Issue 8 2020

Realising ’s sustainability dream: Kai Tak District Cooling System

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The dramatic effects of COVID-19 on public health and global economies will Technical Solutions inevitably cause a considerable drag on the progress towards the 17 United 04 Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) set for 2030. Despite this Shaping a sustainable future: Why it matters? challenge, the pandemic has reinforced the need for intensified efforts towards these ambitious goals. A visionary breakthrough: Shanghai urban drainage masterplanning Realising Hong Kong’s sustainability dream: This issue of FIRST showcases some of the works and research projects we have Kai Tak District Cooling System done in living up to our commitment to making meaningful contributions to Neuron Health: Keeping indoor air quality in check achieving the UN SDGs. The cover article explains why it matters to all of us to Da Nang WtE facility: Let no waste go to waste shape a sustainable future and the key drivers that will deliver business benefits. Sustainable City pLAn: Setting out the Green New Deal While the list of projects that exemplify our commitment is extensive, this issue brings to you a few specific impactful examples. The Kai Tak District Cooling System (DCS) reflects our trusted capabilities that cover all phases of this groundbreaking project for Hong Kong, from initial planning to design, to final Foresight and Innovation implementation and ongoing operations. 26 2050 scenarios: A glimpse into four fictional futures Extreme weather events put water infrastructure at risk while continuing Building a culture of innovation urbanisation increases demand. In some cases, an ageing water infrastructure needs a major overhaul. Read on to find out our ‘Design with Water’ framework and City Water Resilience Approach to the planning of an integrated water management for Shanghai as the city looks to improve the resilience of its decades-old drainage system. 32 Research Every game-changing project begins with feasibility analysis and strategic Intelligent scanning of rock armour planning. In this issue we also look at the recommendations we made for the Da Mangkhut’s aftermath offers window of opportunity for Arup to Nang City, on implementing a waste-to-energy facility under the public- study facade’s resistance to severe winds private partnership model; and on the Sustainable City pLAn envisioned by the City of Los Angeles.

Also covered in this issue are the summary of our latest Foresight report, intrapreneurship programme, latest research results, as well as the stories of Sharing and Training Vincent Cheng and Sam Chow, who shared their insights on leadership, career 36 development and project success. Learning in a socially distant world We hope you find this issue informative and useful. Lessons learnt from COVID-19: Shaping a resilient future

FIRST is a publication produced by East Asia Arup University (AU) for our clients and partners, exploring Profiles design, innovation and technical solutions for the built 38 environment. It takes its name from the unique model of AU: Foresight, Innovation, Research, Sharing, and Training. Vincent Cheng: Leading Arup’s winning green team Sam Chow: Road to success If you have any thoughts, questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected]. FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions

Shaping a sustainable future: Economic drivers • Reduce design and construction costs • Increase asset value Why it matters? • Reduce operating costs • Increase workplace productivity • Bring wider economic benefits

At Arup, we are committed to making continued, meaningful contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Not only Environmental drivers does this commitment create shared value for our clients, it also gives back to • Enhance mitigation and resilience against risks posed by climate our communities and helps to protect the environment. We apply our expertise, change

Technical Solutions Technical diversity of thinking and independence in the quest for a safe, sustainable and • Improve indoor and outdoor air resilient future for all. quality • Add value through greenery and biodiversity The 17 SDGs to transform our world: • Reduce carbon emissions • Effective use of scarce natural resources

Social drivers • Improve reputation and branding • Promote health and well-being • Better reputation and branding • Promote social cohesion and inclusiveness • More design flexibility and legacy • Optimise flexibility and legacy • Better security and safety

█ Key drivers defining how sustainable development brings business benefits. Governance drivers • Demonstrate political commitment In all our activities the UN SDGs East Asia consists of countries and combined value, without the support in clean energy; stock exchanges • Align with corporate social challenge us to expand our perspective. regions that are widely different in and understanding of our clients imposing stricter and more demanding responsibility We see our role not just as the best their development stages and that our mission seems impossible. So a requirements for environmental, • Benefit from regulatory incentives producer of outputs we are contracted have diverse historical, cultural and crucial question is why sustainability social, and governance (ESG) • Capitalise on financial incentives to deliver, but also the enabler of political backgrounds. Each has its development matters to your business reporting for listed companies; positive and meaningful broader • Increase access to green capital own set of challenges confronting or organisation? and institutions and corporations outcomes and impacts we and our policymakers, project owners and increasingly issuing green bonds to clients are striving to achieve. community stakeholders. Ensuring the In this challenging and rapidly fund projects with environmental Ultimately a focus on the drivers is not successful completion of local projects changing world, we advocate that benefits. New policies, regulations and only good for business, it will result in while delivering on our promise to adopting sustainable solutions are the initiatives are driving a real change in significant wider positive impacts to meet these UN SDGs is easier said best solutions not just for the planet practice. our planet. That is how, together with than done. and for society, yet increasingly also our clients, we aim to shape a better for bringing business benefits. We have identified a set of drivers world. While we as designers, planners, that we believe help deliver business engineers, architects, consultants We are already witnessing a benefits for projects we work on with and technical specialists have the wholescale change in some sectors: clients. expertise and skills to materialise that energy companies investing more

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A global perspective turned A visionary breakthrough: into local solutions After reviewing the previous drainage masterplan and studying relevant cases across the globe, the project team Shanghai urban drainage challenged the traditional approach of focusing solely on large ‘grey’ infrastructure solutions. Instead, a visionary ‘blue, green and grey’ masterplanning approach was proposed to support an integrated water cycle plan across the city, which would also benefit other aspects across the Greater Shanghai, Client: Shanghai Municipal Water Authority including ecology, economy and public health. Collaborator: Shanghai Urban Construction Design As global policymakers continue to and Research Institute find ways to cope with the inevitable █ The Shanghai project team attended a workshop during a site visit to Leeds, the UK. Arup’s scope of services: impacts from climate change, Water engineering, flood risk innovations such as new governance management, civil engineering, models, water sensitive urban design, landscape architecture, central urban drainage system planning, integrated flood control planning drainage capacity standard and and decentralised infrastructure are Place and com pollution control standard analysis, now being made part of future water munity advisory on layout principle and Economy - optimisation of grey, green and strategies. blue infrastructure

