2026 AM Volume 38, Issue 2 _ The Awards Issue _ HL Architecture
2026 AM Volume 38, Issue 2 _ The Awards Issue _ HL Architecture
The recognition of both The Campus Ampang and Carcosa Seri Negara at the PAM Awards 2026 highlights the viability and importance of adaptive re-use and preservation across very different eras of Malaysian history.
At the annual PAM Awards, HL Architecture Sdn Bhd secured two major recognitions in the Adaptive Reuse category: Commendation for The Campus Ampang and Silver Award for Carcosa Seri Negara (in collaboration with CGB Consultants). These projects occupy vastly different positions on the historical spectrum, yet they share a singular philosophy. Architectural stewardship means looking at existing structures as highly complex, low-carbon assets rather than liabilities.
With The Campus Ampang, we transformed a vacant 1960s educational institution into an open-air, community-driven retail destination. Instead of executing a high-carbon demolition or resorting to a sealed, energy-intensive mall typology, we retained the primary concrete frame, beams and slabs as well as general finshes wherever possible. We relied on passive ventilation, shaded breezeways, and extensive material upcycling, repurposing classroom glass and embracing original finishes like fair-faced brick and pebble-wash.
With Seri Negara, a colonial residence built in 1913, the challenge was balancing high-fidelity heritage conservation with modern, functional adaptation. Heritage and programming must exist in technical harmony; the building cannot simply be frozen in time, it must be sensitively restored whislt embracing its new function as a public gallery and dining destination.
These recognitions prove that adaptive reuse is not a secondary alternative to new development. It is a highly demanding discipline that requires rigorous engineering, spatial intelligence, and environmental responsibility.
As Malaysia shifts its focus toward sustainable urban development, perhaps local authorities should offer stronger planning incentives for structural retention over demolition?
AM Volume 38, Issue 2, 2026
Read the full article
https://www.pam.org.my/images/publications/am2026/38-2/#p=178
https://www.pam.org.my/images/publications/am2026/38-2/#p=192