Vegetation and their impacts on heritage buildings at Police Training Centre (PULAPOL) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: a critical analysis

Abstract

Police Training Centre (PULAPOL) Kuala Lumpur has been gazetted as a heritage site since the year 2004. Since its inception, this academy houses various species of landscaping plants sheltering the area away from the sun and in turn giving it a refreshing atmosphere. However, the study found that the heritage buildings at PULAPOL have been affected by the surrounding vegetation. Although the previous studies stated that the damages on the heritage buildings were caused by several different factors, the damage caused by the vegetation factor is less studied and highlighted. Therefore, this study aims to identify the type of plants that contribute to the damages of the heritage buildings at PULAPOL as well as to analyze the damages based on the plants' characteristics. This qualitative study has been carried out through the employment of a case study approach that involves site observation and interview. The study found out that out of the 143 species of plants that have been planted at PULAPOL, 68 of them carry the potential to damage the heritage buildings due to inefficiency in management and their unsuitability.