(Hong Kong, 29 June 2016) - Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”) proudly announced that the Hong Kong Science Park Phase 3ab (“Phase 3ab”) project has been granted the Grand Award in the Hong Kong Non-Residential (New Building) category at the Quality Building Award (“QBA”) 2016. The Grand Award is the highest recognition for projects nominated in each of the six award categories. Designed, constructed and managed in high quality with the objective to enable the continued development of the Park’s thriving technology ecosystem, Phase 3ab scored favourably across all metrics in “Vision and Teamwork”, “Design and Innovation”, “Construction”, “Project Cost & Budget”, “Environmental Considerations”, and “Post-Occupancy Considerations” assessed by a panel of professional judges.
Co-chaired by the Hong Kong Construction Association (“HKCA”) and the Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers (“HKICM”) in 2016 and held biennially by a total of nine professional organisations in Hong Kong, QBA is a highly prestigious industry recognition that acknowledges excellence in building quality in order to promote industry-wide commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and competitiveness.
Known for its strict benchmarking standards, QBA 2016 has a jury panel chaired by Sr Hui Siu Wai, JP, Director of Buildings, Buildings Department of Hong Kong SAR Government, who is joined by eight other jurors from the Government, academia and professional organisations related to the design and construction of buildings.
As the vanguard of smart city development, in particular the low-carbon emission, energy-efficiency and building sustainability aspects, Phase 3ab, comprised of three buildings – Building 12W, 15W and 16W, is a great showcase of how innovation is at work to create a better and more sustainable future for Hong Kong.
“Smart City is one of the three key technology developments we consider the most important to ensuring Hong Kong’s continued prosperity and opening of new frontier to local economy, with the other two being Healthy Ageing and Robotics. Spanning 6.24 hectares with a total gross area of 105,000 square metres, the Phase 3 project, as a manifestation of a ‘Living Laboratory’ to demonstrate and accelerate the adoption of green innovation and technology, will provide additional room for us to house Hong Kong’s ever-expanding innovation and technology ecosystem,” said Allen Ma, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP.
“We are delighted to receive another highly coveted industry accolade. With nine awards already under our belt from various industry partners for recognising our building excellence, QBA gave us the privilege to achieve a ‘Perfect 10’. We intend to continue on with our tradition of excellence and professional expertise as we move on to newer projects, including the expansion of Science Park and the redevelopment of Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate to better cater the needs of high value-added smart manufacturing businesses, as Hong Kong inches towards re-industrialisation,” added Ma.
Phase 3ab was completed on time and with substantial cost savings. The winning of QBA 2016 demonstrates HKSTP’s capability, expertise and experience in managing large-scale, high quality construction projects.
As of today, Phase 3 development has already earned ten building industry awards and three green accreditations. Last year, Building 15W was awarded the Final Platinum rating under Building Environmental Assessment Method (“BEAM Plus”), at the highest score to date among all accredited BEAM Plus Final Platinum projects.
Phase 3ab’s three buildings will not only enable HKSTP to offer new R&D offices, laboratories and other facilities for local technology start-ups and multinational technology giants to set up an establishment for operations, but also to inspire the industry how sustainable building practices and green technologies can be applied to construction projects in Hong Kong.
By incorporating green features and sustainable designs aiming for overall sustainability, Phase 3ab aspires to encourage sustainable construction practices with renewable energy targets; it also serves to aid the development of a roadmap of using renewable energy in Hong Kong Science Park itself and inspire innovation in green technologies in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.
