With years of promotion, awareness of environmental protection has steadily increased across sectors worldwide. Among these, building sustainability is most related to people's daily lives. Taking Hong Kong as an example, there has been a strong push for sustainable architecture and a green economy in recent years. Ar Tony IP, an architect, has worked tirelessly to promote sustainable buildings. As a green building professional, he has played a key role in formulating the Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Plus standards and the education work of sustainable buildings.

Advancing Green Building Culture and Arousing Industry Awareness

Tony has had a connection with architectural design since childhood and aspired to become an architect. His journey to achieving this dream is never easy, but fortunately, the process allowed him to explore various professional fields, shaping him as an interdisciplinary green building expert. In every architectural project he participates in, he consistently incorporates sustainable elements into design and initiatives. Through years of experience, he understands that promoting the development of sustainable buildings cannot be achieved by oneself; it requires the concerted efforts of the industry and the public.

Beyond his busy work, he actively engages in pro bono work with BEAM Society Limited, serving as the Chairperson of the BEAM Expert Panel (Site Aspects), the Convenor of the BEAM Plus Existing Schools (ES) Steering Committee, and a member of several committees. By promoting BEAM Plus projects and outreach activities, he aims to raise public awareness of the importance of green buildings.

Empowering Environmentally Friendly Living Through Architecture

He believes that architecture can foster an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Therefore, he advocates for four core concepts in every building project: zero-carbon buildings, healthy buildings, natural buildings, and circular buildings. Sustainable architecture should extend beyond the building itself but also whether it can support a sustainable and green lifestyle. Each project must be considered from multiple dimensions, including design, materials use, management, and even from the user's psychological perspective on space utilisation.

For example, the Jockey Club Kwai Wah Health and Wellbeing Centre, which has certified with BEAM Plus Interiors (BI) v1.0, despite the original brief not requesting an environmentally friendly approach. However, Tony incorporated diversified environmental elements into the design, resulting in excellent outcomes without extra costs. Another example is the HKRep Education Hub, which is set to open in March 2024. As the revitalisation of an existing building classified as a Grade II historic building, it has been transformed into a sustainable project that combines environmental and heritage conservation principles through various ingenious designs, extending the building's lifespan with environmental and historical sustainability.

Creativity Breeding Vitality: Sustainable Development Without Limits

In the interview, Tony shared an impressive project in these years: Jockey Club - The Conservancy Association Urban Forestry Green Hub. The project's biggest challenge was to create an urban forestry education centre beneath an elevated highway with substantial underground utilities, which posed significant challenges in lighting, materials use and design. Ultimately, a modular structural design was employed to maximise space utilisation, effectively harness natural shading and ventilation, thereby creating a spacious and comfortable public space.

This project was shortlisted for the Green Building Awards 2023 and received a Special Citation on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Final Platinum rating under BEAM Plus New Buildings (NB) v1.2.

Government Promoting ESG and Aiming for Carbon Neutrality by 2050

In recent years, the Hong Kong Government has taken active steps to promote Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, committing to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050. He believes that Hong Kong's current environmental assessment standards and tools are more well-developed than those in other regions. For example, BEAM Plus has expanded its service scope to the Mainland, the Belt and Road Initiative, and Europe starting in 2024. While over 80% of properties in Hong Kong being existing buildings, and new constructions accounting for only a small fraction, enhancing the sustainability performance of existing buildings is crucial to achieving carbon neutrality.

Owners, management companies, and project teams of existing buildings can utilise BEAM Plus to formulate a clear roadmap for improvements, progressively optimising various environmental measures. These include reducing carbon emissions during daily operations, lowering water and energy consumption, and promoting the use of natural, healthy spaces. In the future, for existing buildings to meet government policy targets, changes need to be implemented swiftly, and efforts to enhance their sustainability performance must be actively pursued.

BEAM Plus on Campus: Cultivating a Mindset of Sustainability

In addition to promoting sustainable concepts to clients and peers, Tony also emphasises the importance of cultivating environmental awareness among the younger generation. He serves as the convenor of the steering committee responsible for developing an assessment tool for existing primary and secondary schools. This effort led to the successful launch of BEAM Plus Existing Schools (ES) in 2022, with the support of a group of expert committee members. He described this tool is a new milestone, as this tool is designed specifically for teachers and students, making the outlined assessment criteria understandable even to outsiders without professional knowledge. It includes accessible guidelines that emphasises both stick and carrot, providing guidance on environmental activities and energy-saving measures tailored to schools’ daily operations.

To encourage broader participation, the project features a simplified rating system with only two levels: "Green" and "Green+", instead of the typical four-level rating in BEAM Plus standards. Additionally, a badge system awards schools for outstanding performance in specific categories, underscoring encouragement and participation. The tool is grounded in practical scenarios and takes into account the voices from the education sector to promote sustainable building concepts and BEAM Plus values within campuses and communities.

Finally, Tony encourages the younger generation, stating, "Regardless of your future career, whether in architecture or environmental fields, everyone needs to confront climate change, so we cannot afford to ignore environmental protection."