This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 28, 2020 - October 4, 2020

The second tower — Tower B — of TRX Residences, part of The Exchange TRX, has been officially launched after the positive response to Tower A, with all the non-bumiputera units taken up. The project is jointly developed by Australia-based Lendlease and TRX City Sdn Bhd.

TRX City is the master developer of the upcoming international financial district Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), which is set to strengthen Kuala Lumpur’s position as a leading centre for international finance and business. TRX is expected to have a total workforce of 45,000.

The Exchange TRX is a mixed-use development that takes up 17 acres in the freehold TRX. Other than TRX Residences, which offers six residential towers, it will have a low-rise campus-style office, a retail mall with a net lettable area (NLA) of 1.3 million sq ft, and Malaysia’s first Kimpton Hotel.

There is also a 10-acre TRX Park with lush greenery and a wide array of facilities such as event spaces for culture, arts, sports and leisure as well as children’s wet and dry play zones.

The Exchange TRX residential director Eric Chan tells City & Country that the six residential towers are built on three plots. The first plot consists of the 53-storey, 443-unit Tower A and the 57-storey, 453-unit Tower B.

The built-ups of these units range from 474 to 3,854 sq ft and offer 1- to 3-bedroom layouts as well as 3- and 4-bedroom duplex layouts. Prices start from RM970,000.

“There are a total of 896 units in the first plot and they are slated for completion in 2023. Plans for the other two plots will be announced later,” says Chan.

The unit fittings include fully imported Italian kitchen cabinets, SMEG kitchen appliances, refrigerator, air conditioners, wardrobes, Kohler sanitary fittings, hot water to bathrooms and kitchen, shower screen, sprinkler system, smoke detector and digital door lock.

Facilities are spread across 90,000 sq ft over three floors at Levels 8, 29 and 30. They include a swimming pool, private living room, CrossFit gymnasium, social bar, residents’ lounge with co-working space and boardroom, conservatory, gardening workshop, multipurpose hall, fitness studio, games room and an outdoor dining area.

Lendlease CEO Asia Tony Lombardo notes that, as sustainability is integral to all its projects, the developer has achieved provisional Green Building Index Gold and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified status for TRX Residences.

“Our initiatives in terms of material selection and detailed design will reduce utility costs while increasing the well-being of residents. The double-glazed curtain wall façade using low-emissivity glass reduces heat and noise transmission, while energy-efficient appliances and mechanical ventilation better manage consumption and air circulation, translating into healthier spaces in a Covid-19 environment,” he says.

“TRX Residences will adopt recycled water as part of the first district-wide water recycling plant of its kind in Malaysia. In addition, the development will have rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle charging-ready infrastructure.”

The seamless integration between TRX Residences and the 10-acre activated park provides a highly coveted connection with nature. Residents can enjoy forest trails, aromatic gardens, water features, 2km of walking routes, outdoor fitness equipment and spaces for events and recreation.

As a sense of community underpins the amenities and facilities in the development to offer versatile spaces for gatherings and festivities, a community app will be introduced to help residents better navigate the needs of living in an urban integrated project, utilising technology for convenience, safety and security, says Lombardo.

He notes that the total leased area of the retail mall, along with those under final offer and in advanced negotiations, is currently more than half of the total NLA. The mall is expected to open in 2022.

“We have secured key retail partners and they include some of the world’s biggest brands: experiential and luxury department store Seibu Department Store, Malaysia’s first and only Seibu; Dairy Farm Supermarket; and GSC Cinema. We will be making more announcements in the year ahead,” says Lombardo.

He adds that the company’s core capabilities are in developing the best places through urban regeneration. Lendlease has 21 urban regeneration projects in nine gateway cities around the world. Among the projects are The International Quarter in London, Barangaroo South and Darling Harbour in Australia as well as the Petronas Twin Towers and Suria KLCC in Malaysia.

“All our developments are embedded with strong safety, sustainability and quality considerations … Our global minimum requirements ensure safety and quality that create value for owner and resident, such as a comprehensive sprinkler system with smoke detectors for fire protection, safety hedges around pools to prevent unintended falls into the water, height-appropriate wall lighting points in balconies for safe changing and maintenance,” says Lombardo.

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