Page 373 - The Guide To Sarawak

THE GUIDE TO SARAWAK
371
or café, the intermediate floors as office space,
and the top floor as accommodation, often for staff employed nearby. Shophouses may be freely bought and let out by overseas investors.
The large commercial property market is relatively underdeveloped, given the popularity
of shophouses with investors. However there
is a growing trend for developing detached and semi-detached factory
and workshop buildings
for small businesses to operate in designated industrial and technology parks. Larger commercial buildings are also gaining popularity, such as the new Titanium Tower in southern Kuching.
ARCHITECTURE
Sarawak has a strong architectural tradition, based on the unique designs of its indigenous communities and influenced over the years by Arabic, European
and Chinese ideas
and styles. There are
many fine examples of traditional Malay and Chinese architecture in Kuching, especially on
and around the Sarawak River. The new RM300 million Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly Building), completed in 2009, incorporates a number of local architectural themes into its stunning modern design, making it an iconic addition to the city centre’s skyline.
Modern architecture
in Sarawak can take
many forms; many new commercial developments would not look out of place in Silicon Valley, while local home buyers are becoming increasingly adventurous
in their choice of homes. Sarawak’s architects are also making their mark in the state and throughout the country; Mike Boon’s Tidal Bore Observatory won the 2010 PAM (Architects Association
of Malaysia) award for
public and civic buildings, and he also picked up
two further awards from PAM. Not to be outdone, Arkitek KDI Sdn Bhd, led by Datuk John KS Lau, in collaboration with Alan Kueh, has won the first prize for OSK Holdings Berhad’s recent Master Planning and Architectural Concept Design Competition in Kuala Lumpur.
BUYING, SELLING AND RENTING PROPERTY While the Sarawak Government and local developers and property owners welcome overseas buyers and tenants, it
is important to comply fully with local rules and regulations. Therefore
it is best to contact the Ministry of Housing Sarawak for advice, and deal only with a licensed real estate agent or a reputable developer who is a member of the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (SHEDA).
Two views of the Tidal Bore Observatory in Sri Aman, designed by Mike Boon Chee Khian of Arkitek JFN Sdh Bhd, which won the 2010 PAM (Architects Association of Malaysia) gold award for public and civic buildings. Boon and his colleagues at JFN struck gold again in the 2013 PAM awards with their remarkable ‘container house’ in Kuching.