Date/Time
Date(s) - May 16, 2026
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Categories

• Tour

Eco-Blueprints: Innovative Sustainable Initiatives for a Greener Future

Through guided tours of Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) and the Kai Tak District Cooling Plant No.3, followed by a panel discussion over lunch at AIRSIDE, this program will explore the green initiatives in place and the strategies being used by the architects, engineers, government, and clients to shape a greener future.

We are pleased to welcome representatives from Populous – the Architect of KTSP – the Hong Kong EMSD, Nan Fung and Sherwin Williams who will share insights from their perspectives, as well as from ASHRAE Hong Kong, to provide additional expertise on the technical aspects.

This event aims to promote and advocate green design, equip our members with practical insights into the operations and technologies behind sustainability-led developments, and reinforce the importance of sustainability in building a more resilient city.

Background

KTSP
Pioneering Green Building & Ecological Design — This is a sustainability-focused precinct with recognised green certifications including BEAM Plus Neighbourhood – Platinum, and the China Green Building Label – 3-Star (Design). The KTSP portion of the tour will focus on the stadium’s sustainability features and the self-cleaning façade paint system by Sherwin-Williams, with viewpoints and discussions from outside the stadium.

District Cooling
Buildings within the Sports Park use energy-efficient systems to reduce carbon emissions. A key highlight is the use of the EMSD District Cooling System’s chilled water for air-conditioning, which improves efficiency compared with conventional approaches. A representative from the EMSD will lead the visit to the district cooling plant for the Kai Tak neighbourhood.

AIRSIDE
The gateway to Kai Tak, Nan Fung’s sustainability showcase and the first-ever building in Hong Kong to receive five major certifications, including US LEED® Platinum (pre-certified), WELL Platinum (pre-certified), BEAM Plus Neighbourhood – Final Platinum, BEAM Plus New Building – Provisional Platinum, and China Green Building Label – Final 3-Star. A panel discussion will be held at the AIRSIDE office tower after the tours are complete.

EVENT DETAILS

RUNDOWN

This event is kindly sponsored by Sherwin-Williams and supported by the ASHRAE Hong Kong Chapter, with Nan Fung the venue provider for the panel discussion.

Sign up HERE to reserve your spot before Friday, May 15, 2026, at 4:00 PM.

About the Speakers and Tour Leaders

Ismael Merchan
Senior Associate, Project Architect, Populous

Ismael Merchan is a highly skilled project architect with more than 13 years of experience. He joined Populous in 2019 and is based in the Hong Kong office where his key responsibilities have included the design development and construction coordination of the Kai Tak Youth Sport Ground, and the Kai Tak Arena. These two venues are focused on increasing community engagement, as well as integrating retail and wellness facilities as part of the Hong Kong Government’s Sport for All brief.

Ismael is also interested in E-sports, motorsports, the metaverse, new technologies and stadia, which keeps him engaged with the latest trends, and enables him to bring innovative ideas to his projects. In addition to his architectural work, he also has a passion for architectural photography and aerial videography.

Janice Lau
Senior Associate, Architect, Populous

Janice Lau is a leading sports architect based in Hong Kong and is involved on large, activated precinct developments across the Asia Pacific region. She managed the architectural design, design development, project coordination and project management of the Kai Tak Stadium and combines her sport and entertainment design expertise with an integrated understanding of retail and transport orientated developments, having worked on mixed-use projects across China throughout her early career.  She is focused on the master planning of public infrastructure that creates opportunities for communities and brings economic benefit to cities.

Janice obtained both her Bachelor and Master of Architecture degrees at the Bartlett School of Architecture – University College London and, in her spare time, volunteers on community infrastructure projects in Hong Kong.

EMSD
Representatives from the EMSD will lead the tour of the Kai Tak District Cooling Plant No.3 ((KTDCS-P3).

Steven Au
General Manager – Project Department, Hong Kong Properties, Nan Fung Development

Steven Au is an accomplished senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in project management, engineering, and contracting across Asia, the US and the UK. His commitment to fostering innovation and sustainability initiatives is truly inspiring, as showcased by AIRSIDE, a landmark commercial development at Kai Tak that has set a new benchmark for an impact-driven, resilient future, and for community well-being.

Steven joined Nan Fung in 2017 and currently serves as General Manager of the Group, where he leads the Project Management and Design Department.

Barry Lau
President-Elect, ASHRAE Hong Kong
Head of Building Services, Facilities Management, Swire Properties Limited

Barry Lau is responsible for formulating the corporate decarbonization and energy saving initiatives within Swire Properties, paving the way for the company to a net zero future. He provides technical support to operations across Hong Kong and the PRC and leads an engineering team that manages energy saving strategies implementation, digitalization of operational data, artificial intelligence and innovative solutions for building applications across the firm’s global operations.

Before joining Swire Properties, Barry was an Associate Director of Arup Hong Kong with extensive experience in the design of large chiller plants and sustainable building design. He was the project manager for the district cooling system at the Kai Tak Development and Zero Carbon Building.

Joseph Rasmussen
Global Account Executive, Sherwin-Williams

Joseph Rasmussen is an Enterprise Account Executive on the Sherwin-Williams Coil and Extrusion Coatings team, focusing on the Western United States, Western Canada, and APAC. He plays a key role for the architect and design community by providing education and color specification support, and is committed to helping bridge gaps by providing tailored solutions that meet specific design parameters.

Joseph has nearly 25 years of experience, primarily in the building materials arena. He began his career working construction as a student, then transitioned into building materials sales, and later into architectural and design support. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah.

About the Moderator

Augustus Chan
Co-Chair, Committee on the Environment (COTE) Committee, AIA Hong Kong

Augustus Chan is Co-Chair of the COTE for AIA Hong Kong, reflecting his deep commitment to advancing sustainable building practices in the region. A design-focused leader with extensive experience spanning architecture, placemaking, and the strategic integration of digital design across Asia and the United States, he serves as Vice President and Director of Jerde Hong Kong, where he leads design strategies across large-scale, mixed-use, commercial and experiential projects — bringing a rigorous approach that elevates both the built environment and the communities they serve.