May-2017

Final Call for WSBE17 Hong Kong
Hong Kong Green Building Week 2017: Bright Young Minds to Create Sustainable Hong Kong
Explore Green Buildings in Hong Kong – in Style!
Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance: Official Launch of Collaboration Platform for Greener Shopping Environment
Dialogue with the Secretaries on Green Building Development
BEAM Plus Update: More Final Platinum Projects in Town Now
“My Green Space” Green Building Competition for Schools 2016: Creating an Ideal Green Home
Hong Kong Green Building from the Beginning: A Conversation with Prof. Phillip Jones

AECOM – Platinum Sponsor of WSBE17 Hong Kong: Imagining what’s next, together. The future is right up ahead

Final Call for WSBE17 Hong Kong

Co-organised by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 Hong Kong (WSBE17 Hong Kong) will take place on 5-7 June. Some of the highlights of the three-day programme include:

• Keynote Sessions – World-leading policymakers, industry authorities and experts will present the latest policies, standards and ground-breaking initiatives in sustainable built environment.
• Plenary Session on Climate Change and Sustainable Development (led by UN-Environment) – Highlighting the potentials of the building sector, speakers from influential international organisations will discuss the solutions and necessary actions to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Roundtable Sessions – Vibrant discussions on the emerging trends and practice-focused viewpoints on leading the changes to transform the sustainable built environment will take place in two Roundtable Sessions with renowned speakers from various sectors and countries.
• Mainland China Sessions – These four Sessions will focus on various aspects addressing the issues on the transformation of existing buildings, challenging technologies of eco-skyscrapers, health and wellbeing for people, and green finance opportunity for low carbon economy development.
• Regional Forums – The four Regional Sessions will discuss the intensity of specific issues relating to sustainability, common challenges and differences, and the significance of current conditions and trends in the 20 countries which held the SBE Regional Conferences in 2016.
• Paper Sessions – Around 400 cutting-edge academic and practice-oriented papers were selected by our Expert Panel. The papers will be presented in 70 Paper Sessions, covering comprehensive and diverse topics relating to the sustainable built environment.

Over 450 leading minds from around the globe are ready to present their innovative and integrative ideas that transform the world’s built environment, and delegates from more than 55 countries have already registered for the conference. An exhibition will be held alongside the WSBE17 Hong Kong conference. Industry professionals are welcome to visit.

Earlier this month, a Press Conference was held to announce the programme details of the conference. “The conference theme ‘Transforming Our Built Environment through Innovation and Integration: Putting Ideas into Action’ suggests that the development of sustainable buildings has evolved from innovative designs of individual buildings to holistic urban planning that integrates different types of architectures, in order to put sustainable development concept into real actions,” said Mr Eric Ma Siu-cheung, Secretary for Development, in his speech.

Don’t miss the final chance to be part of this one-of-a-kind global movement! Register Now!

Click here to visit the WSBE17 Hong Kong official site

Hong Kong Green Building Week 2017: Bright Young Minds to Create Sustainable Hong Kong

As a densely populated city, how can we build a sustainable environment in Hong Kong? The “Hong Kong - My Green City” Drawing Competition invited primary school students to unleash their imagination and illustrate their visions of a green Hong Kong. A total of 485 entries were received just within a month.

These entries have revealed the younger generations’ creative ideas and expectations of the future Hong Kong, which were highly acclaimed by the judges. The judging panel composed of representatives of the Construction Industry Council, the Hong Kong Green Building Council, programme partners Young Artists Development Programme and Hong Kong Society for Education in Art. Winning entries were selected based on criteria such as relevancy, creativity and aesthetics. The award presentation ceremony was held on 18 May and all winning entries will be displayed at Level 2 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, from 5 to 7 June during World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 Hong Kong.

Another programme Green Ambassador Pitch targets secondary school students. This is an English speaking contest under the theme "Act on Climate Change – Together, Now!”. Participating teams will first gather in two workshops in May to prepare for the contest. They will present their plans on how to get the people around them involved in combating climate change during WSBE17 Hong Kong. You are invited to come and vote for the best performing team!

Date: 7 June 2017 (Wed)
Time: 12:00 noon - 1:30 pm
Venue: Convention Foyer, Level 1 of Harbour Road Entrance, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Explore Green Buildings in Hong Kong – in Style!

