Project name Hong Kong Science Park Buildings 4a, …buildings. The site faces Tolo Harbour to the East and Science Park’s main vehicular access is to the West. The two blocks are

Hong Kong Science Park

Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong

Building Journal August 2003

Buildings 4a, 4b and 5

Project name

Location

Publication

C O V E R S T O R Y

Building Journal Hongkong China August 2003

Hong Kong Science Park,Buildings 4a, 4b and 5

by Tim Youngs

The Hong Kong Science Park

development at Pak Shek Kok

continues to expand with the recent

completion of its Phase 1b buildings.

Technologycentre

HONG KONG SCIENCE PARK

August 2003 Building Journal Hongkong China

TThe Hong Kong Science Park was conceivedas a research and development campus todraw technology-oriented business and

academic communities into a single location.Placed on a 22 ha reclaimed site beside ToloHarbour at Pak Shek Kok, near ChineseUniversity, the project is being developed inthree phases. Divided into campus, core andcorporate zones, the project is designed to housea range of tenants, from medium-sized operationsin the campus buildings and larger firms incorporate buildings. Core buildings in the sitemeanwhile house necessary associated facilitiesincluding restaurants, exhibition areas andserviced apartments.

Phase 1a at Science Park opened in mid-2002, comprising a core building and a carparkbuilding project managed by the Architectural

Services Department and designed by SimonKwan & Associates, who also developed themasterplan for the entire development (see BJ,July 2002). The most recent completionsconstitute Phase 1b and comprise Buildings 4a,4b and 5, featuring spacious accommodation,advanced building services and carefulconsideration of environmental issues.

An approach in the design of the overalldevelopment is to create a park-like setting witha relaxed, interactive and pleasant workingenvironment. Science Park buildings aredesigned without fences or boundary walls inorder to achieve this campus setting, and theexterior design of the Phase 1 buildings iscoordinated to give a coherent appearance whileat the same time allow individual identities onthe site.

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Hong Kong Science Parkat Pak Shek Kok, Phase 1b – Building 4

32 Building Journal Hongkong China July 2003



Buildings 4a and 4bThe layouts of Buildings 4a and 4b are bothbased on 1.5 m planning modules and have astandardised structural grid of 9 m by 10.5 m.These modular designs were decided onto permitflexibility of subdivision and space planning.Buildings 4a and 4b are both designed withcentral services cores and the building depth inmost parts of the offices does not exceed 10.5 mfrom the external or atrium walls, thus allowingbetter daylight penetration. The standardisedmodular planning also allowed for the useprefabricated structural elements such as semi-precast floors, pre-cast beams and staircases,and the use of metal formwork to reduce theneed for timber during construction, reduceinsitu wet trades and at the same time improveworkmanship and shorten the constructionprogramme.

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Building 4a section

Buildings 4a and 4b are located at the southeastcorner of Science Park Phase 1, within thedevelopment zone designated for corporatebuildings. The site faces Tolo Harbour to the Eastand Science Park’s main vehicular access is tothe West. The two blocks are linked with a semi-common basement carpark that provides 167car-parking spaces. The purpose of thedevelopment is to provide buildings fortechnology-based corporate tenants.

Building 4a is square in plan with a centrallandscaped atrium and has a total GFA of 14,780sq m. The building is planned with two servicescores, thus allowing the building to dividedvertically into two entities. Although thedevelopment requirements for buildings 4a and4b are primarily for single corporate tenants, thelayout also permits the building to be subdividedhorizontally for multiple tenants to allowflexibility in the future. The landscaped atrium isroofed over with a skylight, allowing daylight toreach the centre of the building.

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Building 4b section

Building 4a sectionBuilding 4b section

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typical floor plan, Building 4aground floor plan, Building 4a



Building 4b is rectangular in plan with anentrance atrium with a total GFA of 9,860 sq m.Like Building 4a, the design is intended for asingle tenant but horizontal subdivision formultiple tenants is also possible. The six-storeyhigh entrance atrium features a glass wall facingthe landscaped entrance courtyard, enhancingthe environment of the internal space and therelationship between the inside and outside.Informal seating in the atriums and commonareas of both Buildings 4a and 4b is provided toencourage greater social interaction among staff.

