This document provides information about the construction of Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It discusses the pitched roof, U-shaped staircases, and concrete materials used in the building. For the roof, it describes the advantages of the pitched metal roof but also proposes a flat asphalt roof as an alternative. For the staircases, it analyzes the U-shaped design and concrete construction, but suggests L-shaped stairs could also work well. The document compares various options and provides details to summarize key elements of the iconic shopping mall's architectural design.

1. (BLD60104)
PROJECT
Student Name & ID: (1) Pan Lek Vun (0323164)
(2) Wah Yun Chen (0319115)
(3) Chen Shin Yee (0322650)
(4) Felix Vong Zhi Wei (0318462)
(5) Lim Chu Ning (0320369)
Lecturer : MS. Azrina Binti Md Yaakob
Site : Starhill Gallery
Submission date: 08-06-2015
Contruction Technology
1

2. Table of Content
Content Page
Introduction 1-2
Type of Roof 3-5
Alternative for Roof 6-8
Type of Staircase 9-12
Alternative for Staircase 13-14
Types of Door 15-17
Alternative for Door & Purpose of Window 18-20
Conclusion 21
References 22

3. Introduction
For our Construction Technology 1 group assignment, we have to choose a building,
specifically a shopping mall as our object of study in this assignment. After
discussion among our group, we decided to choose Starhill Gallery as our object of
study. The reason why we chose this building is because it is one of Kuala Lumpur’s
most iconic shopping mall, featuring an extraordinary array of luxury shops and fine
dining restaurants. As it is a high-class luxurious shopping mall, most of us do not
visit it often and as a result, we do not know much about the building itself, exterior
and interior. Therefore, we are interested to study more about the building especially
the unique design and architectural style of it.
Image 1 & 2: The exterior of Starhill Gallery.
Starhill Gallery has become one of the iconic identity in Kuala Lumpur since
its opening and is a popular destination for luxury shopping in Southeast Asia.
Starhill Gallery is designed by Stephen Pimbley, founding director of Spark and he is
also the architect in charge of Singapore’s popular Clarke Quay. It has a unique
crystalline façade that consists of skin of glass and stone panels. It also resembles
the “wet drapery” of the ancient statues of Greece and Rome. The crystalline walls
provide a transparency appearance and let the outer light in to give some natural
lighting.

4. Image 3 & 4: The interior of Starhill Gallery.
Starhill Gallery’s lightweight steel, stone and glass facade is the first of their
kind in Malaysia that embraces cutting-edge technology for its construction. An
iconic triple height shopping pavilion is constructed at the entrance of Starhill Gallery
for the French luxury retailer LVMH and their cosmetics brand Sephora. Sephora is
connected to Starhill Gallery via a first floor bridge that pierces the new crystalline
façade.
As the building is meant to be a high-class luxury shopping mall, the
architects has deliberately designed a complex building envelope using only the best
materials in synergy with the high quality of the brands and products in the mall. It is
an interesting place to visit for all ages and it provides the visitors with a special high-
class experience.
Some information about Starhill Gallery:
Architects: Spark Architects
Location: Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Architect in Charge: Stephan Pimbley
Structural Consultant: RFR Shanghai
Area: 2,000 sqm
Year: 2011

5. Roofs
Roofs are one of the key components of any building. It covers up the uppermost
part of buildings and its primary function is to provide protection from animal and
weather, including rain, heat, wind and sunlight. It also provides heat insulation to
maintain the internal temperature and drainage of water from the top of buildings. In
addition, it can also resist the spread of fire from external sources. There are many
types of roof for different circumstances, the most common ones are Flat roof, Gable
roof, Hip roof, Gambrel roof, Shed roof and Pitched roof.
The characteristics and types of roof depends on the purpose and location of
the building that it covers, the available roofing materials, the surrounding climate,
cost, services accommodated in the roof and the size, shape as well as design of the
building it covers. Another important aspect of roofs is the choice of material used.
Different materials is suitable for different roofs of buildings with different locations
and functions. The three main roof slopes that determine the material used are flat
roofs, low slope, and
steep slope.
Image 1
The image shows a
section of the pitched
roof of Starhill Gallery
from a distance.
The roof of Starhill Gallery can be considered generally as a type of Pitched
Roof. As the overall design of Starhill Gallery is unique and made up of different
sizes and shapes of glass and stone panel, the roof design have to be unique and
follow the shape of the surrounding panels on walls. As such, pitched roof is chosen
as it follows the slopes of the panels forming the pitch.

