Resilience and Connectivity Create the Liveable Environment
CLP Renewable Energy Solution Supports YMCA Community Services
Green Design Guide for Material Resources Optimisation in Building Life Cycle
Green Banquet to Commend BEAM Plus Project Teams
The First HKGSA Awards Presentation Ceremony pays tribute to exemplary leaders in green retail
HKGBC Towards Low Carbon & Healthy City Award Presentation Ceremony
Want to learn more about Green Building? Join Friends of Green Building
Actively engage the school communities on Green Building Education
Resilience and Connectivity Create the Liveable Environment
AECOM believes constructing more resilient and connected infrastructure helps our communities to thrive despite the increasing stresses in the 21st century. These stresses can include the dehumanising effects of rapid urbanisation and global warming that brings with it more extreme weather events, raised sea levels, heat waves, droughts and crop failures.
To overcome these adverse effects, resilience planning prioritises people and communities, including those most vulnerable, providing a less politicised, more equitable and engaging decision-making framework. As a result, community members work together to overcome common issues. This can entail checking on vulnerable neighbours during heat waves, sharing resources when supplies are interrupted, setting priorities for rebuilding and deciding whether to re-occupy hazard zones. Such cohesive communities also create a more pleasant environment in which to live.
An example of a most recently constructed resilient infrastructure facility is the HK Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) of the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), where AECOM is responsible for the design and construction of the entire facility and related infrastructures. This infrastructure features the iconic Passenger Clearance Building, with its gently undulating roof the size of 8 Premier League football pitches, located amongst 700,000 m 2 of new roads and 141 ancillary buildings, on a 150 hectare artificial island. The design took into account the emerging environment to provide a sustainable and resilient facility through a number of measures. Ground levels are sufficiently high to allow for possible rise in water levels due to global warming. Structures have been pre-set higher to allow for long term settlement. Essential electrical supplies are backed up with generators to ensure continuity. Operating systems for Customs, Immigration Departments and Police include additional servers on standby to ensure no loss of functionality. A dedicated sewage treatment plant eliminates reliance on similar plant off the island. Lastly, procedures are in place for dealing effectively with every contingency.
CLP Renewable Energy Solution Supports YMCA Community Services
The Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong is a local non-profit organisation with a focus on building a bright future for Hong Kong through youth development and diversified services.
To help promote green living and sustainable development, CLPs professional team visited the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong - New Territories Centre and assisted them in enhancing their current renewable energy system on the centres roof.
By taking locational constraints into account, the team were able to design a brand-new solution for the centre that fully utilises the available space. The new integrated photovoltaic and hot water system comprises solar panels, water tanks and water pumps, with heat exchangers embedded in the solar panels. It makes use of solar energy to provide hot water for the centres heated swimming pool, which is open all year, so the public can still enjoy the facility in winter with the benefit of reducing electricity consumption.
The new installation generates electricity and heat simultaneously, and is more efficient than the previous conventional, single-purpose solar-powered generator, which only produced one type of energy.
Ms Selina Chan, Coordinating Secretary of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, was pleased with the new systems performance. Optimising renewable energy solutions further promotes clean energy and environmental protection, while making progress in sustainable development, she said.
Back to topGreen Design Guide for Material Resources Optimisation in Building Life Cycle
Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment (Fifth right), speakers of the event, and other guests witnessed the launch of Green Design Guide for Material Resources Optimisation in Building Life.
The HKGBC has successfully launched its Green Design Guide for Material Resources Optimisation in Building Life Cycle on 10 December 2018, with over 80 practitioners attended the event
The technical seminar cum launching event started with opening remarks by Mr Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the HKGBC and keynote speech delivered by Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary of the Environment, on the Governments policy on construction and building materials management. 3 case sharing sessions were then brought by representatives from Housing Department, Gammon Construction Limited and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, followed by a panel discussion to share their experience on building material waste reduction in their projects. The Guidebook was also introduced by Dr Benny Chow, HKGBC Director cum Industry Standards and Practices Committee Chairman cum Task Force Convenor.
Green Design Guide for Material Resources Optimisation in Building Life
Mr Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the HKGBC, delivered the opening remarks.
According to the statistics released by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in 2016, waste in construction sites remains the second largest category of the total solid waste disposed of at landfills. As a driver to advance the development of green buildings in Hong Kong, the HKGBC aims to reduce the building material waste in order to confront the tough situation that our landfills are facing through this Guide. The aim of this Guide is to alert the public and building professionals about the building material waste problem and provide adequate guidelines during planning and design stages in minimising building material waste for the Hong Kong building industry.
The full version of the Guidebook (English) can be accessed at the Council website.
Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, delivered a keynote speech on the Governments policy on construction and building materials management.
Dr Benny Chow, HKBC Director cum Industry Standards and Practices Committee Chairman cum Task Force Convenor, introduced the Guidebook.