The floor-to-floor height of typical office floorsis 4.5 m, providing 2.7 m floor-to-ceiling officeswith approximately 1 m high ceiling serviceszones and a 200 mm raised floor for tenants’services distribution. The provision of raisedflooring ensures flexibility and adaptability tofuture changes in tenants’ requirements andtechnologies. Open plans and high ceilings create

(Continued from page 34)

skylight and metal roof (21 m wide by 23 m long) at Building 4a

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a spacious, relaxing office environment andareas open to the atrium double as interactivespace with landscaped sitting areas for informalmeetings. Balconies accessible from withinoffices provide access to fresh air for tenants, andfeature views over the open space around thebuilding.

The facades of the buildings are clad with acombination of aluminium panels, double glazed



metal roofing sheets with large projectedcanopies covered with photovoltaic panels toprovide shading to the main roof and officesbelow. The buildings’ double glazing, low-eglass and sunshades combine to achieve an OTTVof 23w/m2. The use of pre-fabricated claddingmaterial reduced site works, wet trades andwastage on site during the construction period.

typical floor plan, Building 4bground floor plan, Building 4b

(Continued on page 48)

window units and building integratedphotovoltaic (BIPV) panels. Sunshades shielddirect sunlight penetration, reducing heat gainto the offices. The use of double glazed windowunits with low-e coated clear glass enhancesthermal and acoustic performance. The use ofclear glass in lieu of reflective glass avoids lightreflection disturbances to neighbouringbuildings. The roofs are clad with insulated

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Building 5Building 5 of Phase 1b is situated at the Westernboundary of the Phase 1 development area andis close to Tolo Highway. The building formspart of the campus zone, designated for small- tomedium-sized tenants with flexible and easilydivisible layout.

The eight-storey building has a total GFA of10,400 sq m, including basement plant rooms, aservice tunnel, upper roof plant rooms and officespace. The design features three service cores,two of which are designated for tenant orientatedservices such as plant rooms for tenants’ areas,toilets and passenger lifts, while the remainingcore is designated for communal facilitiesincluding refuse rooms and a pantry goods lift.

This arrangement allows the building to bedivided for a wide range of tenant mixes — upto eighty-eight tenants could be housed inBuilding 5.

A 1.5 m planning grid was adopted in designingthe building and the offices are generally 9 mdeep from the external wall. This depth, togetherwith the 4.5 m floor-to-floor height (including200 mm raised flooring), caters for better officelayout in terms of primary circulation and efficientconfiguration, and provides flexible space toaccommodate clients with diverse spacerequirements. Future changes and conversionsto suit the changing needs of the tenants andmarket demands can also be achieved. Design

(Continued from page 43)



first floor plan, Building 5

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Buildings in Hong Kong Science Park Phase 1benef i t f rom central ly control led

management systems and advanced buildingservices. The central control management systemin each building provides intelligent control andmonitoring over daily operation. The Phase 1buildings are also linked with undergroundservices tunnels for interconnection of utilities -power cables, IT and telecommunication cables,water pipes and refuse pipes - to allow ease offuture maintenance and changes withoutpavement excavation. Building services signalsin all buildings are connected to the centralsecurity and management office in Phase 1a - thecore location for centralised management toreduce staff and improve efficiency.

A dual chute Central Automatic RefuseCollection System (ARCS) links all buildings fornormal refuse and recyclable waste collection.The ARCS system also eliminates manual refusecollection, improves the environment and avoidsodours spreading from accumulated refuse.

considerations have also taken into account thedifferent working hours future tenants wouldhave, including the possibility of 24-houroperations.

The building envelope is designed for anenergy efficient and environmentally sensitivetreatment. The double skin facade system on thewest elevation helps to shield traffic noise fromTolo Highway and reduce solar heat gain, whilethe double-glazed curtain wall system, sunshading devices and the metal roof also enhancethe building’s thermal and acoustic performance.Due to its close proximity to Tolo Highway,clear glass has been used throughout the facadeto help to reduce the amount of glare that couldaffect motorists. BIPV panels used on the outer

Central managementand ancillary support



The design of the buildings in Hong Kong Science Park followsArchitectural Services Department’s environmental policy and

the environment and energy measures set for its buildings. Thearchitects’ stargets aim to achieve sustainable, environmentallyfriendly and energy efficient designs with less disturbance to theenvironment, less consumption of natural resources, less dumping,less emissions to the atmosphere, optimum energy efficiency andthe use of new and clean energy technology.

Building materials wherever possible were selected with thecriteria of durability, maintenance, environmental friendliness andrecyclability considered. Examples of green materials selected arerecycled glass ceiling tiles and insulation boards, low-VOC paintand flax core timber doors.

