Chapter 13: Building Development

The Architectural Services Department acts as the Government's architect in providing financial management, professional and technical services for all public building developments, except public housing, in three main areas:—

In 2001, the actual expenditure on building projects undertaken or monitored by the department was $11.84 billion, with a further $1.6 billion spent on routine maintenance works. The major building projects undertaken by the department were in the following categories:—

Under the School Building Programme, 14 primary schools, three secondary schools and two special schools were completed. Construction work also started on 15 primary schools, seven secondary schools and two special schools. Under the School Improvement Programme, improvements to 38 schools were completed while works on another 84 schools were under way.

In undertaking the school projects, measures have been developed to enhance efficiency and improve the environment. 'System-build' precast construction and metal formwork are employed in the construction of new schools, resulting in a reduction of construction wastes and enhancement in the quality of work. Fresh air pre-conditioners are installed in air-conditioned classrooms to provide air supply of desirable quality and enhance the energy efficiency of the air-conditioning system. These pre-conditioners are heat exchangers that recover energy from exhaust air and re-use it to pre-treat intake fresh air.

Two projects were completed during the year: the Redevelopment of Stanley Prison and the construction of the Tactical Training Complex at the Police Training School in Aberdeen. Construction was under way on Fire Station cum Ambulance Depots in Tseung Kwan O, Tin Shui Wai and Sha Tau Kok; the Redevelopment of Tai Lam Correctional Institution; Phase III Redevelopment of the Police Headquarters at Arsenal Yard; and facilities for the Police Dog Unit/Force Search Unit at Sha Ling in the northern New Territories.

Improvements to seven police stations were completed under the Police Stations Improvement Project programme. Works continued on 31 police stations, and the scope of works was defined for another 10 stations.

The Fanling Magistracy, which comprises nine law courts, was completed during the year.

Construction of the first group of buildings in Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Science Park project at Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po, commenced in February 2000 for completion by 2002. The facilities include two buildings designed for research and development, one multi-storey carpark, as well as support and communal facilities. The last group of buildings within Phase 1 is planned for completion by early 2004. On completion, Phase 1 will provide a total of 120 000 square metres in space for research in electronics, information technology, biotechnology and precision engineering.

The Science Park is the first government building project to incorporate an automatic refuse collection system with dual chutes and building-integrated photovoltaic systems, which consist of photovoltaic cells laminated between glass and installed on the facade of buildings to generate clean power from solar energy.

Projects completed during the year included the Ambulatory Care Centre of Tuen Mun Hospital and the Public Health Laboratory Centre in Shek Kip Mei. Major projects under construction included the Caritas Medical Centre Redevelopment; Kowloon Hospital Redevelopment Phase I; Castle Peak Hospital Redevelopment Phase II; Fanling Primary Health Care Centre; and the Hospital Improvement Programme Phases III and IV.

A number of recreational and cultural projects were completed during the year, including Quarry Bay Park Phase II, Stage 1; the Promenade and District Open Space at Siu Sai Wan; and the Renovation to the external walls of the Sha Tin and Tuen Mun Town Hall complexes. The restoration of the King Law Ka Shuk (a clan ancestral hall and study hall) in Tai Po, which was completed early in the year, won an Award of Merit in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.

Projects under construction included the Indoor Recreation Centre cum Library in Area 100, Ma On Shan; the Improvement to Victoria Park; Jordan Valley Playground Phase II, Stage 2; and the Local Open Space in Area 44, Tuen Mun.

Facilities opened to the public during the year included the Hong Kong Central Library; the Hong Kong Museum of History; and the Swimming Pool Complex, Library, Indoor Recreation Centre and District Open Space in Area 24, Tseung Kwan O.

The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, which was opened in the previous year, won the Silver Medal in the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards 2000.