- Wastewater Health and well-being

Water supply culture Integrated Food and agri water cycle

Energy and carbon

Flooding

Water Ecosystem resources services Buildings Climate change and public realm Energy and carbon

Demand Asset management management The Shanghai urban drainage catchment at the expense of green In December 2018 the city’s authorities Planning masterplan has officially been signed space. The city has seen a 50% increase launched an international design and urban Catchment design River and off by the Shanghai Water Authority, in stormwater runoff across the city, competition to look for advanced management signifying a breakthrough for leading to an increase in flooding yet implementable strategies for the waterways Arup in the Chinese water market, events. highly populated city centre using Green infrastructure Urban retrofit showcasing our capability to contribute international expertise. Resilient infrastructure to the building of resilient cities. A large area of Shanghai is served by Coasts The masterplan was the result of an a ‘combined drainage system’, which In their winning design, Arup Smart 11-month collaboration between Arup carries both rainwater and wastewater and local partner Shanghai Urban infrastructure and a local design institute. The team in the same underground network. Construction Design & Research Catchment interventions Specialist services first won an international competition During dry days, this combined flow Institute demonstrated a well-thought- 2 and subsequently was awarded the drains into wastewater treatment plants. out plan that covers an area of 640km █ Arup’s approach seeks to maximise the potential of current facilities and existing infrastructure before proposing anything new. development of the masterplan. During rainstorms, when the designed with a design population of 15 million. the water cycle at the heart of the urban capacity of the wastewater treatment The comprehensive plan was a result Integrating governance, green, planning process, actions taken to plant has been exceeded, untreated of a collaboration between Arup’s blue and grey protect and enhance the water cycle can Urban drainage system wastewater effluent from the city will global offices in mainland , the Arup’s approach seeks to maximise deliver multiple wider benefits. requires significant upgrade be discharged into rivers, i.e. sewage UK, the US, Spain and Hong Kong the potential of current facilities and overflow, causing river pollution. As SAR, and extensive consultation with Over the last 30 years, Shanghai existing infrastructure before proposing Arup undertook a typology study such, Shanghai has a pressing need to experts from Arup’s Global Water Skill has seen rapid urbanisation and anything new, with an initial focus using mapping and machine learning. upgrade its existing drainage system. Network. population growth. By 2018 the city’s on improving the management of the Four systems were identified during This problem will be exacerbated urbanised area was 7 to 8 times larger existing network. As an example, the the development of the masterplan — by the imminent threat of climate than in 1985. This massive scale of ‘Design with Water’ approach looks at green, blue and grey infrastructure, as change which is likely to affect rainfall urban development has increased the water systems, flood risks, wastewater well as governance. patterns. impermeable area coverage of the and water quality as one. By placing

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A governance review was undertaken Arup’s next-generation blue and green using the City Water Resilience infrastructure will be integrated into Approach. The review looked at six all urban projects, from urban network specific themes and tested the water systems to individual buildings. It governance across Shanghai against will also be integrated with other 29 indicators. Stakeholder engagement critical infrastructure, including in stormwater management was transportation, water, energy, digital recommended to restore existing and waste, for urban planning, design assets to their full capacity and further and urban redevelopment. optimise their operations. Values for the future Green infrastructure is an approach to water management that protects, The success of the masterplan restores, or mimics the natural water enriches Arup’s ‘Design with Water’ cycle. It includes a series of surface framework, an approach to develop level interventions to retain or delay an integrated water management plan stormwater flows. The team conducted that addresses the critical issues related a detailed analysis of the land uses to demand management, including of the Shanghai urban area based on existing infrastructure capacity, their knowledge of the city’s history watershed coordination, water-use to establish a total of 12 different efficiency, city resilience, flood risks, types of land-use typologies. By stormwater management, water reuse, employing remote sensing imagery and and climate adaptation. machine learning, they were able to categorise the study area into different In particular, the idea of a water- orientated urban planning approach development types with respective █ Another example of green infrastructure, permeable paving – an artist’s impression of a green infrastructure used accordingly. permeable pavement at South Maoming Road. will be a showcase to the next- generation urban ecological █ Integrating governance, green, blue and grey infrastructure as the design objectives. development. It will also strengthen Arup’s capability of effective Rivers play a very important role in management of the water environment, urban drainage. An urban flooding critical to achieving the UN SDGs. model has been built in order to find Specifically, the UN describes water opportunities and challenges of using as “a common currency” which “links this blue infrastructure. This is the nearly every SDG and which will be first-ever model to integrate the river a critical determinant of success in and drainage network of Shanghai. achieving most other SDGs”.

Finally, where there was no other In the next phase, Arup will work option, the team investigated the closely with the authorities to implementation of grey infrastructure █ An urban square for everyday recreational use can also serve to store stormwater during implement the plan for this city shaped which included the use of strategic flooding period. by water. As commented by Zhang drainage tunnels and localised storage. Jie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and leader The integrated system brings additional of the expert panel of the competition, above-ground urban elements into this masterplan will “lead the direction storm water management functions, of drainage planning in China”. including roads, green space, rivers and other open spaces.

The integration of green, blue and grey infrastructure, supported by effective █ An artist’s impression of how a bioswale, an example of green infrastructure, will work at Huaihai Road. governance, will help the city meet its stormwater improvement targets, build climate change resilience and improve the health and well-being of citizens.

█ The urban flooding model integrates the river and drainage network of Shanghai.

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Realising Hong Kong’s sustainability dream: City Legend Chilled water pipes Seawater discharge Kai Tak District Additional pipes DCS plant Cooling System Northern DCS plant room

Area 3 Kai Tak Client: sports park Electrical & Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) HKSAR Government

Arup’s scope of services: Implementation study of District Cooling System (DCS) at Southeast Kowloon New Acute Hospital Development: MEP engineering and economic feasibility Seawater outfall Design and Construction of Phases I to III of the DCS at : MEP engineering, civil engineering, environmental Southern DCS impact assessment, construction plant room administration and construction supervision (project management)

█ Geographic map of the additional DCS plant and its associated pipe works.

