The UAB Bank Building

THE CONSERVATION & ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE UAB BUILDING, GEORGE TOWN WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The stunning restoration and adaptive reuse of the UAB building for Khazanah Nasional and ThinkCity embodies the very principles of sustainability. It is the first Malaysian conservation project to attain the U.S. based LEED GOLD Certification and brings heritage works to an entirely new level of international recognition. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) seeks to recognise a design framework that seeks to create quality, healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings and the UAB building now stands as a globally recognized project of sustainability-achievement.

This mark of excellence has raised the bar for the latest preferred conservation approach. It exemplifies the crucial need to recycle existing building stock in a World Heritage Site in a fashion which not only embodies benchmark standards, extends service life with contemporary options and community usage but also demonstrates 21^st century ecological options.

When confronted with what was historically a port-side godown space that had been clumsily converted into office and banking commercial spaces, the evolving design approach grew to become more than just restoration and adaptive re-use.  It endeavoured to be of the highest international standards, ground breaking, sustainable and relevant.

The project focussed on innovation in design with dedication to water and energy efficiency, on creating an excellent indoor quality for users and on recycling materials and resources. It also attempted to positively impact both the neighbourhood as well as the World Heritage Site.  Setting an example for surrounding restoration works, the project recycled extensively believing that any new construction would require new materials and supportive infrastructure and any new materials produced would have substantial impact on the environment.  Restoration and adaptive reuse of the UAB building have gone beyond just conserving physical and cultural heritage. It has also ensured that the ‘all-new look’ operation is embodied with the very principles of the Biophilic notion of the human need to affiliate with nature and other forms of life. This became the driving force and key consideration in developing the work spaces as well as public spaces and in re-establishing this contact in the built milieu.

The new Khazanah and ThinkCity offices since their inception have become part of the vibrancy of the George Town social and cultural scene. A generous 30% of its floor space has been intentionally conserved, upgraded, equipped and activated for full utilization by the urban community of the inner city. George Town Festival 2017 successfully utilized the designated spaces in the building for various exhibitions and lectures while state events and bookings for a vast array of social, cultural and academic events continue to pour in.

February 2018