Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park Ready Built Factories 4
Industrial buildings are often overlooked in design, especially in developing nations like Malaysia, where functionality takes precedence over aesthetics. Our latest project at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) challenges this norm by integrating thoughtful design with efficiency, ensuring both visual appeal and occupant well-being without compromising cost.
Inspired by its location near a seaport and container yard, the project draws from the concept of shipping containers. It offers three factory types: Detached, Semi-Detached, and Cluster, to cater to diverse needs.
The Detached and Semi-Detached factories feature overlapping cuboids of varying sizes, maintaining container-like proportions while creating dynamic forms. The foremost ‘box’ houses a showroom and office, while the rear spaces accommodate production lines. This design allows for strategic placement of windows and louvres along intersecting cuboids, providing natural lighting and ventilation without exposing restricted work areas. Recessed vents near the ground allow cool air entry, while overhanging shells prevent rain from entering top louvres, ensuring efficient heat discharge.
The showroom, a key identity space for factories, is positioned near the entrance and slightly elevated for prominence. Its double-height foyer, framed by bold exposed structures, enhances its grandeur and provides an impactful first impression.
The Cluster design, a variation of the shipping container concept, introduces an innovative typology developed over years of study. Although it is the smallest of the three factory types, it boasts the highest plot ratio. By eliminating underutilised back alleys, it maximises usable space, allowing for larger built-up areas. This modular design also enables expansion and reconfiguration when adjacent units are purchased, offering long-term flexibility.
Passive design principles play a crucial role in this project. Strategically placed skylights, louvres, and expanded glazed frontages optimise natural light and ventilation, reducing operational costs and enhancing the work environment. The showroom features a double-skin façade with internal brickwork to regulate temperature, improving comfort for occupants.
To maintain a clean industrial aesthetic, the factories employ a steel-inspired structural system with extensive glazing, complemented by corrugated metal cladding reminiscent of shipping containers. The result is a sleek, efficient, and durable architectural expression that balances functionality with striking visual appeal.
Text by the architect
PROJECT GALLERY
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Architect : Mak Arkitek Konsult
Client : K.K.I.P. Sdn Bhd
Area : 20,451.27 m²
Project Location : Kota Kinabalu | Sabah
Year : 2015 -
C&S Engineer : Perunding Rekawam Sdn Bhd
M&E Engineer : CYES Konsult
Quantity Surveyor : Prokosman Konsultant
Contractor : Derajasa Sdn Bhd
Photography : Mak Arkitek Konsult -
Floor | Floor Finishes
• Tile : White Horse
Paint Systems : Nippon Paint | Seamaster
Waterproofing | Coating Systems : Sika
Sanitary Fittings | Systems : Claytan
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