Zehn and now

By Johnni Wong
As soon as the keys were handed over to the condominium owners of the Zehn Bukit Pantai development in Kuala Lumpur recently, property agents have been busy advertising certain units for sale at the average price of RM700 per square foot. The asking price for one particular penthouse unit was a whopping RM7mil or at RM1,000 per square foot!
When launched in Oct 2006, the price per square foot was only RM500 for units on the lower levels but within a couple of months the price shot up. The luxury condominium development is a joint-venture project between CapitaLand and Juta Asia Properties Sdn Bhd together with Pantai Holdings Bhd. Comprising two tower blocks of 25 storeys each, the development is sited on 0.78 hectare (1.9 acres) of land.
According to Juta Asia project manager Lee Sooi Leong, the hand-over was in November and many owner-occupiers have moved in.
"So far, about 20% of the units have been occupied. Another 20% are under renovation. We expect 50% occupancy before Chinese New Year," said Lee, during a tour of the development.
Regarded as one of the more prestigious property developments in the Bangsar-Bukit Pantai enclave, the condominium project has a total of 185 units. Typical units range in size from 177sq m to 326sq m (1,905sq ft to 3,509sq ft).
"There are a total of seven penthouse units with three in Block A and four in Block B with an approximate built-up space from 5,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet (465sq m to 743sq m). Only one penthouse unit was built as a duplex while the others were designed as triple-level units," pointed out Lee.
Overall, 21% of the units have views of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). The architecture is by BEP Arkitek Sdn Bhd led by its principal, Kam Pak Cheong.
Said Lee: "Being on a high vantage point, the units are designed to maximise the potential views all around. In fact, every living room and bedroom enjoys an uninterrupted panorama of the surrounding landscape. At the same time, movable screens have been fitted for every west-facing side of the building to shield the rooms from the harsh tropical sunlight streaming through the full-height windows. Deep ledge overhangs on the other faces ensure that all units are well-protected from the heat of the sun."
The typical units come in eight layout designs.
According to Lee, the asking price for a unit quoted by property agents range from RM700 per square foot to RM900 per square foot, depending on the layout type and floor level.
"There are still three units at the lower levels available from the developers. The built-up space is from 3,046 square feet to 3,509 square feet (283sq m to 326sq m) and the price is from RM690-RM740 per square foot."
FacilitiesIn terms of facilities and amenities, the development offers one of the tightest security features in a condo project. And this has attracted many high-profile owners, especially captains of industry and businessmen, who value good security measures.
The entrance has a sentry and manned posts are placed at various points such as the lift entrance from the car park areas and the condo lift lobbies.
"The basement car park lobbies for both Block A and B are secured and accessible only with security passes. There is a lift for visitors between the Block A and Block B lobbies connecting the basement level with the ground floor.
"We employ 15 to 20 guards depending on the time of day, plus guard dog patrol at night. Of course, visitors need to register with the security guards at the guard house," said Lee.
"Each unit comes with a minimum of two to four parking lots, depending on the unit type."
Although security is tight, the developers also wanted a residential development that welcomes visitors of the condo owners, such as friends and relatives. There are 37 designated parking bays for visitors.
The spacious lift lobbies span 180sq m for Block A and 150sq m for Block B and the walls have been extensively cladded with "Royal Beige" travertine from Iran.
The colour scheme for the two lobbies is in beige and brown. Thus, Merbau - a local hardwood - has been utilised as flooring material for certain parts of the lobbies. Even the over-sized flower pots are premium-quality Serralunga pots.
The two lobbies are also equipped with custom-made leather furniture for the comfort of residents should they need to wait for their transport. The seven-seater lounge furniture for Block A and five-seater for Block B come complete with screens which act as both a decorative device and for some measure of privacy in the public areas.