Bachelor of Science (Hons) (Architecture)

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM

(ARC 2224)

Project:

Theorizing Architecture

Name : Kee Ting Ting

Student ID : 0310019

Tutor : Mr. Lam Shen Fei

 Table of Contents Page

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1.0 Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-

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2.0 Analysis

2.1 Economy------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-

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2.2 Context --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-

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2.3 Users ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7-

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3.0  Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

4.0 References --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

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1.0   Introduction  

Bandar Puteri Puchong is a township strategically located near to Putrajaya,

Cyberjaya, KLIA and the established townships of Subang Jaya, Bandar Sunway

and Seri Kembangan. It is also positioned next to the city centre and is connected to

major destinations via highways.  Inside the township is a hustle and bustle business

focus loaded with a mixture of organizations and administrations, including

numerous local and international banks, a mixed bag of diners, Puchong Financial

Corporate Centre(PFCC), and Giant and Tesco hypermarket. The building studied is

PFCC Tower 2 which consists of 20-storey and a block of shoplots in front of PFCC.

PFCC was developed by IOI Properties Berhad Group and it is a finance and

corporate zone consisting of 4 office towers and a hotel, and was completed in June

2009.

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Figure 1.1: Puchong located near to Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, KLIA and the established

townships of Subang Jaya, Bandar Sunway and Seri Kembangan.

Figure 1.2: The location of PFCC and the shoplots in Bandar Puteri Puchong.

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Bandar Puteri Puchong

PFCC

SHOPLOTS

Figure 1.3: The 5 towers of PFCC at Jalan Puteri 1/2, Puchong.

For this study, in the book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by

urban writer and activist Jane Butzner Jacobs (Preservation Institute, n.d.) expanded

on the physical conditions which are the foundation of the street ballet. One of the

conditions to make an area success economically in the urban is the need for aged

buildings.

For further discussion, the three external contributing factors on the

architecture of PFCC and the block of 4-storey height shoplots in front of PFCC

buildings that will be related to the condition for the city diversity are:

1. Economy

2. Context

3. Users

2.0 CONTENT

2.1 Economy

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Tower 5

Tower 4

Tower 3

Tower 1

Tower 2

In this study, economy as an external contributing factor is defined as the

level of rents between the old building as the block of 4-storey height shoplots, and

the new buildings as PFCC. In the book, Jacobs (1961) advocated that there must

be a mixture of old and new buildings. The economic reason has to do with the level

of rents. New buildings represent construction costs, which are evidenced by the

higher rents in the area. Old buildings represent lower rents. This then affects the

kind of commercial establishments that can exist in the district and the prices they

charge. The mixture of old and new buildings then is an economic necessity.

At this time, according to iProperty Group and Propwall Group, the space

areas available and rental fees for Tower 2 (MSC Status) at Puchong Financial

Corporate Centre (PFCC) are:

Office space available :- Small to Big Units

1721 sqft, 2200 sqft, 3800 sqft, 4000 sqft, 8500 sqft, 12,500-50,000 sqft.

Rental Rate (per sqft): Office space

1. RM4.50 psf (Tower 2) – MSC status

2. 1st Floor - RM5.50 psf

3. Ground - RM6.50 psf

Whereas, the block of 4-storey height shoplots that were constructed years back

earlier than PFCC buildings. The rental fees are definitely lower than the rental fees

of PFCC, as the PFCC building has much higher construction cost than the elder

shoplots. Therefore, the enterprises that can exist in PFCC buildings are

automatically able to support the high overheads, the enterprises must be either

high profit or well subsidized. While for the traders who are operating their own

individual small enterprises, the shoplots are all rented out and operated by them.

Jacobs (1961) explained the need for aged buildings, as they ensure low rent yields,

encouraging the growth of small enterprises. Furthermore, for a district to be diverse,

it must incorporate a mixture of low, medium and high yield buildings. Large

swatches of new construction are ineffective as only highly profitable organisations

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are able to afford the high overheads. This creates a sense of balancing that new

businesses and chain enterprises are coexisted in a district.

2.2 Context

In this study, context as an external contributing factor is defined as the

business diversity in new construction and old construction are to mingle with each

other. In the book, Jacobs (1961) mentioned, even the enterprises that can support

new construction in cities need old construction in their immediate vicinity.

Otherwise, they are part of a total attraction and local environment that is

economically too limited and ------therefore functionally too limited to be lively,

interesting and convenient. Flourishing diversity anywhere in a city means the

mingling of high-yield, middling-yield, low-yield and no yield enterprises.