DCS can also counter urban heat █  Progress Environmental, cost and Overview of the Northern Plant upon island effects. Since the plants are completion. design benefits Arup was engaged as the project located away from the buildings, the manager and designer for different Implementation of a DCS in Kai Tak noise, vibration and thermal plume phases of the project under Design- boasts significant environmental nuisance are also resolved as no heat Following the successful Feasibility study leads to The DCS is an energy-efficient air- Build-Operate (DBO) contracts. benefits and contributes to air quality rejection plant, normally in the form Construction works for Phases I, II implementation of two central cooling ambitious plan for conditioning system, consuming 35% improvement and carbon reduction. of cooling tower, is required in the plants of the Kai Tak District Cooling and III (Package A) were completed The additional DCS will bring about Hong Kong’s first DCS and 20% less electricity as compared buildings. Also, DCS can contribute to System (DCS), of which construction with traditional air-cooled air- in Q1 2013, Q3 2014 and Q4 2017, significant environmental benefits. air quality improvement and the vision works were completed in 2017, Arup Ever since Hong Kong’s former Kai conditioning systems and individual respectively. The works for DCS Phase Upon full utilisation, the project is of achieving low carbon economy; was commissioned by EMSD as one Tak Airport was relocated to the water-cooled air-conditioning systems III (Package B) and III (Package C estimated to save about 53 million and a more adaptable air-conditioning of the key consultants to work on an Lantau in 1997 and 1998, Kai Tak was (WACS) using cooling towers remaining works) were completed kilowatt-hour of electricity a year, system to meet the varying demand additional cooling plant designed to envisioned as part of Hong Kong’s new respectively. The technology has been in June 2020 and August 2020 corresponding to an annual reduction as compared to individual air- cater to more demands as a result of Central Business District (CBD), which widely adopted in other parts of the respectively under the supervision of of about 37,000 tonnes of carbon conditioning systems. For each more air-conditioned areas planned for is now taking shape. The DCS is one of world, such as Singapore, Europe and Arup. dioxide emission. individual building, its cooling the district and the inclusion of a sports the major infrastructure facilities that the United States. capacity can be increased or reduced stadium with a retractable roof and support the sustainable development of Completed and in operations, the Apart from energy conservation by request without carrying out bowl cooling. Kai Tak. EMSD commissioned Arup as early Southern Plant currently serves the and efficiency, the DCS allows each extensive modification or retrofitting as in 1998 to conduct a Preliminary Cruise Terminal Building while building owner to cut down on upfront works for the buildings concerned. For more than two decades, Arup has To promote energy efficiency and Phase Consultancy Study on the the Northern Plant serves the new costs for installing chiller plants in worked with EMSD, from concept conservation, the Hong Kong SAR feasibility of building a central cooling developments at the North Apron their buildings. The cost reduction and design to implementation, to Government has been constructing system that delivers air-conditioning area of the former . is about 5-10% of the total building bring one of the most important a DCS in Kai Tak to serve a planned services to the commercial and public Operation of the additional DCS is cost. With more floorspace saved from sustainable infrastructures to the city, total of about 1.73 million m2 of non- service buildings across the Kai Tak expected to commence in 2022-23. installing a chiller plant as well as the realising the Hong Kong government’s domestic air-conditioned gross floor development area. This study was The construction is planned for associated electrical and mechanical sustainability vision. area, requiring about 284 megawatt of completed in April 1999 and concluded completion by end 2028. equipment, the owner can design the refrigeration cooling capacity, covering that there were economic and building in a more flexible way. 320 hectares of area. environmental benefits for adopting such air-conditioning systems.

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Economic appraisal Well before arriving at the decision to implement the Kai Tak DCS, we conducted an economic appraisal to study potential consumer demand, the competitive landscape and constraints of providing cooling services to buildings in the district, such as urban and utility planning requirements and operator availability.