Under the umbrella of the Hong Kong Green Building Week 2017, another signature programme Green Building Open House and Tours aims to arouse public awareness of green building features, and encourage them to explore the green buildings around them. A promotional video is now on air in local television channels, which saw talents showcasing parkour skills in three local green buildings for a “stylish tour”.

The programme has linked up over 20 unique green buildings and facilities. From 27 May to 7 Jun, there are eight featured weekend tours for participants to visit different places around Hong Kong. Moreover, there are 19 venues available for open house and guided tours, offering valuable opportunities for the public to explore the green buildings. The programme is now open for registration. Seats are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for more details and apply now! (Chinese only)

This year’s TVC invites the public to join the Green Building Open House and Tours.

Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance: Official Launch of Collaboration Platform for Greener Shopping Environment

On 11 May, a fabulous afternoon at the Royal Plaza Hotel the HKGBC saw the official launch of the Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance, which also celebrated the fruitful achievement since the soft launch of the programme in June last year, with a great leap from three participating shopping malls and 47 tenants in 2016 to 91 shopping malls and 391 tenants this year. “Environment Bureau is endeavoring to promote energy saving and waste reduction. The Alliance is an effective platform to facilitate the information flow and opinion exchange between the Government and different stakeholders.” The Under Secretary for the Environment Ms Christine Loh Kung-wai said at the Launching Ceremony of the Alliance.

Initiated by the HKGBC, the Alliance is fully funded by the Construction Industry Council with tremendous support from 19 Supporting Organisations including the Environment Bureau. The Alliance is Hong Kong’s first platform for strengthening the collaboration between shopping mall operators and tenants to go green, aiming to help shop tenants achieve “low carbon and low waste” operations by encouraging them to incorporate green measures into their shops, which cover six aspects including energy saving, water saving, waste reduction, reuse and recycling, green procurement and social green behaviour.

The Alliance emphasises the power of synergy and collaboration of different sectors, which is essential to build a sustainable shopping environment. It does not only enhance the communication between the Government, industry and stakeholders, but also offers support to participants such as organising sharing and case study sessions on the latest update on operating green shopping malls and shops.

The Alliance has prepared a “Green Shop Pledge”. Shop tenants are invited to take the Pledge to incorporate suitable green measures in their daily operations. Shopping mall operators are also invited to join the Alliance to drive more sustainable practices with tenants. Interested parties please click here for more information and application forms.

Dialogue with the Secretaries on Green Building Development

One of the Council’s roles is to enable closer ties among the Government, the industry and the public on the way of green building development. As such, two sharing session were organised in late April with Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment and Mr Eric Ma Siu-cheung, Secretary for Development to share the administration’s latest green building-related policies with the Council’s representatives, industry stakeholders and the public. The sessions have drawn full house and active discussions among attendees.

In his sharing session on 24 April, Mr Wong Kam-sing highlighted the Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2030+ announced earlier this year, and covered a couple of action plans related to green building development. He also reckoned that municipal solid waste charging scheme would be the focal point of Hong Kong’s waste management strategies after the current administration have set a number of blueprints. The second part of the sharing session was a panel session on market trend and challenges of green building development participated by Mr Wong and industry representatives including Mr Freeman Cheung, Senior Vice President, Environment, Greater China of AECOM; Dr Calvin Lee Kwan, General Manager – Sustainability of Link Asset Management Limited; Dr Raymond Yau, General Manager, Technical Services & Sustainable Development of Swire Properties and Ir Conrad Wong Tin-cheung, Vice Chairman of Yau Lee Holdings Limited.

Mr Eric Ma attended the sharing session on 28 April and introduced the “Hong Kong 2030+”, a strategic plan by the Government to shape the built environment of Hong Kong. In particular, he pointed out that the emergence of information technology has an enormous impact on the strategies of urban planning as well as public engagement. Mr Ma was joined by Ms Ivy Lee Siu-wing, Principal Director of Leigh and Orange; Mr Larry Poon, Deputy Director of Wong Tung & Partners; Ms Ellie Tang, Head of Sustainability of New World Development and Mr Vincent Cheng Sai-yau, Director of Building Sustainability of Arup in the following panel session to talk about the direction of green building and smart city development.

