Innovative developers bag recognition for Malaysia

Soemawinata (seventh from left) and Sastrawinata (eighth from left) together with the World Silver Winners.

Architecture, sustainability among strengths of six gold and three silver winners of global real estate awards

NINE awards were picked up by Malaysia at the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards 2024 held to honour brilliance in real estate development.

In its 27th year, the annual event saw the global real estate community gathering to honour industry innovation.

Strides made in architecture, sustainability, community engagement and ethical business practices were recognised in a glittering ceremony in Singapore.

Six entries from Malaysia were listed as World Gold Winners.

Leading these were SkyAwani 3 Residences in the Affordable Housing Category.

Tamarind Square received its gold for the Mixed-Use Development Category while Pavilion Bukit Jalil won in the Retail Category.

Top awards for high, mid and low-rise projects in the Residential Category went to Parc3 @ KL South, Queens Residences Q1 and Saujana Duta respectively.

Also doing Malaysia proud was Taman Nuri Sentosa receiving a silver award in the Affordable Housing Category.

The other two World Silver Winners were Elmina Rainforest & Knowledge Centre in the Environmental Category and PETRONAS Leadership Centre in the Purpose Built Category.

FIABCI World president Budiarsa Sastrawinata spoke on the profound significance of the awards.

“The awards stand as a beacon, recognising projects that exemplify architectural and design brilliance as well as embody sustainability, community engagement, and ethical business practices,” he said after greeting attendees.

Sastrawinata highlighted the importance of environment, social and governance (ESG) as a guiding principle that now shaped decision-making across the industry.

“Today, developers, investors, and stakeholders are increasingly realising the importance of aligning projects with environmental sustainability, promoting social equity and adhering to high governance standards,” he added.

The awards thus celebrate projects that champion these values and inspire the industry to set new benchmarks.

He also noted the role of emerging trends in shaping the real estate landscape, such as smart cities, proptech solutions, and the rise of remote work, which has driven demand for flexible and adaptable spaces.

FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards Committee president Soelaeman Soemawinata announced significant changes to the submission criteria, aimed at making the competition more accessible and inclusive.

Projects now need to be completed in nine months instead of one year, and the occupancy rate criteria have been adjusted from 50% to 35%. If any award category has fewer than three entries, those projects will be carried forward to the next year or until there are at least three contenders.

“We believe that excellence knows no boundaries,” Soemawinata said, extending an invitation to all 21 FIABCI chapters to submit their chapter award winners for the World Prix d’Excellence Awards.

For chapters without their own awards, he encouraged them to invite outstanding projects to submit directly to the World Prix Secretariat and to begin planning their chapter’s awards for future competitions.