In doing so, we performed cost modelling and financial analyses to evaluate the potential of DCS as a service and its competitiveness against alternative cooling technologies. To determine if DCS is financially viable, we formulated different tariff schemes and worked out revenue projection analyses, factoring in the risk of investor and financial incentive required to encourage potential DCS to subscribe to the DCS service. The █ Early planning and precautionary measures were paramount in ensuring the successful implementation of the Kai Tak DCS. proposed tariff scheme is expected to achieve full recovery of capital Precautionary measures 7m below the ground level, in order to investment over the 30 years of project to determine trenchless avoid conflicts with such utilities as lifespan. power cables, telecom cables, Towngas excavation method pipes, fresh and saltwater mains, To ensure the water-cooled air- To ensure a smooth water pipe laying sewers, etc. conditioning produced by the Kai Tak process, various precautionary DCS is competitive versus traditional █ For the pipe-laying works, both open trench method and trenchless excavation method were measures were taken to probe the Arup was actively involved in the air-conditioning systems in terms adopted. actual underground conditions and early co-ordinations with other determine the appropriate type government departments, including the of cost savings from the end-user’s with other infrastructures, such as trenchless excavation construction, of trenchless excavation method, Civil Engineering and Development perspective, we further carried out Central Kowloon Route (CKR). To co-ordination of piping alignments with including trial pits to expose and verify Department (CEDD) and Highways a TCO (total cost of ownership) address interfacing issues, Arup existing and new underground utilities the existence, extent, location and Department (HyD), in order to resolve comparison to prove that subscribing adopted an integrated planning and water seepage during excavation. elevation of all underground utilities, DCS piping alignment and spatial to the Kai Tak DCS is more cost- approach to minimise complications natural or man-made obstructions and orientation issues. The efforts helped effective and energy efficient based on on construction, with lots of co- Early planning and precautionary structures. DCS pipes fit into the underground the assumption that the Kai Tak DCS is ordinations with concerned parties, measures were paramount in ensuring spaces allocated for utilities and operated at full capacity. including two government agencies, the success of implementation. Due Therefore, proper positioning and routed in an effective configuration at an early stage and to agree on to the highly urbanised surroundings, underground detection tools were used for construction and maintenance. Site planning and interfacing protective and contingency measures to various trenchless construction to locate underground utilities and The DCS pipes were also arranged to prevent interference with surrounding methods, such as pipe ramming, auger issues check the underground conditions, run with other existing underground facilities, such as drainage culverts, boring, pipe jacking, utility tunnelling Kai Tak as the location of Hong Kong’s along with the proposed pipe jacking utilities or services, such as drainage and CLP tunnel, during and hand-dug tunnelling, including the former airport had been in operations route; and to assess the feasibility of the culverts and Kai Tak Tunnel, to construction. use of TBM, had been proposed. for decades before relocating to proposed route, locations and inverts of minimise interference with these the Lantau during 1997-1998. As jacking and receiving pits. facilities during construction. such, there had been numerous Challenges in DCS water pipe existing underground utility services laying works Conflicts with existing and previously. Some record plans of the The construction of the Kai Tak new underground utilities decades-old utilities were difficult DCS project comprises three major While occupied by other existing to be obtained. Site and ground components: central chiller plant underground utilities, the underground investigations were therefore carried rooms, seawater pump house and space needed to further accommodate out to detect the existing utility distribution chilled water, and the DCS chilled water distribution main services and map geophysical assets. substations in user buildings. Given pipes, seawater supply and discharge that a range of old underground utilities pipes, along with other new utilities. Since the construction sites of DCS had existed and that new utilities had to DCS pipes were therefore laid at the plants and pipe works are extensive be installed alongside the DCS pipes, bottom of the carriageway, as deep as and the construction period is long, key challenges stemmed from the use there are inevitably interfacing issues of tunnel boring machine (TBM) for

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facilitating interdepartmental managed by Cultural implementation of other DCS projects communications and resolving District Authority. in Hong Kong’s future NDAs. technical/operational issues. Implications for Asia’s With the successful implementation During implementation, we utilised sustainability development of the Kai Tak DCS, many Southeast various tools to help the client define Asian countries such as the , environmental, social and economic Sustainability objectives are best met , Singapore and Vietnam sustainability objectives. To support when they are integral to a masterplan; with similar climate and urbanisation architects and urban designers in considered from the outset rather demand are learning from us. Such meeting these objectives, we assembled than an afterthought. As it was unique experience has strengthened multidisciplinary teams of engineers planned for the first time ever, the both Arup’s and Hong Kong’s role as a and researchers, as necessary, to bring development of Kai Tak DCS required regional and global leader in realising rigorous and evidence-based analysis fundamental changes to Hong Kong’s climate resilience infrastructure. of environmental site planning and city planning regulations and codes. infrastructure. The Hong Kong SAR In addition to the Phase 3 of the Kai Government accepted our Tak DCS, Arup was also awarded suggestion to officially include consultancy contracts by the EMSD to the development of DCS as part implement two other DCS projects in of the early stage of planning and other new development areas (NDAs) development for large-scale NDAs in Hong Kong, such as Kwu Tung and redevelopment areas, where a North. Separately, we were awarded larger number of potential consumer a consultancy contract to implement buildings could be identified to support the West Kowloon Cultural District the DCS. The regulatory changes (WKCD) DCS, which is owned and have paved the way for the planned

█ Water-cooled Air Conditioning System (WACS). The central chiller plant supplies chilled water and conveys it to the user buildings via underground chilled water pipe network. Management and operation Trusted partner in DCS The system performances of the project delivery Kai Tak DCS are monitored by an Since the Kai Tak DCS is the first of automatic computerised system, its kind in Hong Kong, early planning namely the District Cooling and initial design are critical to its Instrumentation, Control and successful implementation. Despite Communication Systems (DCICCS). the complexities and challenges, the DCICCS consists of the optical fibre Arup team gained valuable first-hand network for data transmission and the experience, giving us a unique automatic computerised monitoring perspective and understanding of the system for central control and remote solutions that will be required for █ From nothing to something, Arup has demonstrated exceptional capability and expertise in contributing to the successful monitoring. other DCS projects in Hong Kong and design, building and operation of the first two phases of the Kai Tak DCS. abroad. The monitored data are transmitted through optical fibre network From nothing to something, Arup has connected from all substations to the demonstrated exceptional capability Control Rooms. In the Control Rooms, and expertise in contributing to the DCS plant operator is able to carry the successful design, building and out the remote-monitoring to monitor operation of the first two phases of system performance real time from all the Kai Tak DCS. As the Hong Kong substations and all chiller plants, such SAR Government’s trusted partner as the chilled water supply & return in DCS projects, Arup has a strong temperatures of all substations, the understanding of government policies, readings of energy meter of consumer procedures and concerns, and is buildings and the Coefficient of experienced in working with regulatory Performance of the whole DCS. bodies and different agencies in

