Ed added: “As part of our work with Sabah forestry and to aid our research, we conducted a series of workshops. The client organised visits for the team to the Sabah Forestry Headquarters in Sandakan and Danum valley to visit the research centres and tree nurseries and experience the flora and fauna of the rainforest first hand – a truly amazing experience!”
The new Prince Philip Park is proposed on the site of an existing park but will be twice the size and will include a range of facilities including a nature park, evolution garden and a natural amphitheatre with a central lake.
The park will be created within an area of rainforest, providing the opportunity for heritage and educational trails with a tree top canopy walk highlighting the conserved and transplanted trees that are native to the Sabah region.
The park is designed to be universally accessible and encourage use for a wide range of users during the day and evenings. There will be a wider range of play for children of all ages within the park as well as a network of fitness trails and equipment to encourage health and wellness.
The Tarung Aru Beach Park will include an improved waterfront promenade that links the southern end of the beach with the Prince Philip Park and a beachside rainforest park lined with the Aru trees that provide the historic character of the area and give the area its name. One of the most important design features across the whole scheme was also to maximise the views towards the stunning Kota Kinabalu sunsets.