We have enjoyed a very active quarter in Hong Kong with the return of a limited roster of in-person events and continuation of our online programs. The second quarter saw the launch of our Young Architects Group (YAG) Mentorship program, a ‘hands-on’ workshop series with Graphisoft exploring deep-dive topics in BIM best practices and our new, #inspire series, where we look at architecture through the fresh lens of connected disciplines, which began with M+ Design and Architecture curator Shirley Surya on curating Architecture as knowledge production.
Highlights from our established programs included:
A hard-hat tour of the State Theatre – an ongoing adaptive reuse of a Grade One historic building into a new cultural icon;
An entertaining webinar focusing on public housing, as seen through the lens of Hong Kong cinema;
A guided tour of Yi Pei Square Playground, the first of four pilot micro parks by Chapter Citation Award honoree Design Trust Future Studios. More details of the project can be found here https://designtrust.hk/newsletter/yi-pei-square-playground-tsuen-wan/;
The return of Grumpy Hours at our chapter office (fun, but necessarily small under current social distancing guidelines); and
A full-day land and sea excursion to Lai Chi Woo, the revitalisation project of a 400-year-old farming village in the northern borders of Hong Kong, which received Special Recognition for Sustainable Development in the 2020 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
To close out the quarter, upcoming events include presentations from our corporate members, Autodesk and Arup, on the power of AI and the latest trends in healthcare ecosystems, respectively. In addition, in the second instalment of our first project series, Lap Chi Kwong and Alison Von Glinow will be sharing stories from their first project/s as catalysts for their current adventures in architecture and design. Finally, Vicky Chan, immediate past president will be guiding members on a tour of the first, harbour front, urban farm in Hong Kong to utilise hydroponics, organic and aquaponics technologies. This non-profit project is mainly sponsored by HKSAR Development Bureau and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Sponsorship provided by the following members and corporate partners of AIA Hong Kong also helped make the project possible: Amtrac, Autodesk, Betrue, Steelcase, Ken Hau, FAIA, and Scott Brooks.