BEAM Plus Update: More Final Platinum Projects in Town Now

Since the start of 2017, more and more BEAM Plus projects have completed their Final Assessments and achieved the highest Platinum rating!

New Buildings

Two government projects, Kai Tak Fire Station and Tuen Fu Road Disciplined Services Quarters, achieved Final Platinum rating under BEAM Plus New Buildings. Kai Tak Fire Station ditches the conventional image of a fire station. With over 40% greenery on site, it is an oasis in the neighbourhood and the greens provided the needed serenity for the staffs. The Tuen Fu Road Quarter boasts extensive green features including photovoltaic systems, rainwater harvesting system and green roofs.

Existing Buildings

You may not be aware how green your shopping can be! Festival Walk recently achieved Final Platinum rating under BEAM Plus Existing Buildings and Good Class of Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme. You can have fresher air and feel more comfortable while shopping there. To save energy, the mall has adopted various energy efficient measures and conducts energy audits regularly. Be a green customer, and remember to separate the waste before disposal when you go shopping!

Interiors

Green office is trending! Being the most workaholic people in the world, Hong Kong office workers are in need of a greener and healthier working environment. The new headquarters of Construction Industry Council and the newly renovated office of Leigh & Orange are two great examples that have achieved Platinum rating under BEAM Plus Interiors. Both offices strive to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability in their offices by reusing furniture, installing sensors and using energy efficient appliances. What’s more, both offices provide a breastfeeding room. Working in the office can now be green, caring and fun!

We are working on the new project pages on BEAM Plus Online Exhibition. Visit the Online Exhibition regularly and find out more green buildings projects.

“My Green Space” Green Building Competition for Schools 2016: Creating an Ideal Green Home

In its sixth edition, the “My Green Space” Green Building Competition for Schools 2016 for the first time invites non-primary and secondary students to participate and submit entries under the theme of “My Ideal Green Home”. Various government bureaux, education bodies, professional institutes and social welfare organisations had shown their supports again to the Competition, which received 135 entries by more than 350 students from 44 schools.

To draw a conclusion to the competition and honour the winners for their outstanding performance and creativity, the HKGBC organised an Award Presentation Ceremony at Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre on 29 April, where an exhibition featuring winning entries also took place from 2 to 8 May. Through the exhibition, general public can understand the young generation’s view on green living environment and be aware of environmental protection issues, setting a foundation to create the sustainable built environment altogether.

The winning entries will also be featured in the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 Hong Kong to share local students’ green home ideas to international delegates.

Hong Kong Green Building from the Beginning: A Conversation with Prof. Phillip Jones

A specialist in low energy, low carbon building design, Prof. Phillip Jones of the Welsh School of Architecture was one of the prime movers in the development of HK-BEAM, Hong Kong’s first green building assessment tool and the predecessor of BEAM Plus. In June of this year, he will be participating in another milestone in local green building development — the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 Hong Kong (WSBE17 Hong Kong).

Prof. Phillip Jones, Chair of Architectural Science at Welsh School of Architecture of Cardiff University, is a man with a vision for the built environment of tomorrow, one that includes low carbon energy systems in homes and offices that contribute to greater health, productivity and wellbeing.

Although now widely considered to be an expert in low-energy buildings, Prof. Jones did not get his start in the field. Rather, his first degree was in physics, which he followed with a PhD in acoustics.

“I came into architecture to do architectural acoustics, and I became interested in energy because I had the background in physics,” he says. “You could describe me as a building physicist.”

His involvement in HK-BEAM (no need to translate) began during a visit to Hong Kong, when he was approached by colleagues from Swire Properties and Hongkong Land to develop a building assessment method. Prof. Jones said he was willing to undertake the assignment but that it needed to be done with a local university. So, together with a team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University he began work on the new initiative, making reference to the BREEAM standard in the UK.

Unlike the UK, however, buildings in Hong Kong have very different requirements. Whereas BREEAM is focused on innovation and design, heat loss and ventilation, Prof. Jones and his team concentrated on making buildings operate more efficiently in a high rise, high density subtropical city.

From the early energy simulations conducted by Prof. Jones to its final release, the entire process of preparing HK-BEAM took less than a year. “We blitzed it,” he says. “We started in 1995 and released the first version in 1996.” As Prof. Jones points out, it was the second major local environmental assessment tool for buildings in the world. Now, many countries have their own customised ones.