6. Image 2
The view of pitched roof in Starhill Gallery by zooming
in.
Pitched roof can be defined basically as a roof with surfaces having a slope of
more than 10 degrees to the horizontal surface. Most houses are designed with a
pitched roof, as this is the most reliable and effective method to weatherproof a
building. It is also the most used roof types for domestic building. One of the big
benefits of pitched roofs is the extra space under the roofs which can be used to
accommodate service or converted into usable space, for example: converting attic
space under the pitched roof into living space. The angle of pitch will be affected by a
number of reasons including the type of roofing material used, extra space needed,
drainage, weatherproofing, difficulty of construction, maintenance, load of roof, span
of roof and architectural styles, which is evident in Starhill Gallery in the unique
architectural style used.
Main Advantages of Pitched Roof in Starhill Gallery:
 Nice and unique aesthetic look with the overall design
 Efficient in drainage of water
 Less maintenance needed as it is less prone to moisture damage
 Have a good structure and stability
 Durable and weather-resistant
 Effective insulation from outside temperature
 Does not require weather covering and water proofing treatment
 Extra space to accommodate services

7. Main Disadvantages of Pitched Roof in Starhill Gallery:
 Difficult to maintain and clean due to its unique sloped structure
 High initial cost
 Complex design requires additional materials and work
It is clear that the choice of pitched roof in Starhill Gallery is a suitable and
good decision. Not only it allows the roof to follow the shape of the surrounding
walls, it also have the unique style that the overall building design aims to give out. It
also provides good drainage of water and insulation of heat from the external
temperature. In addition, it reduces the amount of maintenance needed as it is
weather-resistant, which is important as the design of the building makes it difficult to
clean and maintain the roof. The downsides of pitched roof is in the process of
construction, which requires high cost, additional materials and work due to its
complex design in Starhill Gallery.
The materials used in pitched roof of Starhill Gallery is metal, probably
aluminium or zinc. Metal roofs are popular in both residential and commercial
buildings. It is durable (20 to 50 years) and weather-resistant. It is also lightweight
and easy to install. Metals are non-combustible so it is fire-resistant. It can reflect
radiant heat from the sun and as a result makes it energy-efficient. Metal roofs are
also environmentally-friendly as metals are recyclable.
However, metal roofs has its drawbacks too. Some of it include its high initial
cost and the noise it can produce especially by rain. High quality installation and
maintenance are needed as metal roofs can be easily damage by accumulation of
water as well as expansion and contraction due to change in temperature. Some
Image 3 & 4
A comparison
of the roof of
Starhill Gallery
with satellite
image and roof
plan drawing

8. softer metals such as aluminium and copper can also dent if large heavy objects
such as hailstone falls on it.
The choice of pitched roof in Starhill Gallery is suitable for its purpose and
design but another alternative roof type that can be recommended is Flat roof. Flat
roof are roofs with an almost flat surface, with slope of only 1 degree to 5 degrees.
Image 5 & 6
Some examples of Flat Roof.
Advantages of Flat Roof:
 Suitable for complex buildings with various levels
 Low cost and economical
 Easy to install
 Easier and cheaper to maintain and clean compared to pitched roof
 High quality and high performance
 Option for decoration finishes or recreation
 Have a modern design characteristic
 Less materials, labour and time for construction
 It is safer and provides better light as well as ventilation
Disadvantages of Flat Roof:
 Requires more maintenance due to accumulation of moisture
 Poor drainage of water
 Limited capacity for insulation compared to pitched roof
 Little space to accommodate services

