INTERFACE: Constructing the Edge for Malaysia Vision Valley

Malaysia Vision Valley (MVV) is a new economic growth area announced by the Malaysian Government in 2015. Comprising of 108,000 hectares of land on the western edge of Negeri Sembilan on the border of Selangor, and adjacent to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the studio will take an interdisciplinary approach to explore the interface between urban development, transportation infrastructure, and socioeconomic networks in order to foster and strengthen 22nd century urban growth and economic expansion.

Students will respond to a master plan of the 27,300 acre studio site (an area slightly larger than the city of Boston) that is located on decommissioned plantation land. Students are encouraged to question international development patterns in search of landscape and urban design and planning strategies that promote integration over replacement.

The objectives for the studio are to study the various aspects of this proposed 22nd century city; understand the physical, economic, environmental, and cultural interfaces at its urban boundaries; to propose detailed design and planning scenarios; and most importantly, to integrate the existing cultural, economic, and environmental qualities of cities, towns, and surrounding rural areas with the proposed development of MVV through sustainable strategies, biodiversity conservation, economic integration, livability, and social cohesion. As a final studio product, a master plan and design that allows for the bridging of existing and proposed interfaces in MVV will be crucial in establishing a clear vision for its future.