The first stage of improvement to streetscape and signage along the Sun Yat Sen Historical Trail in the Central and Western District was completed. Improvements to the streetscape in Hollywood Road and Ladder Street will be completed in 2002, and in Upper Lascar Road and Lan Kwai Fong by 2003.

Site formation and planning works began on Phase II of the 64-hectare Hong Kong Wetland Park (as it is now known) in Tin Shui Wai. Phase II is due for completion in 2005. Under Phase 1 — completed and opened to the public in December 2000 after the wetland park was designated a millennium project for Hong Kong's ecotourism development — an exhibition pavilion was built, a landscaped area formed, and outdoor exhibits provided. This phase won the President's Prize in the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards 2000.

A number of landscape projects were completed, including the Quarry Bay Park Phase II, Stage 1; the Promenade and District Open Space in Siu Sai Wan; and the District Open Space in North Ap Lei Chau. Besides the provision of parks and open spaces, landscaping has become an indispensable and integrated element in modern project design, particularly in the building interior and other parts, such as atriums, podium decks and roofs, as well as the vehicular access roads and pedestrian plazas. Recognition of the department's work in landscaping came in the Outstanding Green Project Awards 2000: the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence was awarded the Greening Effect Category Silver Award. The Hammer Hill Road District Park and the Tuen Mun Hospital Hospice Centre cum Hospice Garden received Merit Awards.

Departmental quarters projects were completed in Sau Mau Ping (Lee On Road) and Fanling. Construction continued on Government Offices in Sha Tin and departmental quarters in Kwun Tong (Hong Ning Road), Lai Chi Ling in Kwai Chung, and on the West Kowloon Reclamation.

In order to minimise any adverse impact on the environment, sustainable design practices — such as the use of high performance technologies, the promotion of renewable clean energy, the consideration of life-cycle costing and the creation of a healthy built environment — have been integrated into the design and construction processes to produce buildings that are environmentally responsible.

Through the incorporation of energy efficient features in design, new public building projects completed in 2000 had achieved an annual saving of 270 000 megajoules in energy consumption, resulting in a reduction of 33 000 tonnes of CO₂ emission into the atmosphere and an estimated saving of $75 million in electricity charges in 2001. As part of the maintenance of existing buildings, replacement of old light fittings with energy saving ones achieved an annual saving of 22 500 megajoules in energy consumption, resulting in a reduction of 2 750 tonnes of CO₂ emission and an estimated saving of $6.3 million in electricity charges.

The department has taken the lead to promote the use of an 'Overall Energy Approach' in achieving a desirable air quality in the built environment while maintaining the energy efficiency of a building. The purpose is to minimise a building's energy consumption by means of various energy recovery systems that enable a certain proportion of wasted energy to be recovered for further utilisation. A Special Unit was established to carry out air quality monitoring and assurance works for new building projects. To promote the use of renewable energy in buildings, the department aimed to generate an estimated total of 850 kilowatts of clean power through the incorporation of building-integrated photovoltaic panels in projects designed during the year.

The department is seeking opportunities to preserve existing buildings to save construction time and cost, and to conserve the majority of a building's embodied energy by extending its life. The District Community Centre cum Singleton Hostel in Sai Ying Pun, completed in 2001, is a typical example of this new initiative. It has successfully preserved the granite verandah façade of the Old Mental Hospital (which was constructed in 1892) and at the same time maximised the development potential of the site through the addition of a new building block.

Apart from sustainable building design, the department is concerned with the green management in offices and possible adverse impacts — such as construction wastes, air, noise and water pollution — caused by construction activities on site. Environmental site management is a priority and the performance of contractors is closely monitored. In 2001, the number of court convictions for environmental offences at public sector construction sites was significantly lower than that at other construction sites.

The department's efforts were recognised when it received the Green Office Gold Award and a Certificate of Merit in Best Environmental Reporting in the 2000 Hong Kong Eco-Business Award, which was organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee, in collaboration with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Productivity Council, with financial support from the Environment and Conservation Fund.