Hong Kong Baptist University may have breached green roof rules
Post investigation with expert finds extra structures that should have been flagged to Buildings Department despite the institution’s claims
An investigation by the Post has found that green roofs on the Baptist University campus might have breached building safety rules, raising concerns about the extent of the problem across the city’s educational institutions after Friday’s roof collapse at City University.
While City University was busy with damage control after a huge green rooftop at its sports centre in Kowloon Tong came crashing down, injuring three people, Baptist University claimed on Saturday that it did not require government approval for converting five of its own rooftops into green gardens.
But an inspection yesterday of two rooftops by an expert who accompanied the Post to Baptist University’s campus, also in Kowloon Tong, found additional structures that should clearly have been flagged to the Buildings Department.
On the rooftop of the 50-year-old Sir Run Run Shaw Building, a 300- square-metre area was fenced in with bricks and concrete and filled with green pitch 12.7cm thick.
In response to the Post’s inquiries, a Baptist University spokesman said the management would revisit the requirements of the project to see if government approval was necessary.