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The smart building platform not It also helps facility managers and even only helps buildings achieve energy developers revisit the building design savings, but also creates a better indoor and fix those issues. For example, environment that looks after the health they might want to find out whether Neuron Health: and well-being of the occupants. This there is a need to install more vents control console provides a foundation for better ventilation or find ways to to connect different building systems improve the indoor air quality, such as and equipment, making them easily using less carpeting or ducts and high- Keeping indoor air quality accessible and facilitating operation quality paints with low volatile organic and maintenance. compounds (VOCs). in check Neuron Health use case Buildings of tomorrow Earlier this year, Neuron Health was Showcasing future scenarios for deployed in a Grade-A office building buildings of tomorrow, data-driven in the eastern part of Hong Kong healthy and resource-efficient buildings Island, specifically for the lobby area. embrace human-centric designs With both eco- and health-friendly through innovative technologies and features, the integrated system is sustainable concepts – integrating configured to monitor the IAQ against digital transformation, health, well- performance requirements set by being and human experience into a the WELL Building Standard. All built environment. information is sent to Neuron’s digital platform for real-time data retrieval Looking ahead, the advent of new and analytics. technologies fuelled by the deployment of 5G networks, cloud, big data and Facility managers can take the IoT will allow facility managers to actions recommended by the move beyond surveys, outdated reports system to enhance the IAQ based and ‘gut-feel’ about various measures on the magnitude of pollutants and to improve the condition of a built concentration levels. For example, a environment. UV-C light emitting device equipped with an ION air purifier is installed in When it comes to returns on the building to improve its IAQ when investment (ROI), a sustainable the condition drops to a certain level. building design will enhance the The IoT sensors and the platform work capital and rental value of the asset together to monitor the IAQ. over time. The energy cost-saving, operational efficiency, occupant Data turned into actionable comfort and health benefits solidly intelligence justify the upfront investment costs of the deployment of building technology █ Neuron Health is the healthy building module of Arup’s smart building solution that monitors and controls indoor air quality Not only does data analytics provide systems in financial terms. (IAQ) and optimises energy consumption. insightful information, which can be used to optimise a building’s energy The deployment of Neuron Health in A recent Harvard University study performance and remove inefficiencies, a prime office building in Hong Kong reveals that long-term exposure to air it also helps improve the overall showcases Arup’s innovative smart pollution leads to a higher COVID-19 performance of a building’s equipment, building solution that monitors and mortality rate. Since city dwellers resulting in lower energy costs and controls indoor air quality (IAQ) while spend most of the time indoor, it a longer lifespan. Other benefits optimising energy consumption is vital that modern buildings are include improved occupant comfort, technologically equipped to ensure that productivity, etc. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic IAQ is up to the standards expected. rewritten the way we live, we work The emergence of innovative and we greet, it also has a profound Drawing on Arup’s multidisciplinary technologies like Neuron Health impact on future city planning and expertise in the building design with enables faster, more accurate building design. The stay-at-home and innovation in mind, we have developed collection, aggregation, analysis and social distancing policies have led to an Neuron, an integrated system that storage of data for risk assessment and increased demand for a healthy indoor combines Building Information remediation planning. For example, environment, which is characterised Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things the collected data can help assess and by the positive impacts on occupants, (IoT) and real-time data analytics into a manage indoor pollution levels and especially air quality. single platform. predict potential pollution threats.

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Da Nang WtE facility: Option 1: Integrated MSW complex Let no waste go to waste Mechanical sorting Biological treatment Comprehensive feasibility study leveraging private sector capability and Tipping hall WtE Client: on implementing a waste-to- financing under a PPP structure. Asian Development Bank (ADB) energy (WtE) facility under the Arup’s scope of services: To cope with the growing demand Technology options analysis, public-private partnership (PPP) for waste treatment, DNPC concept level design, financial modelling and analysis, PPP deal structuring, model in Da Nang, Vietnam. formulated a master plan for solid Option 2: WtE and engineered landfill market sounding, economic analysis and waste management in Da Nang environmental and social analysis. Da Nang’s growing population and City as part of its broader Da Nang middle class is expected to result Development Master Plan. The solid in increasing levels of consumption waste management master plan aims and associated municipal solid waste to minimise waste generation at source (MSW) generation. Without investment and enhance re-use and recycling in additional waste treatment facilities initiatives to reduce the volume of WtE the city was expected to run out of waste requiring disposal. landfill space by as early as 2020. The goal of the solid waste Working for Asian Development management masterplan is to facilitate Bank (ADB) and the Da Nang Da Nang City’s move towards █ The feasibility study proposed two primary project options. Peoples Committee (DNPC), Arup international best practice in terms of conducted a comprehensive feasibility the waste hierarchy. study that provided commercial and The feasibility study leveraged Arup’s through the addition of new incinerator After careful analysis of the sites in technical advice on the development, unique ability to integrate technical and lines to respond to changes in waste conjunction with the technology and implementation and ongoing operation financial advice to provide a considered volumes was another option tabled to sizing we recommended a larger site of a WtE facility, with the aim of and holistic solution. Recommendations ADB and DNPC. in Hoa Nhon in line with the Master were based on establishing a detailed Plan. This site allowed for more understanding of Da Nang’s current Waste technology options significant future capacity expansion and future waste generation and needs. and development into an integrated The Waste Hierarchy Incineration with energy recovery A total of ten technology variants were waste and recycling facility, subject to (WtE) was recommended as a suitable assessed. After analysing the pros appropriate environmental protections Most preferable treatment technology given the need and cons of each technology, options being implemented. for an option proven at scale for waste comprising various combinations Reducing the with similar character to that being of Mechanical Biological Treatment Project options Reduce amount of waste generated in Da Nang, and in comparable (MBT), incineration with energy produced conditions. recovery (WtE), and engineered landfill, The feasibility study proposed two were considered further. primary project options, including The study covered the following aspects: Option 1 (base case), an integrated MSW Using materials Given that the project would form the complex, and Option 2 (alternative Reuse repeatedly Capacity sizing primary waste treatment and disposal case), a WtE and engineered landfill. facility for Da Nang for the foreseeable In each case the landfill needed to be The capacity of the facility was based future, it was necessary to avoid sized to accommodate any excess MSW Using materials to on the MSW forecast planning basis, technologies that had not yet been proven generation over the WtE capacity. Recycling make new products coupled with consideration of the cost at a similar scale and for a similar waste implication of treatment. Since there was type, due to the risk of failure. Recovering energy uncertainty as to the quantity of MSW Recovery from waste generation over the next 20-30 years the Site selection project’s planned capacity needed to balance over and under provision and be DNPC identified two possible sites Safe disposal of flexible to handle varying quantities of for the project, each with its own Disposal specific strengths, limitations and waste to landfill waste. challenges. Both sites were located at Therefore, an engineered landfill with former quarries, and were a similar Unacceptable - Disposal to the sea, full environmental controls to handle distance from Da Nang City, while the environment, uncontrolled dumpsites excess waste was recommended as environmental and site challenges were part of the solution. Increasing the WtE different. plant’s treatment capacity over time