9. Flat roof is chosen as an alternative as it is suitable to cover up the top of
Starhill Gallery especially with the building’s complex and unique design. It will not
conflict with the building’s original architectural style as the roof has a modern look. It
is also cheaper and easier to install than pitched roof which is important as Starhill
Gallery’s building design make the overall building expensive and hard to construct.
In addition, flat roof is easier and cheaper to maintain compared to pitched roof. It
also requires less materials, labour and time for construction. Besides that, flat roof
provides the option for decoration finishes or recreation which is a good idea for a
new attraction of Starhill Gallery which is a high class luxury shopping mall. It is also
a safer roof for the customers and provides better light and ventilation which suits the
crystalline façade of the building which naturally lets light through.
Compared to pitched roof, flat roof also has its disadvantages. One of the
main issues with flat roof is its poor drainage of water which also results in more
maintenance than pitched roof. It also has limited capacity of insulation and only
provides little to no space to accommodate services compared to pitched roof. To
solve these problems, a good water drainage system and heat insulation mechanism
can be installed on the roof with the money saved from the low cost of flat roof. The
missing extra space due to flat roof is not a big concern in the case of Starhill Gallery
as the design of the building does not particularly allows much space under the roof
even if pitched roof is used. Therefore, flat roof is suitable as an alternative roof.
A suitable material for the flat roof alternative is asphalt flat roof. It is a very
common material used in flat roof. The thickness of asphalt and number of coats
needed depends on the surface type and substructure of building. Asphalt flat roof is
easy to install, economical and durable. However, it can decay due to weather
changes.

10. Table 1
Comparison between Pitched Roof and Flat Roof based on the usage of it in Starhill
Gallery
Pitched Roof Flat Roof
Characteristic Sloping faces of more than 10
degrees to the horizontal
surface
Slope of only 1 degree to 5
degrees
Material Metal Asphalt
Water
drainage
Good drainage Poor drainage
Maintenance Less maintenance is needed More maintenance is needed
Insulation Good insulation of heat Limited capacity of insulation
Difficulty and
cost of
maintenance
Difficult and expensive to
maintain and clean
Easier and cheaper to maintain
and clean
Extra space
under roof
Have space to accommodate
services or other purposes
Little to no space under the roof
to accommodate services
Cost High initial cost Low cost
Construction
process
More materials, labour and time
needed for construction
Less materials, labour and time
required for construction

11. Staircase
Staircase is a flight or a series of flights of steps leading from one
floor to another, and includes landings, newel posts,handrails,
balustrades and additional parts. It is also a supporting structure
connecting separate levels. Its primary function is to provide the
convenient to access floors,roofs,levels and walking surfaces that not
accessibleby other ways. Besides that, it provides a degree of sound
insulation and provides a means of escape in the event of fire. There are
many types of staircases that we can build or add railings to, the more
popular staircases types are straight stairs, L-shaped stairs, U-shaped
stairs, 90o
winder stairs, curved stairs and spiral stairs.
The types of staircase used depend on designation of the
staircase (front or supporting), intensity of usage, the form of the place
allocated for staircase construction and the materials that used to build
it. The form and location of the staircase must have the considerationon
convenience and functional usage of the staircase. It should also be
mentioned that compatibility of the staircase is achieved at the expense
of convenience and safety.
Image1 Image2

12. The staircases that exist in Starhill Gallery can be considered as U-
shaped stairs. As the images shown, these are the different locations of
staircases that exist in Starhill Gallery. All the staircases that exist in
Starhill Gallery are the same type of staircases, that is U-shaped stairs.
Image3
Image4
This image shows the plan and
structureof U-shaped stair.

