CUHK
News Centre

Hong Kong architects have received the Annual Award presented by the International Association of Passive and Low-Energy Architecture and Urban Design, which was given for their excellence and achievements to the advancement of passive and low-energy architecture in the community. 

This year, for the Individual Category, one of the award is jointly received by Ms. Ada FUNG Yin-suen, BBS, JP (Former Deputy Director of Housing) and Mr. John NG Cheuk-yee (Former Chief Architect of the Housing Department) for their contributions to provide and improve low-cost, low-energy public housing. Another Individual Award is received by Mr. Kam-sing Wong, GBS, JP (The Secretary for Environment), who has been a keen advocate of green buildings as an architect for many years and designed Hong Kong’s first naturally ventilated school, first’s sustainable housing estate and first’s Zero Carbon Building. For the Organisation Category, the award is jointly received by the Architectural Services Department of the HKSAR Government and Ronald Lu and Partners (Hong Kong) Limited for their many innovative passive and low-energy architecture projects. The Honourable Mrs. Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-Ngor, GBM, GMS, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, presented the awards today during the opening ceremony of the 34^th International Conference on Passive and Low-Energy Architecture and Urban Design. 

The 34^th International Conference on Passive and Low-Energy Architecture and Urban Design is jointly organised by the School of Architecture, the Institute of Future Cities, and the Institute of Energy, Environment and Sustainability of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) from today (10 December) to 12 December. This conference is being held in Hong Kong for the first time. Under the theme of “Smart and Healthy Within the Two-Degree Limit” advocated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Conference draws over 300 industry practitioners, experts and researchers from around the world to explore how green building and low-energy design can address climate change and the urban climate in pursuit of a better and more sustainable urban and built environment. 

Chief Executive Mrs. Carrie LAM officiated at the opening ceremony saying, “We are serious about the Paris Agreement and serious about addressing climate change. Following the Paris Agreement, we established an inter-departmental steering committee to co-ordinate our climate actions. We now have in place a Climate Action Plan 2030+ with a target to reduce carbon intensity by 65%-70% to 2030, compared to 2005 levels. We also have an energy saving plan which looks to reduce our energy intensity by 40% by 2025”. 

Professor Rocky S. TUAN, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and Professor Edward NG, the Chairman of PLEA 2018 Organising Committee, President of the International Association of Passive and Low-Energy Architecture and Urban Design, and Yao Ling Sun Professor of Architecture of CUHK both gave a speech at the opening ceremony. 

Professor Rocky S. TUAN, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK said, “[CUHK] is dedicated to building a sustainable campus, and also commits to a leadership role in sustainability both in Hong Kong and beyond.[…] All our new buildings on campus are recognized by the Hong Kong Green Building Council with either gold or platinum BEAM Plus ratings, and our Museum of Climate Change is first of its kind in the world”. 

Professor Edward NG, President of the International Association of Passive and Low-Energy Architecture and Urban Design and Yao Ling Sun Professor of Architecture of CUHK hopes that the mind-set and practice of low-energy architecture and urban design can help achieve the vision of a sustainable future.