Since the 1960s, owing to the rapid increase in population, high-rises with social housing have been replacing the traditional housing called kampong (Malaysian for village). For WOHA, the concept of the kampong is of essential importance for social housing development. The form of (residential) high-rise up until now, with compressed infrastructural areas at the core, goes against this. WOHA, on the other hand, positions the infrastructural areas on the outside, creating zones for informal exchanges. There are further communal areas and spaces, accessible to all, in the surrounding park and on the roof of the building. Shopping facilities, sports grounds, and playgrounds, as well as a café, round off the amenities. As 960 residential units are too many for a viable community, the building is divided into twelve sky villages, each with 80 apartments as a block of eleven storeys. These modern, vertical kampongs look out over and share a communal sky garden, which is covered and of course ventilated.
This concept of extreme densification can be applied within up-and-coming megacities in South-East Asia, Africa, or India. The vertical shifting of communities and infrastructures can signify a better quality of life despite densification. The SkyVille @ Dawson embodies an innovative and interesting prototype for a highly densifying megastructure, offering a high residential standard and quality