13. U-Shaped stairs are basically 2 parallel flights of straight stairs joined
by a landing that requires 180 degrees turn in the walk line. If a third
flight is inserted into the middle of the stairs, it would become adouble L
stair (or quarter landing). The landing separates the staircase into two
parts so that it will make the walking more comfortable.This type of stair
is very convenient, functional and safe.
Advantages of U-shaped Stairs in Starhill Gallery:
 U shaped stairs can be easier to fit into an architectural plan.
 They offersome architectural interest.
 The landing(s) can offera resting point part way up the stairs.
 Convenient, functional and safe.
Disadvantages of U-shaped Stairs in Starhill Gallery:
 These types of stairs are a bit more difficultto build.
U-shaped staircase that used in Starhill Gallery is a good decision.It
is because U-shaped staircase really suitable for people who used the
staircases in Starhill Gallery. The structure of U-shaped staircase is
simple and easy for people to walk because mostof the staircases that
existed in Starhill Gallery are served as an escape route or fire escape.
In addition, the landings between the flights can be a resting point for
people especiallythe elderly and child to rest when they use stair to get
to the level. It is really safe for the users. Although U-shaped staircase is
good and safe, it is harder to build than other types of staircase.

14. The material used in U-shaped staircase of Starhill Gallery is
concrete,which is the mixture of cement, sand and aggregates and
water. Most of the constructed building is built by concrete,it will harden
as it sets. Concrete can be molded into any sizes which means that the
height of step and flight can be customized.Concrete staircase is
durable and long-lasting. Concrete can be prepared on-site or pre-
fabrication so that it is easy for workers to work. Besidesthat, concrete
staircase is more economicalthan other materials such as metal.
Concrete is a non-combustible material which makes it fire-safe and able
to withstand high temperatures.
However, concrete staircase has its disadvantages also. Concrete is
brittle and susceptible to crack as it has low tensile strength when it is
harden. Concrete has low ductility and low strength-to-weight ratio
compare to other materials.
The choice of U-shaped stair is suitable to Starhill Gallery but
another alternative type of stair that is recommendedis L-shaped stair.
L-shaped stair is a variation of the straight stair with a bend in some
portion of the stair. This bend is often90 degrees.
Image 5
Thisimage showsthe
material usedthatis
concrete.

15. Advantages of L-shaped Stairs:
 L Stairs can be more visually interesting.
 They provide a visual barrier between floors.
 L Stairs can help somewhat with sound transmission between
floors if the stairs are contained within walls.
 The landing can provide a place to stop and rest while ascending.
 They can be located in a corner of a room if this works better for
your design.
Disadvantages of L-shaped Stairs:
 L shaped stairs are a bit more difficult to build.
 A supportis typically required for the landing in a L-type stair.
 Handrails for these types of stairs require more skill and planning
to construct.
Image 6 Image 7
Image 6 & 7 show the sample of L-shapedstair.

16. L-shaped Stairs is chosenas an alternative as it is suitable for the
building staircase and the emergencystaircase. We choosing to use the
L-shaped stairs because it is when space is not available for the straight
stair or U-shaped stair, L-shaped stairs are used. These are straight
stairs that landing that change the directionof the flight to 90 degrees.
For emergencyexit, It is more suitable to use this kind of staircase. It is
because this kind of door is possible to be located in the corner.
Compare to U-shaped stairs, L-shaped stair also has its
disadvantage. One of the main issue that is it is very difficultto build and
it probable need more floorspace that other type of staircase. Moreover,
a supportis typically required for the landing in the L type stair. Often
this is built into the surrounding the walls so it goes unnoticed.
The requirement material for the L-shaped stair is the length and width
of the landing should not less than the width of the stairway. Landing
should have a minimum vertical clearance of not less than 200mm;
landing must be less than 750mm.Landing has a gradient not steeper
than 1:50.
Doors
A door is a moving structure used to block off, and allow access to, an entrance to or
within an enclosed space, such as a building. The door is used to control the
physical atmosphere within a space by enclosing the air drafts, so that interiors may
be more effectively heated or cooled. Besides, doors are significant in preventing the

