published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

This dissertation focuses on Central Star Ferry Pier whose impending and actual demolition in 2006 provoked an unprecedented level of confrontation over historic conservation between the Hong Kong government and civil society groups. The confrontation continued in 2007 over the dismantling of Queen’s Pier, whose reassembly and relocation continue to be a subject of debate today. Case studies of these two piers describe their history, trace the conflicts over their fate within the broader controversy over harbour reclamation, place the disputes in social and political context, and analyse constructions of their cultural significance amid changing values. Particular attention is paid to definitions and redefinitions of the piers’ significance (or lack thereof) in relation to contemporary issues in Hong Kong society and governance, such as the formation of post-colonial identity and struggle for democratisation. This long-running drama in two acts not only underscored the neglect of built-heritage conservation in urban planning in Hong Kong, but also called into question its developmental model and consultative system. Its outcome was a paradigm shift in public understanding of and official approaches to urban conservation, better recognition of social value in heritage making and greater efforts to integrate it into the sustainable development of Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

It is doubtless that global warming is enhanced by human activities, and being accelerated in recent years. The building sector is one of the main contributors in carbon emissions over the world, which contributed to over 20%. Hong Kong is a typical metropolis located in the sub-tropical region, whereas financing and servicing are the major industries supporting the development of the city. With these industries, it implies the major carbon emission is from buildings of commercial and residential sectors. A wide range of policies and researches on high efficient / green building design were conducted in the Western countries since the 90s, and there are more in the Asia Pacific since 2000. Among different countries there are many methods in calculating carbon emissions, which are similar in principle and different in the details. It is important to agree a consistenct framework on the calculation of carbon emission and study the performance of different carbon reduction strategies, hence to serve a reference for designers. This study conducted a critical review on the calculation of carbon emission, hence definition of carbon emissions. The review classified different calculation methods by 7 factors, which are the major governors on the results. All methods reviewed in the section were either current standards or methods suggested by scholars. With the critical review, a potential calculation methodology is suggested and will used for the calculation in the later part. A case study was carried out for the identification of the strategies used on two zero carbon buildings and one zero energy building. The study shows these buildings used similar strategies on the emission reduction, including photovoltaics, well insulated fabric, natural lighting, natural ventilation, high efficient lighting system and solar hot water system. A computer simulation was used to analyze the performance of different strategies that could be used on buildings in Hong Kong climate. Commercial buildings and residential buildings are selected as sample buildings for the analysis. A baseline building is setup with typical design. The computer simulation studied the strategies used by other buildings from case study and compares their effect with baseline building. The simulation shows that a zero carbon residential building is possible with sufficient offsetting on the building surface. However, office building cannot be zero carbon by applying the analyzed strategies. The study shows solar hot water is the most effective strategy for residential buildings and day lighting is the most effective strategy for office buildings. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

This study is to investigate the property management services towards safety condition of buildings in Hong Kong. Those property management services were found under a larger framework on property management industry brought by the housing managers including Building Repair & Maintenance, Management of Environment, Property Management Services for Owners / Tenants / Community, Facility Management, Law in Practice, Finance Management, Human Resources Management and other attributes of property management services. The results of the survey implied that the housing managers or practitioners of the property management industry realized those services would brought to the safety condition of the building in Hong Kong with significant impacts, but most of them would only put their focuses on the facility management or Building Repair & Maintenance. From the study, we could see there was raising concern on Finance Management and Law in Practice which was conformed to the past literature on safety condition of the buildings. This study also showed how the socio-demographic characteristics would affect the perceptions of the housing managers and the practitioners of the property management industry on the property management services. Much more of this study is to explain the importance of considering the point of views of the different property management services in affecting the safety condition of the buildings. To illustrated the relationship between the property management services and the safety condition of the buildings in order to understand how important of the property management services is in maintaining the safety condition of the buildings. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

As Hong Kong is famous for its image of leading international financial metropolis, many high-rise office buildings are confined inside some developed commercial districts of Hong Kong. A place for provision of greenery in such districts seems impracticable. However, greenery can exist in forms of green roof onto office buildings, it seems a practical way to embellish this concrete city. Academic studies from other countries have proven that having green roof onto buildings is able to bring numerous psychological benefits to the building occupants, but is this fact still true for office building occupants of Hong Kong? Besides, what do office building occupants think about the presence of green roof onto the building they are working inside? In this study we would like to explore the perceptions of office building occupants in Hong Kong toward green roof, as well as their mode of green roof usage in case green roof is present. The opinions on how office building occupants get satisfied with the green roof they have visited during their working time may give us a glance to the direction of green roof development in the future. What they expect on green roof is the best source of evidence in designing an optimal green roof on human-based consideration. Study result features that green roof on office building can provide a decent leisure place to occupants for relaxation, although they seem do not treat green roof as a vital place where they must go. Office building occupants are generally satisfied with green roof having appropriate provisions such as large variety of vegetation, attractive appearance and good management level. Some crucial characteristics of green roof have been identified in the viewpoints of office building occupants such as its aesthetic nature and location for convenient access. In considering the numerous benefits of green roof, every visitor, as office building occupants, agrees that green roof should be present for their needs. It gives positive and supportive evidence as incentive to the industry and developers for future green roof development. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture