Batu-Batu Long Beach
Long Beach is a conservation and activity centre, a self-financing extension for the Batu- Batu Resort on Pulau Tengah, in Johor, Malaysia.
A beach bar pokes through the trees at the beachfront whilst the activity centre, naturalists’ quarters and dive centre sit nestled in the shade of a Casuarina grove. This approach conserves more than 80% of the habitat close to the high tide line, an area critical for turtles and shore birds.
The principle construction material is untreated Caribbean pine from the owners’ plantation in Johor. Nipah thatch is used for the bar & activity centre roofs. The dive centre and naturalists’ quarters have shallow pitched and extra-strong roofs to both encourage and support a naturally seeded green roof.
All waste water at Long Beach is treated using an extended aeration system designed by Tomher Environmental. The resulting effluent has a BOD of 5-10mg/l or in other words; between two and four times better than the highest Malaysian Standard. After disinfection this effluent is safe to be discharged or used for irrigation
Project Data
Status: Completed November 2012
Procurement: Self Build
Design Team: Ian Hall, Leong Seng Kheong, Fauzan Aris, Catherine Robson & Tan Su Mei
All surplus revenue from guests’ diving and nature-related activities at Long Beach are used to fund the resort’s environmental conservation program.
In the 1970’s Pulau Tengah, formerly Pulau Babi Tengah (Middle Pig Island!), used to be a refugee camp run by UNHCR. You can still find many old wells and ruined foundations in the flatter areas around the island.
The Design Concept sketched on the beach
The Dive Centre at Batu Batu Long Beach
The activity space and gallery
Batu Batu Long Beach itself at high tide
Approach to the Long Beach winds through coastal Ketapang trees