17. spread of fire and they also act as a barrier to noise. There are many types of doors
for different circumstances, the most common ones are swing doors, pendulous
doors, sliding doors and stacker doors.
The door’s function depends on its type. This is the reason why it’s important
to choose those doors that are suitable for the intended use. One of the important
aspect of roofs is the choice of material used. Different materials is suitable for
different doors of buildings with different locations and functions.
Image 1
This image shows the swing door of Starhill
Gallery.
The door of Starhill Gallery can be
considered generally as a type of Swing Door.
Swing doors are most natural choice for office
buildings and other work spaces. In addition, swing
doors are offered as a single sash creating a
beautiful main entrance or as dual sash, connecting
the indoors with the outdoors. As the overall design
of Starhill Gallery is unique and modern, the design
of main entrance has to be sleek, modern, unique
and beautiful to complement the style of Starhill Gallery. The door that Starhill
Gallery has chosen is frameless glass door which is wider than the standard widths
to suit the style of Starhill Gallery perfectly. As Starhill Gallery is a shopping mall for
the upper-class Malaysians and rich western and Arab tourists, everything is focused
on luxury. As the image 1 shown, there is a security guard opens the swing door to
let people in.
Main Advantages of Swing Door in Starhill Gallery:

18.  Can be manufactured with side-lights for additional lighting to the interior
 Sidelights can incorporate windows for additional ventilation
 Available in toughened glass or laminated safety glass
 Strong and durable
 Easy to maintain
 Clean, shining and smooth surface
 Light weight and easily transportable
 Lasting shape and design
 Fast, simple and easy installation
 Offers more security
Main Disadvantages of Swing Door in Starhill Gallery:
 It takes up space when it swings open
 Nothing can be placed in the path of the door
Swing door is obviously a good choice for Starhill Gallery as it suits the style
of Starhill Gallery perfectly. The swing door allows the light to go through the door
and make the interior looks brighter. Besides, it reduces the amount of
maintainence fees as it is strong, durable and easy to maintain. The clean,
shining and smooth surface of the door make Starhill Gallery looks even more
beautiful. By installing swing door, it takes lesser time by having light weight,
easily transportable and easy installation. It offers more security because dead
bolt locks which are difficult to overcome can be installed.
The material used in swing door of Starhill Gallery is glass, which is generally
made from mixtures of sand and silicates. The use of glass of door in
architectural buildings has become very popular in the modern culture. By using
swing door made of glass, it supplies natural daylight. Besides, it provides
elegant looks which suits the upper class style of Starhill Gallery.
The choice of swing door in Starhill Gallery is suitable for its purpose and
design but another alternative door type that can be recommended is

19. Sliding Door.
Images 2 & 3
Examples of sliding door
Advantages of sliding door:
 allow for larger objects to move in and out
 create the illusion of more space
 Enhance the aesthetics
 Space saving
 Enjoy the extra natural light
Disadvantages of sliding door:
 does not offer as much security as swing door
 develop jamming issues due to dirt or rust from the metal parts
 installation is not a breeze
Sliding door is chosen as an alternative as it also suits the style of Starhill
Gallery. Sliding doors operate without a hinge. They simply glide along a track
instead of swinging open. This means that no extra space is required for the door
because they simply open up by one door sliding over another panel. Large glass
doors tend to bring a flood of natural light into shopping malls. Sliding door allows for
larger objects to move in and out because they are typically about twice as wide as
regular entry doors. Besides, sliding door provides a sleek and simple look that
harmonises with most architectural styles.

20. Compared to swing door, sliding door also has its disadvantages. One of the
main disadvantages of sliding door is it does not offer as much security as swing
door. Dead bolts lock can be installed in swing door but it cannot be installed in
sliding door. In addition, a sliding door can eventually develop jamming issues due to
dirt or rust from the metal parts. The installation process involves more than simply
nailing the door into a set of hinges.
A suitable material for the sliding door is also glass, which is generally made from
mixtures of sand and silicates. Glass is the most common material used in windows
and doors.
FIRE DOOR
Fire door is the door with a fire resistance rating used as a part of a passive
fire protection system to reduce the spread of fire or smoke between compartments
and to enable safe egress from the building. Fire rated door look like other ordinary
door but they made up of really weighty material. The material used to make the
doorways contain timber, metal, glass, gypsum, steel and vermiculite boards. A lot of
fire door accessible are made employing a mix of the afore-mentioned resources.
Main
Image1 Image3Image2