For water saving features, water taps and urinals are operatedby infra-red sensor control. For healthy growth of plants andreduction of water used for irrigation, a computer-controlledautomatic irrigation system with local rain sensors will be providedfor effective control of the water supplied to landscaping areas. Thiswill provide suitable micro-environments for different types ofplantings and avoid unnecessary irrigation during wet days.

The use of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panels at thecurtain wall of Building 4 and the double skin wall at Building 5,as well as the roofs of both buildings, pursue new clean energytechnologies, reduce consumption of natural resources and cutemissions to the atmosphere. Buildings 4a, 4b and 5 have achievedthe “Excellent” rating under HK-BEAM (Hong Kong BuildingEnvironmental Assessment Method).

During the construction stage the contractors were alsoencouraged to pursue environmentally friendly approaches inconstruction methods and waste management. Techniquesincluding the use of recycled water for wheel washing facilities andthe use of metal formwork and scaffolds were adopted duringconstruction to reduce the need for timber, thus leading to lessconsumption of resources and reducing dumping.

Green development

skin of the west facade and roof canopy not onlycontribute to the energy efficiency of the building,but also give the building its unique character.Clerestory glazing was specified for the buildingto present a transparent image in line with therest of Science Park Phase 1 and to reduce theapparent bulk of the building.

The building form is enhanced with alightweight and sculptural roofscape that addsinterest to the Science Park’s skyline. Elsewhere,projecting columns reinforce the building’spresence and give a sense of rhythm and amodular effect to otherwise long elevations.Besides these features, aluminium spandrelcladding, a suspended cable structure and apoint-fixed frameless glass wall system have also

August 2003 Building Journal Hongkong China 51



Building services and E&M facilitiesStringent energy efficiency codes are being followed in the design ofbuilding services at Hong Kong Science Park, and innovative andenergy-saving features have so far been incorporated to saveapproximately 10 to 15 per cent of potential electricity bills. Thebuilding services design is briefly described as follows:

a) Electrical System • Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) panels provided on the

roof and building facade generate clean renewable energy from thesun. Electricity generated will be connected back to the main electricgrid.

• T5 Lamps with electronic ballast are used instead of T8s forbetter light output and to consume less energy.

• Intelligent addressable lighting control systems are incorporatedwith occupancy sensors, photocells, timers, motion detectors anddimmers for the open plan offices to reduce energy consumption forthe lighting system

• Network analysers are installed in LV switchboards to providecontinuous data acquisition for monitoring of power consumptionand future energy usage.b) Mechanical Ventilation & A/C System

• Occupancy sensors are installed for air-conditioning control. • Environmental friendly refrigerant is used for chillers/heat

pumps with zero ozone depletion potential. • Ionizers, chemical filters, UV filters and electrostatic filters are

used to provide active treatment for indoor re-circulating air. • The air-conditioning plants are sized to run at their maximum

efficiency according to the load characteristics of the complex. • High-efficiency motors are selected in the services systems and

soft starting of motors will be employed. • Heat pumps are used to reclaim waste heat from the condensing

water for pre-heating hot water for space heating and potable use. • Variable flow of chilled water distribution system with variable

speed drive pumping control is employed. • Air-to-air total energy heat exchangers are used for pre-cooling/

pre-heating of fresh air intake utilising the exhaust air in the air-conditioning system.

• The variable air volume (VAV) air-conditioning systemincorporated with Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sensors (which are installedinside the return air duct of AHUs) can automatically adjust thevolume of fresh air supply in accordance with the level of occupancy.

• Demand control ventilation is used in the basement carpark.c) Lift Installation

• Lighting and fans inside lift cars switch off automatically whenlifts are not in use for more than 15 minutes.

• Active harmonic filters with inverter drives are used for lifts. • Off-peak hour lift control is applied.

been used to keep the presentation as lightweight-looking as possible.

Inside Building 5, open plans and high ceilingscreate a spacious, relaxing office environment,enhanced by built-in building services such assolar and occupational sensing light and air-conditioning controls. The atrium maximisesnatural light penetration into common areas andmajor circulation is centred on it. The atrium isalso furnished with landscaped sitting areas forsmall gatherings between tenants. As in Buildings4a and 4b, balconies can be reached from theoffices for outdoor access and views.

Bickson Construction Co LtdBuilding 5 main contractor

China State Construction Engrg. (Hong Kong) LtdBuilding 4a and 4b main contractor

Architectural Services Departmentarchitect Source: Architectural Services Department

Documents

Project name Hong Kong Science Park Buildings 4a, …buildings. The site faces Tolo Harbour to the East and Science Park’s main vehicular access is to the West. The two blocks are