TRX, built to be sustainable from the ground up.

When it comes to the infrastructure, or hardware, of cities of the future, there are two basic building blocks that feature strongly: sustainability and technology. Both are closely intertwined. Unless one were to build a city from the ground up, many times these key building blocks are difficult to add on later. When done as an afterthought, you are rarely able to truly maximise its benefits.

Across the TRX development, sustainability and technology were the ‘ground zero’ considerations. Right in the heart of KL city, this development has staunchly pushed both these agendas for good reason – for the future value of the development itself, and to minimize development obsolescence.

Beginning with the water treatment, TRX is putting in measures to ensure smarter use of the world’s most precious resource. The district is the first large-scale commercial entity in South East Asia with a fully integrated reclaimed water system.

In collaboration with Veolia Water Technologies, the on-site water reclamation system is designed to recycle at the minimum 80% of the district’s wastewater – a high benchmark that is expected to be surpassed. Used water from the office and retail spaces, as well as residential tower, will be recycled and treated on site, to be used throughout the district for flushing, cooling and irrigation.

This is expected to cut freshwater demand for the district by up to 60%. The plant will be the chief feature in the sustainability design for TRX, which has received a provisional LEED recognition for Neighborhood Development at Gold and GBI Township Platinum certification.

It is also investing in green facilities covering waste management, energy utilisation, digital infrastructure and public spaces to create a truly sustainable international financial district. One of TRX’s advantages is its comprehensive masterplan; large infrastructure outfitted at the district level facilitate businesses and residents in their efforts to be greener.

Buildings in TRX follow the same green ethos too.

The Exchange 106, the centrepiece tower in the TRX development, has earned the GBI certification as well as MSC status. It offers some of the latest in-building technology including high performance insulated glass, energy efficient MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) systems with star ratings, 100% LED lighting and state-of-the-art elevator technologies.

The recently opened Menara Prudential has also achieved LEED Gold-certified green design provisions. Among its features are smart water system that channels and treats harvested rainwater to be reused for landscaping and sanitation, low-emissivity glass and building materials to increase indoor environmental quality and a lighting and cooling system with optimised energy performance.

TRX’s peerless public realm, with a 10-acre public park and a weaving network of green walkways, is crucial in upholding its pedestrian-first tenet, bolstered further by the excellent rail and pedestrian linkages of the district with the rest of Kuala Lumpur.

It’s easy to look at the above as simply a laundry list of features – what’s more important is that they are all connected. TRX is designed as a ‘smart’ district, one that’s built on a digital master plan that links all the above and more.

Built into the core, it is the district management’s ability to connect all these elements and be able to use the data generated to enhance sustainability, as well as safety, security and liveability. From managing water or energy use, monitoring foot traffic to maintaining security and emergency responsiveness, to engaging tenants and visitors, the platform draws its strength and ability to provide the right kind of information at exactly the right time.

This makes TRX more efficient, more secure and more sustainable, turning it into a leader for a new standard set for the future, but one that is being built today here in Kuala Lumpur.