(From left): Ir Willy Yu, Senior Structural Engineer of Housing Department, Ir Prof. CS Poon from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Ms Erica Lam from Gammon Construction Limited, Dr Benny CHOW, HKGBC Director cum Industry Standards and Practices Committee Chairman cum Task Force Convenor shared their experience on building material waste reduction.
Green Banquet to Commend BEAM Plus Project Teams
Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, Mr Liu Chun-san, Under Secretary for Development, and Mr Chan Ka-kui, Chairman of Construction Industry Council attended the BEAM Plus Certification Ceremony 2018 and took group photos with Directors and Committee Members of the Hong Kong Green Building Council and BEAM Society Limited.
Co-organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council and BEAM Society Limited, BEAM Plus Certification Ceremony 2018 was successfully held on 13 December, with Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, Mr Liu Chun-san, Under Secretary for Development and Mr Chan Ka-kui, Chairman of Construction Industry Council, invited to the ceremony. A total of 48 certifications were presented to the project teams of whom the BEAM Plus projects achieved Platinum and Gold ratings, as well as Excellent grades.
While BEAM Plus continually supports the green building movement in Hong Kong, a record-high number of existing buildings were certified. Also, the first project under BEAM Plus Neighbourhood V1.0 was certified this year. It is envisaged that a wider adoption of BEAM Plus certifications in our existing building stock and masterplanning of future communities is on the way.
Officiating guests presented certifications to BEAM Plus project teams.
Echoing the call from the Government to reduce waste, a low-carbon menu with six dishes was prepared for our guests. The organisers worked with Foodlink Foundation, the local charity, again to collect surplus food from the banquet for those in need. An LED backdrop was used at the stage, reducing the use of disposable banners. Furthermore, to bring forth a positive impact to our nature, over 160 trees were planted to offset a months worth of carbon emissions by 320 guests.
Click HERE to check the list of certified BEAM Plus Platinum, Excellent and Gold projects this year. You can also find the highlights and happy moments of the ceremony at the Councils Facebook Fans Page.
The organisers prepared the green banquet for guests, including collection of surplus food and tree planting for offsetting carbon emission.
The First HKGSA Awards Presentation Ceremony pays tribute to exemplary leaders in green retail
The HKGSA successfully concluded its 2018 Awards Presentation Ceremony on 18 December 2018 in Construction Industry Council - Zero Carbon Building.
Famed as a shopping paradise, retail is one of the most essential industries in the Hong Kong economy. Yet, business operation and consumerism drive water and energy consumption, as well as exploit natural resource and generate municipal solid waste. To strike a balance between economic and environmental sustainability, shopping malls and the retail industry at large shall re-examine their business model and infuse green measures into their daily operation. Promoting green shopping behaviour to the end-consumer is equally important so as to reduce any possible impact to the one-and-only planet.
Guests immersed in informative counters and interactive booths.
Established in May 2017 by the Hong Kong Green Building Council, the Hong Kong Green Shop Alliance (the Alliance) is funded by the Construction Industry Council and fully supported by the Environment Bureau. The number of Alliance members escalates over the past 18 months. As of November 2018, 24 developers/strategic partners, 137 shopping malls and over 500 shops have joined the Alliance.
To recognise inspirational accomplishments of Alliance members towards the sustainable shopping environment, the Alliance presented awards to outstanding members on 18 December, with the presence of Mr Chan Siu-yum, Kenneth, Assistant Director (Charging Preparation) of the Environmental Protection Department, as the Guest of Honour to celebrate the memorable moment. Over a hundred winners and representatives from developers and strategic partners, shopping malls and shops attended the ceremony, on top of other Alliance supporting organisations and various stakeholders. Ten main categories of award were presented, including The Leading Partner Award Developer/Strategic Partner, The Leading Partner Award Chain Store, The Power Partner Award Developer/Strategic Partner, The Power Partner Award Shopping Mall, New Alliance Member Developer/Strategic Partner, New Alliance Member Shopping Mall, New Alliance Member Shop, Excellent Shop Award Service Sector, Excellent Shop Award Catering Sector and Excellent Shop Award Retail Sector. The ceremony was event-filled with informative green operation booths passing along the latest waste reduction and energy saving solutions.
MrChan Siu-yum addressed the audience before presenting the awards to the winners. In his speech, Mr Chan recognised the concerted efforts and shared commitment of different business stakeholders in pushing forward the green shopping built environment. Representatives from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Environmental Protection Department and Water Supplies Department also spoke at the event to share with the audience practical guidelines and protocols for daily business operation. Awardees were encouraged to apply and adapt what they learnt extensively to achieve operational and managerial excellence.
The Alliance wishes to congratulate all the worthy winners and commends them for their commitment to a greener shopping environment in town. The full list of 2018 awardees can be found HERE.
Corporations sent their full team to bag trophies home, encapsulated unique camaraderie and team spirit.
HKGBC Towards Low Carbon & Healthy City Award Presentation Ceremony
The honoured guests took the group photo with all participants who joined the ACT-shop during the HKGBC Towards Low Carbon & Healthy City Award Presentation Ceremony.
