This document examines enhancing well-being through recreational and sensory therapy in landscape design. It analyzes two parks in Kuala Lumpur - Taman Lembah Kiara and Taman Rimba Kiara - to identify accessibility issues and make recommendations for improvements. Preliminary findings include issues with parking accessibility, steep ramps and steps, uncovered drainage, high signage, and unreachable vegetation. Recommendations include designating accessible parking spaces, installing handrails on ramps, using accessible drain covers, lowering signage height, and adding raised planting beds. The goal is to produce an accessible sensory garden scheme for parks in Kuala Lumpur.

1. Sub-GC 3:
Enhancing Well Being Through
Recrea9onal and Sensory
Therapy in Landscape Design
Hazreena Hussein*, Zaliha Omar**, Syaidatul Azzreen Ishak*
* Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya
** University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysian Associa>on of Rehabilita>on Physicians, Kuala Lumpur

2. OBJECTIVES
To iden;fy possible sensory gardens sites for external spaces in Kuala Lumpur housing and
neighbourhoods inlcuding Community Based rehabilita;on (CBR)
To produce a sensory garden scheme to be considered to be built by Kuala Lumpur City Hall
To examine the recrea;onal facili;es for the integra;on of a sensory garden as part of the
facili;es and producing a design guideline for crea;ng a sensory garden in Kuala Lumpur

3. Issues at Taman Lembah Kiara and Taman Rimba Kiara
1. PARKING
a. Inaccessible parking and obstructed pathway by
parking bay
b. Distance from the parking and the main entrance
(Taman Rimba Kiara)
c. Bicycle rack area obstructed by vehicular car park
Placed on different level with the road surface
Located away from the pedestrian pathway
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
a. Obstructed pathway by parking
bay
c. Unsuitable loca>on of bicycle rack
b. Parking area
Taman Rimba Kiara plan
Entrance

4. • Minimum of 2 bays of OKU accessible parking shall
be provided along with unobstructed pathway
through the ramp
• Bicycle rack shall be located adjacent to the
pathway (entrance) with the same ground level
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sugges>on: Designated parking spaces
Source: MS1184:2014
Sugges>on: Loca>on of PWD parking
bay
Sugges>on: Loca>on of bicycle rack

5. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
2. VERTICAL CIRCULATION
a. Steep and inaccessible ramp with no railing provided (not according to the 1:20 ra>o
standard )
b. High step risers (200 – 310mm)
c. Steep end pathway linkage that connects two different levels of pathways
a. The ramp is steep not according to
the 1:20 ra>o standard and not
accessible for the wheelchair users
b. Steps at the secondary gate leading
out to Jalan Abang Haji Openg
c. Linkage that connects the main
pathway to the secondary pathway

6. • Railings / barrier shall be installed to ensure the safety
of the users
• The riser for the staircase must be user friendly to
elderly/kids
• The ramp should have flared sides with contras>ng
colour and should be lined with warning guide.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sugges>on: Recommended curb ramp
Source: MS1184:2014
Sugges>on: Ramps with alterna>ve stepped
approach
Source: MS1184:2014
Sugges>on: Ramps with tac>le and secondary
handrail at Aldrich Bay Park, Hong Kong
Source: Author

7. 3. PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
a. Uncovered drainage
b. The gra>ngs of drainage cover is parallel to the ramp and pathway
c. Pedestrian pathway are not in a good condi>on which may harm the users
d. No separa>on between vehicular and pedestrian pathway (Taman Rimba
Kiara)
e. No barrier that separates pathway from the water feature
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
7
e. No safety element near by the
water feature
d. Pathway leading to main entrance
using by vehicle and pedestrian
a. Uncovered drainage at Taman
Rimba Kiara
b. Parallel to the ramp and pathway
at Taman Lembah Kiara
c. Pathway floor finishes

8. • Provide MS1184 compliant drain cover and
properly integrated and seamlessly designed ramp
at the pedestrian sidewalk to road
• Provide barrier from water feature with pedestrian
pathway for safety
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sugges>on: Proposed drainage cover
Source: h`p://www.fiberglassgra>ng.com/
Sugges>on: Drain covers found in Hong Kong.
Source: Author
Sugges>on: Water feature with flower raised bed for
safety at Aldrich Bay Park Source: Author

9. 4. PARKS FURNITURE
a. High signage and unreachable for children and wheelchair users handling
b. Inaccessible sea>ng/ bench height (600mm)
c. Unsuitable loca>on of the sea>ng – near to slope and drainage
a. The signage is not reachable for kids
and wheelchair users
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
b. Broken sea>ng feature c. Sea>ng area is obstructed by parallel
drainage cover causing difficul>es for the
wheelchair users

10. • Way finding tools such as signage shall be installed near
the pathway with reachable height , clear image, large font
and contrast colour
• More ac>ons on maintenance
• Sea>ng/bench with appropriate dimension according to
the standard (450mm) and shall be provided armrest to
extend about 100mm outward from seat. Circular sec>on
of diameter 32mm is recommended for a good grip
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sugges>on: Bench found in Singapore
enabling village.
Source: Author
Sugges>on: Embossed markings and Braille indica>ng area at
Sensory garden Toa Payoh, Singapore Source: Author
Sugges>on: Tac>le Signage with audio precorded instruc>ons
at Tamar Park, HKSAR Building, Hong Kong Source: Author
Sugges>on: Covered sea>ng area at Aldrich
Bay Park, Hong Kong
Source: Author

11. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
5. PARKS VEGETATION
a. Una`rac>ve plant display
b. Demarca>on of spaces not well define (no separa>on of semi enclosed and public
area)
c. No raised plan>ngs for individuals with reach limita>ons
c. Plan>ng box away from the walkway at Taman
Lembah Kiara
a. Una`rac>ve plan>ng at the main entrance of
Taman Rimba Kiara
b. Poor seeng of sea>ng space placement

12. RECOMMENDATIONS
• Varia>on types of plan>ng that s>muli senses - scented plants, bright colour flowers etc.
Sugges>on: Bright colour flowering shrubs that give visual enjoyment for
user at Aldrich Bay Park, Hong Kong
Source: Author
Sugges>on: Ver>cal landscape with different texture of plan>ng create new
experience especially for user have vision impaired at Haven of Hope
Sunnyside School, Hong Kong
Source: Author

13. RECOMMENDATIONS
• Raised beds should be not more than 600mm in height
• The plants should be used in a variety of ways, many of
them passive
Sugges>on: Demarca>on of spaces and variety the uses of plants
Source: Author
Sugges>on: Installa>on of
vegeta>on must be can be
reachable for the individuals
with reach limita>ons
Source: AIA, Na>onal Center
for a Barrier-Free
Environment Washington, DC

14. RECOMMENDATIONS
Sugges>on: Providing features that preserve good access
Source: MS1184:2014

15. REFERENCES
Hazreena Hussein, Zaliha Omar & Syaidatul Azzreen Ishak. Promo>on of
Inclusive Society through Therapeu>c Sensory S>mula>on Garden. AicE-Bs 2015
Barcelona. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Science (SCOPUS-Cited Publica>on)
MS 1184:2014. MALAYSIAN. STANDARD. Universal design and accessibility in the
built environment - Code of prac>ce. (Second revision). ICS: 25.060.10
FIBERGLASS GRATING SYSTEMS, LLC: h`p://www.fiberglassgra>ng.com
Data Collec>on for Street Environment, Public Transporta>on and Community
Facili>es @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail Neighbourhood