Reaching a new height of smartly sustainable in Hong Kong

Total sustainability

With the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as the design blueprint for this development, the team has built a new ‘CO₆ metrics’ framework – covering ‘community hub creation’, ‘comfortable & healthy environment’, ‘carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction’, ‘conspicuous performance & consumption’ and ‘cost effective smart technology’.

Microclimate studies were conducted to shape the building form with an urban window to enhance outdoor comfort and local wind environment. Water features have been crafted to reduce the heat island effect in compact urban environment.

Our holistic approach turned the project into Hong Kong’s first private development that has received five highest sustainable building certifications: platinum pre-certification of US LEED®, final platinum certification of Hong Kong BEAM Plus New Buildings and Neighbourhood, platinum pre-certification of WELL Building Standard™, and final 3-Star certification of the China Green Building Design Label.

Highly smart

A number of cutting-edge technologies were deployed in a human-centric design approach, helping to redefine the customer and tenant experience.

In addition to seamless wireless internet access, the connectivity statistics can be utilised to facilitate business growth through dwell time and customer behaviour analysis. Empowered by AI technology, we provided advanced customer analytics through people counting and a video analytic system. The system also allows queue management and crowd detection.

Moreover, Neuron, Arup’s self-developed AI smart building console has been implemented in the project. With the centralised building information management and asset management system, operations and facilities management can be optimised through real-time monitoring of assets, predictive maintenance and task scheduling.

Enabling fast-track construction

The two office towers are integrated with the retail podium to form a unified building profile featuring different sloping geometries and terraces. Our structural engineers designed the sloping steel-reinforced concrete composite columns to form the varying profiles on all four sides of the north main tower, and transfer structures at multiple locations at the podium.

The 23m deep basement provides space for various usage, including underground retail space, loading and unloading area, district cooling system plantroom and carpark. To enable a fast-track construction, our structure and geotechnical team adopted a hybrid ‘semi-top-down’ construction sequence using high strength steel stanchions, allowing simultaneous construction of the superstructure and basement box structure, as well as early fit-out of critical plant rooms in the basement floors. The top-down scheme allowed the programme to be reduced by seven months.

Integrating form, function and performance

The buildings boast slightly curved façades made of fluted glass, designed in a nod to Nan Fung’s initial textile business. The design concept is inspired by draped fabric, evident in the lower façade which consists of both flat and curved panels. The curved façade panels, found on parts of the two office towers and the podium, vary in curvature in a sinusoidal manner, gradually increasing in degree as they descend and taper off. The unique design creates a continuity in the façade resembling the graceful movement of fabric.

Our façade and MEP teams also worked closely to harmonise the MEP elements such as external louvres on the building envelope to maintain the architect’s design intent.

To provide a spacious interior in the retail area, our structural and MEP engineers optimised SMEP zones against the complex building geometry.

The high atrium and deep basement posed fire safety challenges. Working closely with our MEP team, our fire engineers came up with a series of solutions to make these features possible without compromising fire safety. The solutions include a tailored smoke extraction system and fire suppression systems which consist of long throw sprinklers and gas suppression.