That first version of HK-BEAM covered only new and existing office buildings. In its subsequent revamped version, it also included residential buildings with a greater emphasis on passive design, since most residential buildings in Hong Kong are not centrally air conditioned.

Prof. Jones continues to work on energy performance in the built environment and is currently researching energy positive buildings that generate more energy than they consume. As an example, he cites the use of renewable energy systems such as photovoltaics on rooftops. In buildings making use of these systems, the first step is to reduce energy demand then have renewable energy integrated into the design, not bolted on as an afterthought.

At The University of Hong Kong where he is a Distinguished Visiting Research Professor, Prof. Jones is looking beyond individual building projects to examine energy use on an urban and industrial scale, linking energy models to microclimate models. This is of particular interest to Hong Kong, where the microclimate is very much affected by the built environment.

“Models enable us to link the energy and environmental performance of a building with what is happening outside in terms of the temperatures, air movement through the city, the anthropogenic heat gain from traffic and the possibility of mitigating urban heat islands through green areas and water features,” says Prof. Jones. “There is a lot of interest in this area, and we are probably one of the first to address these problems by modelling the whole system.”

Great progress has been made in energy efficient buildings since the introduction of HK-BEAM, especially with the backing of the Government. Prof. Jones, however, feels the construction industry in Hong Kong is conservative to adapt. “When HK-BEAM began, it was more about status and marketing. But when people know more about the benefits of green buildings, and when the industry starts to realise that the value of their buildings is related to their environmental performance, this will change.”

While Prof Jones was only involved in HK-BEAM in its early stages, he remains interested in its continuing development and takes pride in his role as one of the instigators. “It’s nice to have been involved at the start, even though it didn’t seem like a big thing at the time. I am proud to have been part of the initial setting up.”

What lies ahead? Next on the horizon for Prof. Jones is the WSBE17 Hong Kong. He is on the Scientific Committee of this world-class conference that is set to host 1,800 delegates from 5 to 7 June 2017. “WSBE17 Hong Kong will be interesting for the industry because of the way it is structured. It will be looking into connectivity between areas such as practice and policy, technology and society. It is not just about looking at things vertically but about cutting across themes,” he says.“Now is probably the time for another push after the launch of HK-BEAM in 1996 and the birth of HKGBC in 2009,” adds Prof. Jones. “It’s a celebration of 20 years of green building development in Hong Kong, and I am very much looking forward to it.”

AECOM – Platinum Sponsor of WSBE17 Hong Kong
Imagining what’s next, together
The future is right up ahead

What used to be the stuff of science fiction is now right up ahead and distinctly possible.

The ability to build upwards increasingly is creating new capacity in the form of aerial space. The tallest building in the world now is twice the height of the Empire State Building which held the record for 42 years until 1972, but which has been super-ceded many times in the four decades that have followed. And we are now exploring the deployment of 3D printing that will enable the building of entire new cities faster, more holistically and more sustainably.

Transformations in transportation infrastructure are also going to be radical. AECOM is working on inductive roadways that will allow electric vehicles to charge as they drive. This will go a long way to addressing motorists’ concerns over the limitations in the range of such vehicles and the availability of charging infrastructure, enhancing the viability of electric vehicles for many more drivers and uses. A more sustainable future from driverless vehicles is closer too. AECOM is developing an autonomous pilot program for transporting large groups of people around hospitals, airports and tourist destinations to improve driving efficiency on roads and ease congestion. And the day is not far off when the Hyperloop is going to make it possible for everyday commuters to take public land transport at airline speeds.

AECOM is privileged to be working with visionary clients on bold ideas that are game-changing for the economy, life changing for the citizens of the built environment, and for the sustainability of our planet. These are exciting times for our industry and AECOM has dedicated its booth at the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2017 Hong Kong (WSBE17 Hong Kong) to sharing insights with fellow delegates on these bold visions and, as importantly, the innovation in technology and process that will enable them to be delivered. Come visit us at booth#35-37 to take a look at the technologies which are being used to imagine and deliver a better world. Please also join us at the parallel sessions to learn more about how they are being deployed to achieve vision-led sustainable neighborhoods (5 Jun); and high performance transportation hubs (6 Jun).

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