Currently, the PFCC building and the shoplots achieved the idea that Jacobs

pointed out. By saying so, it is because inside PFCC, there are MBSB financial

company, OCBC Bank, MSC, IOI Galleria that people would likely access because

of the functions that provided are different from the 4-storey height shoplots. The 4-

storey height shoplots have various of businesses which consists of restaurants,

massage centres, insurance companies, furniture companies, bank, chain stores and

travel & tour company. Every storeys of each shoplot are occupied by the

businesses and most of the enterprises are the middle-formalized feeders. In a way,

the popular type businesses lead more public figures to watch the streets of the

district, and from there, small businesses are given a chance to hang on its own

public figures into their buildings in order to gain more profits. Thus , the area is

considered mature in a sense that economic is stabled, lively and convenient.

2.3 Users

In this study, users as an external contributing factor is defined as the

relationship between the category of users and the concentration populated in the

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aged and new buildings. Jacobs (1961) advocated a high degree of concentration of

people in one place. She supports compact city neighbourhoods where different

kinds of households and individuals (families, elderly, entrepreneurs, artists,

migrants, students) live together. The fact is that this variety on the small scale

results in the critical mass which is necessary to maintain an equally varied supply of

local facilities. She believed that in such a busy and diverse neighbourhood the local

supermarket, the kebab shop and the chain store can coexist without problems.

In Bandar Puteri Puchong, the people have middle-up incomes. Therefore, in

terms of gaining profit, the enterprises in PFCC are not much populated compares to

the enterprises at the shoplots. The shoplots comprise of restaurants, massage

centres, insurance companies, furniture companies, bank, chain stores and travel &

tour company. Whereas, generally for PFCC, IOI Galleria and banks are more

concentrated at the ground floor; offices and big restaurant like Moon Palace are

located on the upper floors. The usual peaks are during lunch and dinner time. Due

to vary enterprises like eateries and massage centres are operated in the row of

shoplots, the concentration of people are higher compared to PFCC's concentration

of people. when it is working periods, PFCC is populated with more people due to

the working stations are inside the PFCC building.

3.0 Conclusion

Jacob's argument was not simply rooted in an appreciation for outstanding

historic architecture; rather, she maintained, a proportion of unremarkable older

buildings – perhaps even a bit run down – made it possible for neighbourhoods to

support a variety of uses. A mix of old and new spaces allowed small businesses to

coexist with larger ones and populated a district with people of different incomes. A

district comprised entirely of fancy new buildings would be accessible only to those

who could afford to bear the costs of new construction, thus limiting the diversity of

people who could live there.

As a result, the three external contributing factors on the architecture of PFCC

and the block of 4-storey height shoplots in front of PFCC buildings that will be

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related to the city diversity are economy, context, and users. The first factor is

economy, it defines as the rental fees of PFCC and the shoplots which concluded

that PFCC has higher rental fees than shoplots ones because of the construction

cost is much higher. The second factor that I have mentioned is context, it defines as

the business diversity in PFCC building and the shoplots are to mingle with each

other in order to have a stabled, lively and convenient economy. The last external

contributing factor is the users. It talked about the relationship between the different

incomes of users and the concentration populated in the PFCC building and the

shoplots.

(1,484 words)

4.0 Reference

Jacobs, J. (1993). The need for aged buildings. In The death and life of great American cities (p. 187). New York: Modern Library.

BOOKRAGS, Inc. (2015). The Death and Life of Great American Cities - Part 2, Chapter

10, The Need for Aged Buildings Summary & Analysis. Retrieved from

http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-death-and-life-of-great-american-cities/

chapanal010.html#gsc.tab=0

Exclusive Web Limited. (n.d.). Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC).

Google. (n.d.). Google Maps. Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/maps/search/PFCC+Puchong,+Selangor,+Malaysia/

@3.0257555,101.615658,421m/data=!3m1!1e3

iProperty Group. (n.d.). Office for Rent in PFCC Puchong Financial Corporate Centre,

Puchong by Christina Gordon Lai UP1675769. Retrieved from

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http://www.iproperty.com.my/propertylisting/1675769/bandar-puteri-puchong-

office-forrent

Propwall Group. (n.d.). Office For Rent at PFCC, Bandar Puteri Puchong For RM 56,250

(RM 5 psf) by Milly.M | Propwall. Retrieved from

http://www.propwall.my/classifieds/1135755/pfcc-bandar-puteri-puchong-office-for-

rent-by-milly-m

Wendt, M. (2009). The Importance of Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) by

Jane Jacobs to the Profession of Urban Planning. IV. City Streets, Districts and the

Mix of Uses, 7.

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