New | Hong Kong needs green buildings to spruce up the environment

Over the past decade, a lot of buildings were developed in Hong Kong.

Most of them, according to William Lim, managing director of CL3, a Hong Kong architecture and design firm, were built with an appealing exterior design.

However, they weren’t focusing much on the end-users. Times have changed; end-users are becoming more selective of space so architects and developers are thinking more about what buildings or designs to pursue.

“Buildings should have their own personality and they have to be a lot more thoughtful [in design]. Architects should also consider the end-users so they can be happy and productive,” said Lim.

Architects nowadays need to think deeply into what they are building. He thinks future buildings should be constructed in such a way they are sensitive to the issues of the environment.

These include the use of curtain wall, an outer wall that encloses the space within a building. Lim said they could be very impersonal and cold and they are not really designed for human use.

Lim hopes to see more buildings use natural ventilation to reduce energy consumption for air-conditioning, ventilation and lighting. By saving energy and using energy-efficient systems, buildings can achieve sustainability. According to Lim, this idea is what driving future developers to build more sustainable buildings in the future.