Jade Hills celebrates its 10th year

It seems like only yesterday that the 338-acre Jade Hills in Kajang, Selangor was first launched, but Gamuda Land’s fifth township development is in fact celebrating its 10th year this year.

During the planning stage of the development more than a decade ago, the Sungai Chua area in Kajang was void of any well-planned gated-and-guarded developments.

“We saw the opportunity to create a place where people can come home to a low-density and green living environment. We wanted to provide open green spaces and lakes. A lot of people who visit Jade Hills for the first time are pleasantly surprised that there is such a nice development in Kajang,” shares Gamuda Land chief operating officer Ngan Chee Meng.

He tells EdgeProp.my that one of the developer’s main emphasis at Jade Hills was to “work with nature” — to work with the original landscape and land topography as much as it could in building the homes and community spaces.

“Our homes are designed following the contours of the land. In that way, we can arrange each home in an organic manner while conforming to the uneven platforms of the land throughout the entire development. We also portioned out 20% of the land area as green spaces comprising lakes and gardens that are integrated into the different neighbourhoods within the township,” offers Ngan.
Gamuda Land

He adds that the same approach is practised in the development of Gamuda Land’s other townships.

“We bring the water that runs off the land to flow into natural ravines between hills to create lakes. We preserve the hills so we can have hilltop homes just as we have lakeside homes. Trees are preserved and only transplanted when necessary,” he says, adding that the lakes are a key component of Jade Hills, as not only do they serve as leisure areas, they also act as gathering places for residents.

Another major community space is the Jade Hills Resort Club where the residents can come together to enjoy its facilities as a family or with their neighbours. Facilities include a swimming pool, gym, restaurant, as well as tennis, badminton and basketball courts.

“We also make sure that residents can obtain their daily needs easily. So we have the Commerce Village, which is just right outside the clubhouse that is home to grocery shops, food and beverage outlets as well as other amenities,” says Ngan.

Meanwhile, the Eaton International School in Jade Hills has attracted students not only from the Kajang area but also from all over Klang Valley, he adds.

For all walks of life

Jade Hills comprises 11 precincts in total. To date, 732 units of homes and 22 commercial units have been handed over. The Jade Hills community stands at 1,700 people today and upon completion, it is expected to have a 10,000-strong community with a total of 2,488 homes. The township, which is 60% completed, is slated for full completion by 2025.

“A town is all about the people. They can be growing families, young married couples, single adults and retirees — people from diverse walks of life. For example, the serviced apartment Jadite Suites is popular with younger buyers — singles, couples or young families. We also have linked villas, semidees and bungalows for growing families and upgraders,” offers Ngan.

Many Jade Hills homebuyers are repeat buyers or those who have been referred by existing homeowners there.

“Word-of-mouth from existing residents and owners is the best testament to the product and town-making capabilities we have delivered to them,” he says.

In terms of capital appreciation, the residential properties at Jade Hills have seen prices rise significantly over the years. For example, terraced homes that were launched in 2011 for RM766,000 appreciated by an average of 35% as of July this year, while semidees that were launched in 2010 for RM1.3 million appreciated by an average of 28% as of July this year.

The township is the only CONQUAS (Construction Quality Assessment System)-rated development in Kajang with Jadite Suites achieving a score of 82.8, the highest scorer for high-rise residential buildings in Malaysia in 2016. Jade Hills has also won the ILAM Malaysia Landscape Architecture Award in 2010 under the Developer (master plan) category.

The gated-and-guarded development is currently being managed by Gamuda Land’s own in-house property management team, the same team that manages Madge Mansions and Valencia developments — both of which were winners in TheEdgeProperty.com Best Managed Property Awards 2017.

Building homes and lives

In the near future, the developer will be refreshing the landscape and green spaces at Jade Hills including the parks at the central lake area. It will also be improving the facilities at the clubhouse including adding more badminton courts.

“We are also planning for a shuttle service to the Kajang MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station that is 5km away, which will then connect the non-driving residents to other parts of the Klang Valley. There are also ongoing plans to bring in a new collection of lifestyle food and beverage outlets and introduce new facilities for outdoor activities.

“As a developer, it is crucial for us to think of the different components in the township — your work place, play place, shopping place, gathering place, park place — which should all be integrated together. When you live in a community, you need to have that sense of belonging. Not only do we want to provide a place for people to interact with one another, but with nature as well,” says Ngan.