rate of more than 90% since its launch on Dec 18 last year — the developer is confident that there will be demand for the upcoming launches in Hazelton.

Occupying a 50.26-acre parcel in the 515-acre freehold Eco Forest, Hazelton is the township’s second precinct and has a gross development value (GDV) of RM420 million. It will comprise 530 landed homes with a 20ft back lane and a linear garden to provide views of greenery from the kitchen and the rooms.

The first precinct, known as Ebonylane, was launched in 4Q2017 and comprises 685 Garden Homes and Artisan Homes priced from RM600,000. The units are fully sold and will be handed over this month.

Phases 2 and 4 of Hazelton have a combined GDV of RM206.8 million and will comprise 162 Artisan Homes (20ft by 65ft and 20ft by 70ft terraced houses) and 92 Garden Homes (30ft by 65ft terraced houses) with built-ups of 1,871 to 2,375 sq ft. Priced from RM598,000, the units are due to be completed by 2023.

Evon Yap, EcoWorlds’s divisional general manager, says houses in Phases 2 and 4 will cater for the middle-income group including young and multigenerational families, young couples with children, young working professionals, upgraders and retirees who desire to live in a serene and peaceful environment.

Inspired by A-frame design architecture, these houses will have a fully extended open-concept layout with an 11ft ceiling to offer hassle-free renovation as well as a 20ft full-width master bedroom that will allow for a spacious walk-in wardrobe. The units have a gateless concept, which means one will be able to park up to four cars in an Artisan Home and up to six cars in a Garden Home.

Yap says the Garden Homes are conceptualised as holiday lodges for daily living, surrounded by lush greenery. The cabin roof of each lodge will be extended beyond the façade, providing privacy at the balconies and allowing residents to enjoy the surroundings in a peaceful and private space of their own.

“The Garden Homes will have a horizontal structure where residents can enjoy a 30ft-wide frontage with a private terrace/garden, thereby extending the living area to the outdoors, and together, they will form a wide open space for gatherings. The intermediate units will come with a 10ft private garden while the end and corner units will come with a 20ft private garden. As for the Artisan Homes, the end and corner units will come with 10ft and 23ft private gardens respectively,” she continues.

“This emphasis on casual indoor-outdoor living will continue on the upper floor where the family area will come with a balcony, set inwards to provide more privacy, and a private outdoor space to unwind.

“Inside, the wide frontage will allow all rooms to have good natural light owing to the large expanse of windows. All these expansive spaces will be located within an environment of lush tropical gardens and manicured lawns, invoking the experience of living in a country home and far from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

The developer will set aside 5.02 acres in Hazelton for green areas. “There will be two central parks — East Crown Garden and West Crown Garden — and seven thematic pocket gardens with different sculptures in each, which will be located near the Garden Homes. The pocket gardens are Owl Garden, Bear Garden, Tortoise Garden, Squirrel Garden, Anteater Garden, Armadillo Garden and Chameleon Garden,” says Yap.

With a GDV of RM2.5 billion, the gated-and-guarded Eco Forest is located next to Broga Hill with a single point of entry and will comprise eight precincts with landed homes, high-rise developments and shoplots. The township is currently 43% developed and is due for completion by 2028.

Surrounding amenities include the University of Nottingham Malaysia, SJK(C) Ton Fah and Tesco Semenyih. The development is about a 45-minute drive from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre and is easily accessible via the Kajang-Seremban Highway, Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway and Cheras-Kajang Expressway. It will also be linked to the upcoming East Klang Valley Expressway, which is due to be completed next year.

Despite the current challenging market conditions, the group continues to strive to create homes that cater for buyers’ needs, says Yap. “Customer expectations change over time and hence it is important to constantly innovate and adapt to the current sentiments to create better home designs.”

Thus, EcoWorld’s new business unit, EcoWorld X, was established in 2017 to assist the group in building better relationships based on data on consumer behaviours. “Each of the company’s sales gallery records the data of walk-in customers and from each region’s data collection, we have created homes that customers desire. This is how the new concept of terraced homes such as ErgoHomes, Garden Homes and Artisan Homes came about in Hazelton,” Yap explains.

“We are also receptive to feedback from our buyers, examples of which are good internet connectivity, enhanced security features, ample space for personal and family time, healthy and clean environment, well-maintained and equipped communal and public spaces, as well as ample amenities within a 10km radius. All the feedback has been incorporated in our developments, becoming part of our company’s DNA,” she adds.

Meanwhile, projects that EcoWorld has in the pipeline in Eco Forest include Phases 3 and 5 of Hazelton comprising 100 Garden Homes and 66 ErgoHomes (set to be launched in the middle of next year) and a third precinct called Birchpark (expected to be launched in 2022).