(BIG + Hijjas & Ramboll Group) BiodiverCity Paves sustainable future for Penang South Island

Denmark-based Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) with Hijjas Architects & Planners & Ramboll Group has announced the lead masterplan design for the Penang South Islands (PSI) project. 

It involves the development of three man-made islands under the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

The project is selected as winner by the Penang State Government as international competition to design a masterplan for Peneng South Islands.

The project provides a vast land reclamation which includes Penangites with approximately 4.6 Km of public beaches, 600 acres of parks and a 25 Km waterfront also connecting by autonomous transport network. Each island is modelled to form a lilypad which will be composed of mixed-use districts.

The Laguna, BiodiverCity's westernmost island is an oasis for ecological living, organized around a central marina. Eight smaller islands form a miniature archiopelago.

The masterplan proposal - BiodiverCity - supports the Penang 2030 vision with a clear focus on livability, on stimulating a socially and economically inclusive development, and on environmental sustainability for future generations. 

BiodiverCity will be a new sustainable, global destination where cultural, ecological and economic growth is secured, while protecting the biodiversity of its coastal zones and natural habitats and where people and nature co-exist in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet at the southern shore of Penang Island.

Building throughout BiodiverCity will be designed to perform effectively and will to a large extent be constructed by low-carbon materials using a combination of Bamboo, Malaysian Timber and Green Concrete that uses recycled materials as aggregate, said BIG.

Each Island districts are expected to support between 15,000 to 18,000 residents and will rely on renewable energy, water resources & waste management. 

The Island will be connected by an autonomous water, air, and land based transportation network making BiodiverCity a car free environment, prioritizing bikers and pedestrians. 

Around the buildings and Districts consists a web of ecological corridors called buffer, which ranges between 50 to 100 metres and can be used as nature reserves and parks to support biodiversity.

All of this development agenda support State's Penang 2030 vision, which follows the project goal: family focused, green and smart.

The Laguna, BiodiverCity's westernmost island is an oasis for ecological living, organized around a central marina. Eight smaller islands form a miniature archiopelago. it comprises of floating, stilted and terraced housing for residents and will also provide spawning grounds for aquatic life to help develop new marine habitat.

Mangroves is the central island of BiodiverCity, which will be dedicated to business focused districts. At its centre will be the Bamboo Beacon - a facility for conferences and major events. Where, districts will be organized around a network of urban wetlands and mangrove forests.

A web of ecological corridors connects forest reserves to coastal beaches while supported habitats and communities across the islands. Within human populated areas, animals are given safe passage through the continuous canopy and waterways. and within natural habitats, people can safely access elevated boardwalks.

Districts are effectively connected below platforms to increase the efficiency of goods, services and regional mobility, while maximizing pedestrian safety throughout the public realm. 

BiodiverCity is BIG's latest masterplan unveiling following Toyota Woven City at the CES conference earlier this year. Last year, BIG presented Oceanix City at the United Nations high-level roundable on Sustainable Floating Cities, bringing together innovators, explorers, marine engineers and scientists at the UN Headquarters to share ideas and solutions to the threat faced by coastal cities and countries due to rising sea levels.

Project Details:

Project Name: BiodiverCity

Location: Penang, Malaysia

Type: Competition

Size: 4,500 acres

Client: Penang State Government, Malaysia

Collaborators: 

1. Hijjas (Local Architects & Planners); 

2. Ramboll (Project Manager & Engineer);

3. Web Structures ( Geotechnical & Structural Engineering);

4. Web EM (Sustainability);

5. Ernst & Young (Economic Advisor);

6. Knight Frank (Real Estate);

7. KPK (Quantity Surveyor);

8. Green Growth Asia Foundation (Ecology & Conservation);

9. Universiti Teknologi Mara (Marine Ecology);

10. Lucian R (Visualizations).