21. advantages of fire door
 High performance, long service life, unique durability, easy to produce and
assembly.
 High thermal and acoustic insulation.
 Narrow widths, optimum combination of design and function.
Window
This image shows the emergency exit. Hence,
this building doesn’t have any windows, so we
are going to propose one type of the window
call casement window. This type of window is
hinged on the right or left hand side and opens
outward with a turn of a crank handle.
Advantages of casement window
 Variety of design feature.
 Second most efficient window.
 Easy to open and close.
 Excellent ventilation.
Disadvantages of casement window
 Can’t accept air conditioners.
 Can’t use storm window or screen.
 Size limitation.

22. Casement window offers a number of attractive design feature such as French,
flat top, push out, top down grille, colonial grill, prairie grill and no grill. They can be
customized for precise size and desired colour, and they also look attractive in a
number material. The material for casement window will be steel, wood, and clad,
fiberglass, aluminium and vinyl. It is very easy to open and close because they use
single-lever latches or tandem latches, casement window are easy to open and
close.
Casement window also has several disadvantages, firstly casement window are
design to crank outward, because of the design, and the window can’t be too large or
too heavy. The opening has to strong enough to support the window, so the builders
recommend smaller and more lightly constructed window.

23. Conclusion
After the visiting and report making, this assignment do get us to learn
about construction technology and also related to building material. Based on
the basic information from the lecture it helps us much easier to find what we
really have to find in our site visit not just walking around and taking picture
around Starhill.
First of all, start from the uppermost part of Starhill it is roofing part.
Strarhill uses Pitched Roof for their roofing. For the material part, Starhill uses
different sizes shapes of glass and stone panel compare to the common
material metal roofing and clay roofing. It does bring up a unique design that it
doesn’t look like there are any roofing for the building. It is the most reliable
and effective method to weatherproof a building.
Other than that, staircase is a flight or a series of flights of steps leading
from one floor to another. It also used as a supporting structure for a building.
Starhill uses U-shaped stairs, basically it has 2 parallel flights of straight stairs
joined by a landing that requires 180 degrees turn in the walk line. This type of
stairs is very convenient, functional and safe. The material for the stairs in
Starhill is commonly concrete, which is the mixture of cement, sand and
aggregates and water.
On the other hand, door is a moving structure used to block off, and
access to, an entrance to or within an enclosed space. Starhill uses Swing Door
as its main entrance where it offered as a single sash creating a beautiful dual
sash.
Lastly, we do know that Starhill Gallery’s lightweight steel, stone and
glass facade is the first of their kind in Malaysia that embraces cutting-edge
technology for its construction. The architects has deliberately designed a
complex building envelope using the best materials in synergy with the high
quality of the brands and products in the mall. Last but not least, no matter
what’s the construction technology does the architects use, it is still stick to the
basic method of technology to build a complete construction differentiate by
their design and uses of material.
As a conclusion, this assignment was an amazing experience for each
one of us. This made us understand more of construction that applying the

24. lecture into reality where we cannot able to learn in class. This assignment has
greatly improved our knowledge in construction. Especially the types of
roofing, door, and staircase. Not justinformation fromconstruction technology
and also related to building material that how well of material used in Starhill
for a high-class luxury building.
References
 http://www.houzz.com/pitched-roof
 http://www.homedepot.com/b/Doors-Windows-Doors-Interior-Closet-
Doors-Sliding-Doors/N-5yc1vZc5iq
 http://www.dorma.com/us/en/products/opening_closing/swing_door_
operators/index-144-470.html
 http://popularstairs.com/basic-stair-building/stairs-types
 http://designedstairs.com/styles/
 http://www.fixmyroof.co.uk/videos-and-guides/flat-roof-replacement/
 http://www.architecture.com/FindAnArchitect/ArchitectPractices/Spark
Architects/Projects/StarhillGallery.aspx
 http://seriouslyarchitecture.com/2015/05/starhill-gallery-by-spark/