The redevelopment of dilapidated private residences requires well-honed engineering skills that can get to the root of structural problems. James Lau, managing director of James Lau and Associates, considers himself better prepared to tackle renovation work after a decade-long career covering a wide range of engineering projects.
I followed a family tradition by becoming a structural engineer. My father was a structural engineer and all my brothers are structural engineers. I studied at the Hong Kong Technical College, which is now the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. After that, I won the chance to go to London and understudy in a firm called Redpath Dorman Long working on suspension bridges such as the Humber Bridge, a suspension bridge near Kingston-upon-Hull in Britain.
When that company got the contract to build the first Hong Kong cross-harbour tunnel, I came back but after two years went back to Britain to do a master's degree in engineering at Manchester University, followed by a PhD at London University. On my return, I worked for the government of Hong Kong and, after that, was employed as a chief structural engineer for a firm that built commercial structures, such as Pacific Place, and hotels in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. The company made me director in 1989, but soon after that I left the company and formed my own in the territory. Most young engineers dream about working on major new construction projects, which are the best launch pads for a career. Throughout a construction project, structural engineers need to get involved with the management, including work with contractors and architects to advise on how a structure can withstand pressure that occurs throughout its lifetime. In Hong Kong that includes typhoons but earthquakes should also be brought into consideration as the territory is in a medium-risk quake zone. However, most of our buildings aren't made for that.
A structural engineer's work is not only about the science of building structures and understanding materials but also about carrying out inspections and making sure that projects meet legal requirements before choosing the right bids and tenders, which is why I like working in Hong Kong where things are very systematic.
I also have a public appointment as a district councilor and am on the drafting committee for building codes. In some countries engineers can use any design code they want, but Hong Kong has developed its own code of practice to deal with environmental issues that are unique to the place. The extensive work experience in various countries has prepared me for the renovation work needed on many of Hong Kong's buildings and it includes complex problem-solving work that can only be carried out by experienced engineers.