The HKGBC has presented awards to local companies that participated in the ACT-Shop and Health and Wellbeing Study in Offices programmes in its HKGBC towards Low Carbon & Healthy City Award Presentation Ceremony on 17 December 2018. Awards were presented by Mrs Alice Cheung, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and Mr Harry Lai Hon-hung, Deputy Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). Over 70 practitioners attended the event.
HKGBC introduced ACT-Shop and Health and Wellbeing Study in Offices in early 2017 to help Hong Kongs property owners optimising the energy performance of their buildings and evaluate how office designs affect employees physical and emotional health.
Mr Harry Lai Hon-hung, Deputy Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department delivered a speech on Hong Kong Governments retro-commissioning projects during the Award Presentation Ceremony.
Dr Benny Chow, Director cum Chairman of the Councils Industry Standards and Practices Committee shared recommendations on how to create a green and heathy working environment.
The Councils Executive Director, Ir Cary Chan, said that ACT-Shop successfully conducted retro-commissioning for 24 privately-owned buildings.
The honoured guests took the group photo with all participants who joined the Health and Wellbeing Study in Offices research during the HKGBC Towards Low Carbon & Healthy City Award Presentation Ceremony.
ACT-Shop
ACT-Shop, presented by the HKGBC in conjunction with the Environment Bureau, follows the 4T principles target, timeline, transparency and together. Making use of retro-commissioning for private buildings, the concept is like checking the pulses so to ascertain the health of the private buildings. The programme showed remarkable results. By November 2018, retro-commissioning has been successfully conducted for 24 privately-owned buildings, and a forecast of 1.3 million kWh of power could be saved per year for those buildings.
Health and Wellbeing Study in Offices
The Council has published its latest report on Health and Wellbeing Study in Offices to evaluate the importance and satisfaction level over the factors affecting health and wellness of staff. The report was based on an online survey and on-site measurement conducted in 2017 and 2018, engaging 180 employees of 11 local enterprises. The respondents provided their views and satisfaction ratings on various aspects of their workplaces. The Council is keen to share three major aspects that respondents considered important and helpful to their physical and emotional wellbeing and work efficiency, namely adequate lighting, quiet working environment and views to outdoor landscape.
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Want to learn more about Green Building? Join Friends of Green Building
A group of 30 residents from Lions Rise joined the tour to enjoy green living.
Partnered with the Clubhouse of Lions Rise at Wong Tai Sin, the Council arranged the Green Life Day Tour for its residents to visit Green Hub at Tai Po on 13 October. Apart from the experience sharing on Green Building and Household Maintenance by Sr Bay Wong, the Councils Director, planting herb and making of herbal salt activities were also arranged. The event ended with visiting the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change.
On 23-25 November, a game booth was organised in Maritime Market at Tsing Yi to promote the winning entry of the BEAM Plus slogan competition. The event has attracted the patronage for more than 1,200 visitors.
Besides, to appreciate the support of the Friends of Green Building, a tour to Tai Kwun was arranged exclusively for them on 8 December. Ar HC Chan, the Co-Chairman of Architectural Tour Committee for the Hong Kong Architecture Centre was invited to lead the Tour at Tai Kwun. Ar Chan shared with the participants the revitalisation of the Tai Kwun project and the behind-the-scene stories on the architectural side of Tai Kwun.
The Friends of Green Building is a platform targeted to general public, who are mainly non green-building professional, to subscribe and keep abreast with the latest green building news and activities organised by the Council. Interested friends could sign up HERE.
Visitors passing by the game booth at Maritime Market were invited to join the Friends of Green Building.
Friends of Green Building were invited to join the exclusive tour to appreciate the behind-the-scene stories of the revitalisation of the Tai Kwun project.
Actively engage the school communities on Green Building Education
The My Green Space Green Building Competition for Schools 2018 has been held for the 7th year. This year, we have received more than 100 registrations from all the Divisions. In order to strengthen students knowledge on green building, a green building tour at the International Commerce Centre (ICC), a BEAM Plus Existing Building V2.0 final platinum, was arranged on 24 November. Students visited the heart of ICC to learn how the tallest building in Hong Kong operates. Moreover, workshops with try-out session on 3D Experience Platform were arranged on 24 November and 8 December to give student invaluable experience.
Students participating in the Green Building School Competition 2018 visited ICC and joined the 3D Experience Platform workshop to acquire the green building knowledge.
Meanwhile, a group of 50 senior primary students from F.D.B.W.A. Chow Chin Yau School joined a green building workshop and tour on 7-8 December. Sr Bay Wong, Councils Director, was invited to share with the students the role of green buildings in mitigating climate change and the professional life of a surveyor. On 8 December, a tour was arranged to ECO Park and WEEE Park to study the waste handling issue in Hong Kong. It was a joyful and eye-opening experience to all the attending students.
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