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Market sounding The market sounding exercise provided refurbishment costs, financing costs, PPP structuring and Value for █ Waste-to-energy the project team with valuable depreciation and taxes; exploring Money (VfM) assessment (WtE) plant. Image for A detailed market sounding exercise intelligence on how to maximise the alternatives for additional revenue illustrative purpose only. was undertaken in order to determine appeal of the project to future bidders, streams; and computing the required The analysis culminated in developing the likely appetite of various market and to ensure proposed solutions annual gate fee payment from DNPC a PPP deal structure for the project participants to bid for the proposed would be actionable and deliverable, that would generate reasonable investor which was aligned with DNPCs project project and to seek industry feedback from both a technical and commercial returns over the PPP contract term. objectives and the anticipated (at the on key technical, commercial and perspective. time) Vietnamese PPP law, whilst also financial elements. Market sounding Comprehensive scenario analysis was providing a reasonable risk allocation participants included developers, Financial assessment performed to explore opportunities that would appeal to a wide range investors, technology providers and to optimise (minimise) gate fee by, of potential bidders to maximise lenders with representation from the Arup’s financial advisory team for example, starting with a smaller competitive tension during subsequent local Vietnamese market and overseas undertook a comprehensive financial capacity facility with expansion procurement. The PPP deal design was firms, with varying track record of viability assessment for each of the assumed in later years, considering developed to incorporate feedback successful delivery of waste treatment technical options presented. The alternative approaches to gate fee received from various stakeholders, projects. assessment involved estimating overall indexation, and altering the length of including national and municipal Limited local precedent Results project costs, including capital costs, the proposed concession term. government agencies, and the local annual operating expenses, asset URENCO1 entity responsible for waste required creative thinking Arup was able to leverage a uniquely collection. The lack of local precedent of PPP integrated team, bringing together deals in the solid waste management and coordinating expertise across As part of the PPP structuring work, sector, combined with an evolving disparate disciplines. Importantly, the preliminary views on the requisite regulatory environment, meant team was able to iterate technical and capabilities that would need to be recommendations needed to be robust financial solutions to ensure an overall demonstrated by potential bidders and in line with international norms. optimised project outcome for DNPC were identified for subsequent This included detailed research from and the people of Da Nang. inclusion in evaluation criteria for across other Southeast Asian markets a prequalification stage of project to ensure defendable positions were put Our work applied international best procurement. In addition, overlaying forward. practice and involved significant the PPP deal structure with DNPC’s market engagement, in turn shaping 1.5-2.5 year 2.5 year 6 mths 20 years project objectives, and international However, given the detailed nature of a transaction structure that would best practice, allowed development of operating, price and environmental maximise investor appeal. Our work preliminary bid evaluation criteria, regulations in Vietnam’s waste sector, also highlighted the need for enhanced which would be further built upon the international approach of using clarity of certain local regulations to during subsequent procurement. a competitive bidding process to reflect current market practice and finalise design and optimise price better align with the PPP principles █ The project timeline of the project development Economic viability assessment Preliminary environmental and As a final step, the team carried out (gate fee), and subsequently obtain to facilitate greater private sector and implementation. Under the local waste charging social impact assessment (PEIA) a VfM analysis to determine whether environmental approvals, was not involvement in the waste sector. practices in Da Nang, any gate fees The project has the potential to the risk transfer and anticipated consistent with local expectations. would be paid directly to the facility impact the study area socially and innovation and efficiency that private To address this issue, we supported As an outcome of the study, Arup operator by DNPC, with DNPC environmentally. The main social sector could deliver would allow DNPC ADB in a consultation exercise with is now working with the ADB and recovering some of the cost from considerations included the need to to implement the project more cost the Ministry of Construction and the the Vietnamese Government on a waste generators and users. It was offer viable alternative employment efficiently than under a traditional Ministry of Planning and Investment subsequent project which seeks to imperative that robust economic and to the network of informal waste government delivery model, despite the as part of a capacity building exercise address these regulatory issues. social benefits be demonstrated for pickers at the existing landfill facility need to allow for costs of private sector to share international practice and the project. Arup’s City Economics and a mechanism to ensure fair financing. The analysis showed that exchange ideas with the aim of team supported the core project team and transparent dealings with local PPP would be advantageous. proposing a bankable project that by undertaking an economic cost communities requiring resettlement, could be replicable in future projects in benefit assessment for each of the which were explored in the PEIA. Vietnam. project scenarios developed. Their analysis was able to show a significant The potential environmental impacts benefit to the people of Da Nang, were also studied, particularly air both in terms of economic and social impact and ground water flow, with outcomes. Non-quantifiable benefits robust prevention and mitigation 1 URENCO: Urban Environment such as potential for greater tourism Company, a municipal government- measures proposed. Capacity of owned company with primarily flows, improvements in public health, the local environmental authorities responsibility for waste collection, reduction in visual and air pollution, was also identified as a concern, treatment and disposal activities and potential for enhanced recovery with recommendations to enhance and recycling of materials such as iron the ability to assess compliance and and aluminium from bottom ash, were to penalise non-compliance with discussed. the relevant contract clauses on environmental and social performance.

21 FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions

Sustainable City pLAn: Los Angeles’ long-term sustainability goals • Making every building in Los Angeles emission-free by 2050 Setting out the Green New Deal • Building a zero-emission transport network • Providing 300,000 green jobs by 2035, leading to 400,000 by 2050 • Making sure that good, middle class jobs go to Angelenos from low-income neighbourhoods that often bear the brunt of climate change Client: • Achieving zero waste by 2050 The City of Los Angeles Arup’s scope of services: • Providing 100% clean energy, mainly from solar power, wind and hydropower Planning and sustainability advisory • Ensuring that all low-income Angelenos live within ½ mile of fresh food by 2035 A sustainability and planning • Planting and maintaining 90,000 trees citywide by 2021 advisory team from Arup’s US offices make recommendations for • Ultimately, the plan aims to protect the environment and make the economy work for priority actions and updates to the everyone. Sustainable City pLAn for the City of Los Angeles.

