Lumos Residence
Lumos Residence is an award-winning 9-storey serviced apartment located at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee, Kuching, Sarawak. Adjacent to the serviced apartment is the single-storey corporate office of the apartment’s developer, Benta Mewah Sdn Bhd, which is interconnected with a communal sports hall accessible to the apartment’s residents via a connecting bridge on the first floor or directly from the office itself.
Due to the slender contours of the site, the apartment is arranged in a single-tiered design facing the north-south orientation. Four different types of layouts were introduced, with areas ranging from 1,100 sq ft to 1,300 sq ft, to cater to diverse niches. All units are equipped with their balcony, veiled by pivot louvre screens and ventilation blocks to ensure privacy and shade.
Lumos embraces the ethos of contemporary design; off-form walls are utilised to induce the tactile expressions and innate rawness of materials elegantly. On the front façade, the external concrete staircase exhibits clean lines and depth. Planter boxes are strategically placed along the single-loaded corridor on the front elevation. Planted with bamboo and hanging plants, they help screen the corridor from harsh sun and rain while bringing a soft edge to the apartment’s unwieldy body.
The office and communal sports hall also speak the same design language. The office is a concrete structure with a pavilion space at the centre. One enters the office through a steel box that protrudes from the off-form wall front façade, leading to the pavilion, which is encapsulated by steel lattice screens with planters of lush greenery. Further inside are the office spaces, where the expanse of the outdoors is merged with the indoors through a series of openings framed by concrete fins.
Located right behind the office is the communal sports hall. A series of cast-in-situ reinforced concrete fins stand tall along the promenade, leaving a striking memory of this space with its dynamic sense of scale.
To achieve sustainability, the apartment’s lobbies are enhanced with ventilation blocks to allow airflow, reducing energy demands through the omission of ceiling fans or air conditioners. A rainwater harvesting system is also integrated within the building for efficient irrigation and nurturing of landscapes. Furthermore, each apartment unit is equipped with smart devices to minimise energy consumption while incorporating modern efficiency into everyday life.
Lumos values its residents’ sense of exclusivity. A guardhouse at the entrance ensures security; the communal sports hall is exclusively catered to residents and can be easily accessed through the elevated walkway on the first floor. Community events can also be held in the hall when needed.
With only 72 units in total, the low-density community greatly improves the quality of life for the inhabitants by providing more tranquillity in a controlled environment, ideal for multi-generational family living. Amidst the urban fabric of Kuching, Lumos’s comprehensive and sustainable design stands as an architectural dialogue between human habitation and the well-being of the living — both environment and people.
Text by the architect
PROJECT GALLERY
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Architect : MNSC Architects
Client : Benta Mewah Sdn Bhd
Area : 11, 581 m²
Project Location : Kuching | Sarawak
Year : 2024 -
C&S Engineer : J.K. Bersatu Sdn Bhd
M&E Engineer : PKM Project Konsultant Sdn Bhd
Quantity Surveyor : FCH Quantity Surveyors Sdn Bhd
Interior Designer : Youngblood (for show unit)
Contractor : Global Eden Sdn Bhd
Photography : Lau Ming Ngi -
Floor | Floor Finishes
• Tile : Feruni Ceramiche Sdn Bhd
• Vinyl : Global Niaga
Wall | Wall Finishes
• Brick : Ecobricks (EM) Sdn Bhd
Aluminium and Glazing : Classic Emas (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd
Paint Systems : Jotun Paints (M) Sdn Bhd
Waterproofing | Coating Systems : Sika Kimia Sdn Bhd
Door | Hardware : Hardwood door with Aqara digital lock for main door
Sanitary Fittings | Systems : Sorento
Kitchen Fittings | Systems : Quartz stone island top with aluminium cabinetry
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