Date/Time
Date(s) - May 12, 2023
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Location
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Categories

• HSW
• Seminar

Dear Members and Friends

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Hong Kong Chapter is excited to announce an upcoming symposium at Build4Asia 2023:

Decarbonizing Design For Our Future

As we become more aware of the impacts of climate change, it is clear that we need to take urgent action to reduce our carbon footprint and transition to a decarbonized future. Buildings account for a significant portion of global carbon emissions, so the architecture industry has a critical role to play in this effort.

For this symposium, we have assembled a group of experts with extensive experience in designing sustainable, energy-efficient buildings – including mass timber structures. Our speaker lineup includes architects from KPF, NBBJ and SOM, as well as industry leaders from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Carbon Neutrality Association, Nan Fung Development and Swire Properties. During the discussion, they will share their insights on how to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment and exchange ideas and strategies for a “decarbonized” future, with a focus on Asia and the Greater Bay Area.

This is a crucial opportunity for anyone who cares about collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive real progress in decarbonizing design and building a more resilient, low-carbon world.

Details

Date       May 12, 2023 (Friday)
Time       2.00 – 5.00 PM
Venue     HKCEC
CES         2.5 LUs/HSW
Fee         Gratis

Program Timetable

2:00 – 2:05 PM  Opening Remarks
2:05 – 2:40 PM  Mass Timber Practices
                          SOM
                          Mr Weiqi Wang, AIA, Associate Principal, Skidmore Owings & Merrill
                          Mr Jiejing Zhou, Senior Structural Engineering Professional, Skidmore Owings &                                     Merrill
2:40 – 3:15 PM  Campus Resilience – HKUST (Guangzhou)
                           KPF
                           Ms Florence Chan, AIA, Director, Kohn Pedersen Fox and 2022 President, AIA Hong                                Kong Chapter
3:15 – 4:00 PM    Panel Discussion
                           The Scales of Collaborative Decarbonization
                           Mr Sebastian Hill, Project Director, NBBJ Design
                           Mr Patrick Ho, Deputy Head, Swire Properties
                           Mr Garrick Lau, Head of Sustainability & Shared Value, SEWIT Department, Nan Fung                              Development
                           Mr Dennis Wu, Founding President, Greater Bay Area Carbon Neutrality Association                                and CEO, AEC Group
4:00 – 5:00 PM  Cocktail Reception

Please register HERE.

About the Talks

Mass Timber Practices
Mass timber has become an emblem for sustainable architecture for its low carbon footprint. From the SPLAM, the robotically fabricated timber pavilion at the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2021, to California’s County Office Building (COB3), the very first net-zero-energy mass timber civic building in the United States, SOM architects and engineers have been exploring the viability of timber construction for decades. At this event, the local SOM team will share the firm’s powerful mass timber design ideas and the challenges encountered along the way.

Campus Resilience – HKUST (Guangzhou)
The COP 27 conference served to underscore the acceleration of global warming, emphasizing the urgent need for further efforts to secure a sustainable future. This presentation will showcase the new Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) campus in Nansha, which sets a standard for 21st century university campus design.

Panel Discussion – The Scales of Collaborative Decarbonization
Our panel of experts will consider the challenges of decarbonizing in terms of:
• different locations – Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and overseas
• project types – commercial and life sciences
• project scales – master plans and single buildings
• strategies – repurposing and new built
• technologies + tools – from design to execution to facility management
• ecosystems – design and project management

About the Speakers

Weiqi Wang, AIA, Associate Principal, SOM

Weiqi Wang is the Associate Principal of the SOM Shanghai office. He has more than 15 years of experience as an architect and has led the team in delivering various projects in Asia, North America, and the Middle East, on large-scale mixed-use, super high-rise and commercial office developments as well as on retail, cultural and hospitality projects. He is committed to sustainable design and to helping his clients shape a better built environment.

Jiejing Zhou, Senior Structural Engineering Professional, SOM

Jiejing Zhou has worked on a wide range of projects across the US and China with a particular emphasis on super-tall towers, seismic evaluations and the retrofitting of existing structures. His responsibilities with SOM include the creation of conceptual structural diagrams, 3D finite element analysis models and coordinating with architects and other consultants to achieve the most effective structural solutions.

Florence Chan, AIA, RIBA, HKIA, LEED AP, Director, KPF

Florence Chan joined the KPF New York office in 2007 before moving to Hong Kong one year later. She has completed several significant projects in the GBA, including the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen and the HKUST (Guangzhou) Campus. Florence is a registered architect in New York State and Hong Kong, a LEED AP and a board member of the CTBUH Hong Kong Chapter. She received her Bachelor of Social Science (Architectural Studies) from CUHK and a Master in Architecture from the Harvard GSD.

Patrick Ho, Deputy Head, Sustainable Development, Swire Properties.

Patrick Ho is the deputy head of sustainable development at Swire Properties, where he works with senior leaders to establish 1.5°C Science-Based Targets by 2050. He has also been instrumental in developing the Green Finance Framework for Swire Properties and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), and a Certified Carbon Auditor Professional, among other advisory positions.

Garrick Lau, Head of Sustainability & Shared Value, SEWIT Department, Nan Fung Development

Being a Gen-Y father of two children, Garrick aspires to bring happiness and fulfilment to future generations. He believes that every individual and business should do good and create shared values for the community. His experience covers social innovation, sustainability, change management and intrapreneurship. He currently works with a private conglomerate to advocate for Creating Shared Value (CSV) to all businesses.

Dennis Wu, Founding President, GBA Carbon Neutrality Association

Dennis Wu is the CEO and Executive Director of AEC Group. He is a Co-Chair of the Hong Kong Private Equity Finance Association and completed the GRI Professional Certification Program, TCFD, sustainable finance, and digital transformation. He is leading the AEC Group towards responsible investment, established the GBA Carbon Neutrality Association and is also involved in development of the Net Zero Readiness Framework as a WorldGBC Asia Pacific Net Zero Collaborator.

About the Moderator

Sebastian Hill, Project Director, NBBJ

Sebastian Hill heads up the Hong Kong Studio and is responsible for NBBJ projects across Asia. The firm has a long-standing reputation for delivering innovative, sustainable design solutions that not only meet the functional requirements of clients but are also dynamic, inspiring environments. Some of the most iconic NBBJ projects are the Tencent Headquarters and Net City in Shenzhen; Amazon Headquarters in Seattle: and Swire’s Two Taikoo Place in HK