Arup has served as the lead technical advisor to the City of Los Angeles and C40 Cities to make a comprehensive update to its city-wide Sustainable City pLAn, first launched in 2015. Now known as the Green New Deal, the updated Sustainable City pLAn sets out a vision to protect the environment, grow the economy, and improve equity. The pLAn refresh, launched earlier this year, has further added a comprehensive climate action strategy to the original plan, including a pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Arup provided a comprehensive analysis on greenhouse gas emission reduction pathways, carbon impacts of citywide goals and initiatives, environmental/human health co- benefits and economic impacts. █ Los Angeles’ summer interns used the plan’s framework to inform their research projects.

The analysis serves as a technical The pLAn update takes a broad basis to the plan update and approach and prioritises equity, health, recommends strategies to reach Los and justice along with sustainability. Angeles’ ambitious sustainability Ultimately, it aims to deliver a better goals. We worked on several Los Angeles for the future, one that is parallel tracks to understand the compliant with the Paris Agreement, opportunities and challenges the City is carbon neutral, and is an equitable █  Arup advises Los Angeles’ Sustainable City pLAn update. faces, which included conducting place for all. For this project, Arup greenhouse gas and carbon analyses, worked closely with the City’s as well as considering economic sustainability officer to co-ordinate factors, environmental impacts, air among as many as 28 government quality, and job creation. agencies, leading to a more integrated and inclusive approach.

23 FIRST issue 8 Technical Solutions

Our recommendations included working with the City departments to develop a series of actionable About Arup’s partnership with C40 Cities initiatives that support achievement of the plan’s goals. Additionally, we C40 is a network of the world’s megacities committed to are also helping the City to develop addressing climate change. C40 supports cities to collaborate public policy in support of the effectively, share knowledge and drive meaningful, measurable plan’s goals. For example, the LA and sustainable action on climate change. Green New Deal establishes targets around both energy efficiency and By partnering with C40 Cities, Arup aims to affect meaningful, decarbonisation of existing buildings. measurable and sustainable action on climate change. Led by Arup is currently engaged in a study its ambition to shape a better world, Arup will back cities to of different pathways for existing rapidly reduce emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change. buildings to satisfy both targets, with Together, Arup and C40 will work with city mayors on programmes an understanding of the potential to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and encourage a move implications to owners around cost, towards a more circular economy. disruption and timing. Arup is trebling its previous commitment by pledging US$3 million The pLAn update is just one of our of advisory support to C40 over three years. The partnership many projects with the City of Los will build on innovative projects such as Deadline 2020 - a new Angeles to shape the City’s sustainable approach to climate action planning for C40 member cities. future. We are also working on the Department of Water & Power Together, Arup and C40 will explore how consumption patterns in portfolio energy and water audits, a cities need to change and how data can support decision making resilience training with Metro, and the and the monitoring of progress against climate action plans. First and Broadway Civic Center Park, which is the first project in the city to pursue LEED, Envision1, and SITES2 certifications.

Arup’s engagement was made possible through our partnership with C40 Cities and its Climate Action Plan 18.8 million residents US$700 billion GDP Technical Assistance Program. In addition to the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles is California’s most Los Angeles is the second largest Arup’s sustainability leadership in populous city. The Greater Los metropolitan economy in the US, the built environment has resulted in Angeles metropolitan area has a with a GDP of more than US$700 impactful partnerships with major population of 18.8 million. billion annually. cities globally and across North America, including New York, Boston, █ While not mandatory, interns were engaged in the project to bring in a diversity of perspectives based on San Francisco, Washington DC, and their specific field of study. Toronto as they pursue sustainability and climate action plans. The project was also part of C40’s In the analysis, we addressed these Climate Action Plan Technical specific and broader challenges Climate action 11% reduction in Moving forward, it will be critical for Assistance Programme, which Arup by mapping out science-based Despite Los Angeles’s carbon emissions the City to develop programmes and helped develop. The C40 Climate quantitative goals for each area and reputation as a ‘car capital,’ allocate funds specifically targeted to In 2016 alone, Los Angeles Action Planning Framework provided then collaborating with the City’s it is one of the cities these challenging areas. Arup hopes to slashed emissions by 11%. the structure for the work and departments to propose specific championing climate action. continue collaborating with the City in was consistently referred to as the initiatives that can be undertaken to these areas. ultimate reference point for what the reach those goals. project needed to communicate and accomplish.

For Los Angeles, specific sustainability 1 Envision is a rating system that Zero-emission port 30,000 new green and carbon challenges include existing measures the sustainability of an by 2035 jobs in five years infrastructure project from design though buildings, transportation and solid construction and maintenance. The Port of Los Angeles is one For perspective, there are waste. In general, social and economic 2 SITES certification offers a of the greenest ports in the 50,000 coal jobs in total in equity are challenges in Los Angeles comprehensive rating system designed world, with a pledge to go to the US. and these also underpin sustainability to distinguish sustainable landscapes, measure their performance and elevate zero emissions by 2035. decision making. their value.

25 FIRST issue 8

Foresight and Innovation The future is a fiction. It is a story we are all writing together. So, what will the world of 2050 look like?

