Multiple award-winning ATSA Architects Sdn Bhd – which celebrated its 20th anniversary recently – is working towards becoming a leader in green architecture as it believes this direction will stand the test of demand for high quality sustainable buildings.
“We’re designing many green buildings which are going for GBI (Malaysia’s Green Building Index) or LEED (the United States’ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification or both,” said ATSA Architects CEO Azim A Aziz.
Currently, it is lead consultant and architect for Malaysia’s first green university – the three-phase Manipal International University in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, which is going for GBI platinum certification and LEED platinum accreditation. The first phase comprising the School of Engineering and Business Studies, now under construction, is expected to be completed by March 2013.
Azim said ATSA has also secured the tender given out by Cyberview Sdn Bhd to design the country’s first green mosque which is aiming for GBI gold rating.
Construction is slated to start late this year or early 2013. “We aspire to be an exemplary architect firm in adopting sustainability practices in our business operations as well as provide our clients with designs that are environmentally sensitive,” Azim said.
ATSA’s founding members Azim, Zulqaisar Hamidin and Yee Teck Choon left Jurubena Bertiga to set up the firm in July 1992. Today, it has 80 staff based in Kuala Lumpur and branch offices in Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
It plans to open an operations office in Johor Baru by Q3 2012. Over the years, it has been recognised as one of the top 10 busiest architectural practices in Malaysia by BCI Asia for 2012, 2008 and 2005.
The guest of honour at the firm’s 20th anniversary was Datuk Baharuddin Abu Bakar, the 2009 PAM (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia) Gold Award recipient known for pioneering progressive designs inspired by local heritage and the man behind some of the country’s most symbolic buildings that include the National Mosque in KL, Selangor State Museum and many skyscrapers in the city.
