AkzoNobel’s Reflective Paint Technology Tackling Urban Heat in Malaysia

Approximately 2,000 residents of a large social housing complex in Malaysia are benefiting from a major project which involves applying heat-reflective paint developed by AkzoNobel.

The company has partnered with the Resilient Cities Network, Malacca local council and the Malacca housing board to paint the outer walls of eight apartment blocks with Dulux Weathershield Express – which can help reduce exterior surface temperatures by up to 5°C.

Photo: AkzoNobel

As well as sponsoring the paint for one of the blocks, AkzoNobel is also involved in a research project being conducted in collaboration with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

Tests have previously shown that indoor night-time temperatures in Malacca’s Rumah Pangsa Pantai Peringgit neighborhood remain as high as 29°C. The study will evaluate how the company’s heat-reflective paint can help address this issue and reduce the potential impact of heat on living conditions.

“By working together, we can effectively tackle the very real challenge of urban heat,” explains the Director of AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paint ASEAN business, My Lan. “It’s about demonstrating the power of paint and the positive impact that can result from making homes more comfortable.”

Katrin Bruebach, Global Director of Programs and Delivery at the Resilient Cities Network, adds: “This is what happens when a community takes their future into their own hands and when partners show up to support them. This is not just about a coat of paint. It’s about a community that knows the risk posed by urban heat, is testing solutions and is building the knowledge and spaces it needs to adapt.”

Dulux Weathershield Express is specially formulated to give superior all-weather protection and durability to exterior walls. Featuring KeepCool heat-reflective technology, it has already been used on Housing and Development Board apartments built in Singapore and has achieved Singapore Green Label certification. The product also offers additional sustainability and economical benefits because only two coats are needed (conventional systems use three coats), which means less paint and labor are required. 

In Malacca, painting of the block sponsored by AkzoNobel was finished in mid-April, with work on the other seven blocks due to be completed by the end of June. A mural painting event has also taken place, when residents joined representatives from all the project partners to create open air artworks with the same paint that’s being used on their homes.

“We’re grateful to all the partners involved in supporting the residents of Rumah Pangsa Pantai Peringgit,” says Datuk Kalsom binti Noordin, from the Malacca State Executive Council for Women, Family and Community Development. “This is what happens when families, businesses and government come together in the spirit of community to protect older adults and children and make a better life for all.”

In 2024, parts of Malacca’s historic city center were repainted by AkzoNobel to help preserve the vibrant culture and identity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. As well as developing a special shade of red to refresh the Stadthuys (city hall) and surrounding buildings in the old town square, the company’s Dulux products were also used to coat shophouse façades along the Malacca River.