When researching sustainability in the building sector, one will come across a lot of new technologies for how buildings can be made better… meters, cement, solar panels, insulation, and so on.
However, at the same time as we are celebrating these technologies and the architects who are able to incorporate them into their buildings, it is equally important to recognize that in China’s cities there is a huge need to address the buildings that have been constructed during the last 10 years.
It is perhaps one of the greatest markets I see in China, given the billions of square meters built in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and dozens of other cites, and the recent CNN article Can Hong Kong build bigger, higher, greener? provides a glimpse into some of the green forces at work in HK.
Famous for their refrigerator like mall conditions, hugely unsustainable, the article really gets to the heart of it by showing how sustainability is being hampered by lax building regulations and greedy developers – a condition that exists in the mainland as well.
…but a few rays of hope as firms like Swire (mentioned in article), Shui On (not mentioned), and others take steps to conduct audits an invest in the after market:
By converting a five-storey “tong lau” — an old Chinese building — with solar panels, a turfed roof and energy efficient appliances, Khan also is keen to emphasize that his eco-friendly flat is as much about preserving the old and a sense of heritage as it is about being green.
“In an age when you can combine development and also adapt and reuse — it’s the ultimate in recycling. You incorporate innovation and there’s a premium attached to it.”