Sustainable Green Buildings in Hong Kong Setting Architecture Trends

In our densely populated city, surrounded by towering skyscrapers and snaking roads, it can be hard to believe that Hong Kong is doing much in terms of advancing environmentally conscious neighbourhoods.

According to the World Green Building Council, buildings make up approximately 39% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. In dense areas with high populations like Hong Kong, that number increases to about 60%, which isn’t helped by our subtropical climate.

The future of Hong Kong relies on investing and promoting low carbon strategies and energy-efficient building solutions – The Beat Asia takes a look at some buildings in Hong Kong that are setting a good example for the city’s future roadmap, demonstrating what we can expect in the next few years.

Zero Carbon Park

The Zero Carbon Park in Kowloon is a testing ground for eco-building design – serving as an exhibition and education centre for how Hong Kong might move towards living a low carbon lifestyle. As a zero carbon building, it produces net zero carbon emissions to operate through generating on-site renewable energy with photovoltaic panels and biofuels.

Other interesting features of the park include a stormwater air-conditioning system, an air improvement photovoltaic glass canopy, active skylights, intelligent lighting management, underfloor air supply, low speed fans, and regenerative lifts.

Green 18

In 2012, eight-storey Green 18 opened its doors in Hong Kong Science Park to showcase green technologies and sustainable building practices that can be adopted by other buildings in the future. Having attained a platinum HK BEAM grading, and full points for innovation with notable features such as glass louvres, interactive display booths, a heliostat system, and solar light pipers with sun-tracking abilities.

In working towards zero carbon emission, the Green 18 has a hybrid ventilation system, wind turbines, solar light pipes, hybrid ventilation, and a extensive automatic refuse collection system.

One Taikoo Place

Completed in 2018, One Taikoo Place set a new standard for sustainable buildings in Hong Kong by being the first commercial building to use a waste-to-energy, tri-generation system. A full quarter of the roof includes a green space to help reduce heat absorption, and to reduce water consumption by recycling both rainwater and grey water.

One Taikoo Place also recycles waste oil collected from F&B tenants to fuel the electricity, heating, and cooling generation. Solar panels occupy the roof to provide the building with more renewable energy to reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint.

InnoCell

The newly built InnoCell, located at Hong Kong Science Park, is a smart living and co-creation space designed for information and technology talent. It is the first multi-storey residential building that uses modular integrated construction technology, where free standing integrated modules are manufactured before being transported to be installed into a larger project.

The building is made up of 418 modules – 393 of which are residential units, enabling offsite manufacturing which can significantly reduce onsite construction processes whilst improving building efficiency.

Siu Sai Wan Complex

The Siu Sai Wan municipal complex building, opened in 2010, offers leisure facilities for Hong Kongers without compromising on sustainable living. The open form of the building encourages people to visit the building and explore the lofty multi-purpose spaces such as the arena, atrium, swimming pool, library, community hall, and activity rooms.

The atrium space is lit with natural skylights, low-E glass, and external sun shading devices, reducing energy consumption required for illuminating the space. Approximately 30% of the roof is vegetated for thermal insulation and protection against the baking hot Hong Kong summers.

The Henderson

While not complete, the Henderson by Zaha Hadid Architects is a stunning 36-storey commercial building in the heart of Hong Kong’s central business district. Early renders show that the Henderson is to have an elevated base to shelter courtyards below, full of trees and plants.

The Henderson will feature a running track with an aquaponics network that will function as a natural air-purifier, alongside hybrid ventilation and insulated glass units, solar responsive sensors, photovoltaics, and a high-tech artificial lighting system that can adjust itself based on natural lighting conditions.