INSIST 2008

Abstract for Islamic Science & Technology International Seminar

Title:
Overwhelming consumer acceptance for Malaysia’s
New Honeycomb Housing
Authors:
Bukryman Sabi, Mohd Peter Davis and Nurizan Yahaya
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
Anniz Bajunid, Universiti Technology Mara (UiTM)
Mazlin Ghazali, Arkitek M.Ghazali
Contact:
Bukryman Sabri, email: buke_7576@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT:
Honeycomb cul-de-sac housing is a new Malaysian town planning concept where
cluster houses surround neighbourhood parks with large shady trees in secure
child friendly communities. Now being adopted by developers in pioneer projects,
the prospect of Honeycomb townships is winning overwhelming consumer
acceptance in scientific surveys conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia in
Kuantan, Johor Baru, Pekan, Sg.Petani and Alor Setar.
Mini-exhibitions of Honeycomb housing including a site model and architectural
drawings were set up outside Government Offices during working hours.
Government servants and the public visiting the offices were introduced to the
new housing concept by UPM student enumerators and invited to take part in a
10 minute survey of around 30 questions. Respondents were asked how much
they could afford to pay for a house or apartments on display priced between
RM40k and RM220K. They were shown plans and drawings of a terrace house
or apartment at the selected price and equivalent Honeycomb housing at the
same price.
In 5 surveys involving 1385 respondents, 54% were ‘passionate’ (strongly liked)
Honeycomb housing compared to only 3% for equivalent conventional Malaysian
housing. Surprisingly, the elf selected housing affordability of the lower 80% of
potential home buyers (those who wanted to buy a new home in 1 to 5 years)
was at least RM40K up to around RM160K. This new finding contradicts the
Government mandate that 30% of new housing must be in the RM25K to RM45K
range and explains why they are increasingly difficult to sell. Husband and wife
now both work and combine their incomes for housing loans. Government low-
cost housing has outlived its usefulness and is becoming socially unacceptable.
Honeycomb housing has created a new market. Even though the large majority
of respondents already owned their own home, 72% wanted to buy the new
Honeycomb housing compared to only 5% for terrace housing and conventional
apartments.