(8 December 2016, Hong Kong) Hong Kong East Community Green Station has been selected as a global winner in the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2016 Global Awards for Excellence program, widely recognized as one of the land use industry’s most prestigious awards programs.
The program, established in 1979, recognizes real estate projects that achieve a high standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning, and management. Open to the entire industry (not just ULI members), the awards program is viewed as the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development. The Hong Kong East Community Green Station is one of eleven winning real estate development projects from around the globe to be honored this year, and the only global winning project in Asia.
In May 2015, the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong completed the Hong Kong East Community Green Station to implement the “reduction first” waste management strategy, as a pilot project for promoting green living and collection of recyclables at the community level. Instead of a traditional garbage collection point, the Station is designed as a positive asset to the local community with the inclusion of an education center, work area for handling recyclables, office, ancillary facilities, and a landscape area. In total, the project includes around 26,000 sq. ft. of open space and landscaping, around 8,000 sq. ft. of industrial space, and around 4,000 sq. ft. of educational space, with around 7,500 sq. ft. for buildings. The total cost of the project is around US$3 million.
The flyover above the site contributes to the passive cooling of the venues thus reducing solar heat gain. Modular containers are reused as the bases of the buildings and modified to suit the need of different functions. An additional overhanging roof and vertical greening shelter the interior from direct sunlight. Various sustainable initiatives put the green culture of “Use Less, Waste Less” into practice. The Station collects recyclables such as electrical appliances, compact fluorescent lamps, glass bottles and rechargeable batteries which are sorted in the recyclables repository before delivery to qualified recyclers for proper treatment and the conversion of waste into usable resources.
Hong Kong East Community Green Station transformed a temporary carpark under a flyover into a public gathering place to bridge the old and new neighborhood within an existing dense residential area. The concept was to create a new street through the site to connect the surrounding communities through the use of green wall, bamboo trellis and a courtyard garden. The project has become a focal point for the local neighborhoods where the new street and the landscape area embody a variety of gathering spaces as an interpretation of pavilions in a traditional Chinese Garden, representing the local cultural values. Hong Kong East Community Green Station has organized over 100 events on site and has become a popular spot for environmental education and recycling support in the Eastern District of Hong Kong.
The full list of winners (developers and designers in parentheses) are:
- Hong Kong East Community Green Station, Hong Kong, China (developer/design: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)
- The Boucicaut Eco-Neighborhood, Paris, Ile-de-France, France (developer: Sempariseine; design: AUA Paul Chemetov, Jean-Francois Schmit Architectes, et al.)
- Celadon at 9th & Broadway, San Diego, California, United States (developer: BRIDGE Housing Corporation; design: SVA Architects, Studio E Architects, et al.)
- Daniels Spectrum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (developer: the Regent Park Arts Non-Profit Development Corporation [RPAD]; design: Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc.)
- The Edge, Amsterdam, North-Holland, Netherlands (developer: OVG Real Estate; design: PLP Architecture et al.)
- Les Docks Village, Marseille, Bouches du Rhone, France (developer: Constructa Urban Systems; design: 5+1AA)
- Ocean Avenue South, Santa Monica, California, United States (developers: Related California et al; design: Moore Ruble Yudell, Koning Eizenberg, et al.)
- Ponce City Market, Atlanta, Georgia, United States (developer: Jamestown; design/consultant: ASD; design: 360/Airspace, Eberly & Associates, Gensler, S9 Architecture, et al.)
- The Strand, American Conservatory Theater (ACT), San Francisco, California, United States (developer: American Conservatory Theater; design: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP)
- Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, San Antonio, Texas, United States (developer: Tobin Center for the Performing Arts; design: LMN Architects with associate architect Marmon Mok)
- Wynwood Walls, Miami, Florida, United States (developer: Goldman Properties; design: Tony Goldman and Jessica Goldman Srebnick in collaboration with DNB Design Group, Plusurbia, et al.)
The award is based on ULI’s guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI’s Global Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnerships, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability.
Throughout the program’s history, all types of projects have been recognized for their excellence, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs.
“Cities are about people—the way people interact, get around, and go about their daily routines. Great cities are made of great places that make the urban experience easy and enjoyable,” said awards jury chairman Steve Navarro, executive vice president, CBRE l the Furman Co. in Greenville, South Carolina. “These projects reflect the highest standards of design, construction, economics, planning, and management. But most important: they are improving people’s quality of life.”
“The Global Awards for Excellence showcase efforts that have both succeeded in pushing ingenuity and exemplifying best practices in land use across the globe,” said Patrick L. Phillips, ULI global chief executive officer. “This year’s winners have demonstrated a committed contribution to responsible real estate development and a dedication to building thriving, livable communities.”
In addition to Navarro, 2016 awards jury members were Toni Alexander, president and creative director, InterCommunications Inc., Newport Beach, California; Jeff Barber, design leader and principal, Gensler, Washington, D.C.; Terrall Budge, principal and owner, Loci, Salt Lake City, Utah; Lynn Hoffman Carlton, regional director of planning, HOK, Kansas City, Missouri; Ame M. Engelhart, director, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Hong Kong; Sophie Henley-Price, principal, Studios Architecture, Paris, France; Lance Josal, president and chief executive officer, Callison RTKL, Dallas, Texas; Roger G. Orf, partner, Apollo Management LLP, London; Alex J. Rose, senior vice president, Continental Development Corporation, El Segundo, California; Wendy Rowden, president, 42nd Street Development Corp., New York, New York; and Rebecca Stone, managing principal, OZ Architecture, Denver, Colorado.