From Australia’s rampant bushfires and Asia’s massive derived from the nine Planetary Boundaries, Arup’s floods to an unprecedented pandemic, the mankind Drivers of Change cards, as well as the United Nations is surprisingly vulnerable to disasters and tragedies. Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). If climate change and human’s encroachment on the 2050 scenarios: nature continues to take their toll, what the world will The four plausible futures are: Humans Inc., Post look like in 30 years? Anthropocene, Extinction Express and Greentocracy. Each scenario comes with a timeline of events, a fictional A glimpse into four fictional futures According to Four plausible futures: 2050 scenarios, character and key indicators helping the reader visualise published in December 2019 by Arup’s Foresight what the world will look like in each scenario. They Research and Innovation and Sustainable Development are intended to develop a vocabulary and framework to teams, the future is still bright if everyone acts help us envision different futures and provide a platform Utopian or dystopian? Hopeful or desperate? What the future holds decisively today. On the other extreme end of the to discuss the implications of the implied trajectories. for us will depend on how committed we are today to investing in a report’s projection, we are destined for a dystopian Ultimately, they help to identify and visualise what is future if we continue to take natural resources for worth striving for and what to avoid. sustainable future, according to this Arup report. granted. The report presents four plausible scenarios based on our assumptions against the parameters

27 FIRST issue 8

Humans Inc. energy, water and food shortages are pervasive across the world. Environmental consciousness ‘Human Inc.’ is the continuation of our current is largely non-existent. The Amazon rainforest trajectory; a world in which societal conditions is gone. Natural resources are being extracted advance at the cost of planetary health. In this everywhere. Geo-engineering and Generically future, global temperatures have exceeded the 2°C modified organism (GMO) crop development are target and coordinated action on a global level the only way to feed the global population. Seeds continues to struggle. Here, increased frequency are controlled by Holycrop, an American-based and severity of weather events continue to have a business, which monopolises the market. detrimental effect on our cities and ecosystems, yet technological advances have reduced poverty, Domes are built over cities to enclose breathable improved education and ensured jobs are abundant. air. Isolationism has been on the rise for years, and society is driven by a fear of the ‘foreign’ A somewhat converse and counter-intuitive and ‘different’. This has been exacerbated by an development has taken place in some northern unheralded number of climate refugees. Economic countries. Typically cold and arid, these areas disparity has increased dramatically. This bleak have seen significant improvement in agricultural future is even more dystopian as Caitlyn, the story’s growing conditions as global temperatures continue protagonist, who left San Francisco because of to rise. political instability, drives around Sweden in her armoured car, trading rare earth commodities. In Canada and Russia, large swathes of ice- prone land have become arable. Some other northern nations have even advocated increasing Greentocracy carbon emissions to accelerate the expansion of agricultural land and develop new areas for ‘Greentocracy’ shows an improvement in resource mining. These regions are becoming planetary health but this has been enabled by popular destinations for populations that have lost severe restrictions on human society: poor living their habitable homeland to climate change. conditions, conflict and authoritarian regimes prevail. The global mean temperature rise remains below 1.5°C due to climate action and fostering biodiversity being at the top of the agenda. Nationalist governments pack their citizens into Post Anthropocene dense high-rise cities. ‘Post Anthropocene’ shows how societal conditions and planetary health might exist in a harmonious With nearly 60% of the global population relying on relationship, fortifying each other for mutual synthetic food sources, the first signs of detrimental progress and benefit. health impacts are starting to show. Fears are compounded following a disturbing article in the After crop failures and famines between 2025 and leading academic journal, Nature in 2040, citing 2030, people reflected on the irreversible damage severe micronutrient deficiencies across large parts done to the planet caused by carbon emission and of the population due to over-reliance on synthetic food consumption. Therefore, people joined forces food sources. It also questioned the influence of to clean up the mess. hyper- densification, limited living space and restricted access to nature. Endnote Thanks to extensive efforts, what was once known These four worlds, each extreme yet plausible, as rubbish or garbage has become most valuable No complaints are allowed in the present political impart a valuable message: there is no one future resources and is mined both on land and sea. climate. There are ‘Eco-re-education’ facilities state, just as there is no one present state. Although Virgin plastic is banned, and in 2047 a museum is for citizens who repeatedly violate environmental there is no way to know what the world will look opened to display plastic artefacts. Collaborative codes of behaviour. The planet has been saved, but like in 30 years, the development of these four decarbonisation efforts have been made globally civil liberties are low, press coverage is restricted, scenarios allows us to explore the possibilities of across sectors. Global mean temperature rise has and expression must align with local laws. what our future could look like in 2050. These remained below the 1.5°C target and the sea level scenarios challenge our assumptions about the has risen less than expected. Extinction Express future and help us reimagine our role as a society. ‘Extinction Express’ is the worst-case scenario, Both people and the planet are on the path to a Click here to Download the which depicts both declining planetary health and regenerative world. Society consumes resources watch the video report from here societal conditions. It is questionable how much at the rate at which they can be replenished, longer humanity can survive. populations are diverse, and societal structures are balanced. Climate change and the inexorable consumption of Earth’s resources has resulted in fundamental destabilisation of natural systems. Resource,

29 FIRST issue 8

Building a culture of innovation

A research project may include desktop research and ground Developing a robust culture of innovation is what has made Arup a investigations towards the discovery of new knowledge with an aim to develop new or improve existing products, highly creative community of engineers and designers. In so doing, processes or services. Employees can apply for funding of Arup combines in-house research, intrapreneurship and start-up research and manpower costs, including partnerships with engagement to turn innovative ideas into potentially disruptive universities and research bodies. solutions for clients. Intrapreneurship accelerates innovation

Arup adopts a structured approach to fostering innovation, combining in-house R&D, On top of the in-house R&D programme, Arup University intrapreneurship and partnerships with innovative start-ups specialised in construction, runs an ‘intrapreneurship’ programme that encourages engineering and building design technologies. This three-tier approach enables Arup to employees to formulate innovative or potentially disruptive develop or acquire the necessary technologies that meet short-term, medium-term and solutions that are different and considerably better than what we have been offering. █ Arup’s start-up engagement initiatives include mentorship, long-term development goals, respectively. sponsorship and participation in start-up events, such as the CIC Construction Innovation Expo 2019 and... Each business or innovative idea is matched with a mentor, who is a subject matter expert, with the team, giving them support on their journey to turn an innovative idea into Start-up reality and potentially into a product. engagement An internal corporate venturing team is responsible Disruptive for prioritising proposed venturing ideas based on their technical feasibility, business impact and marketability. How an innovation is integrated into client projects varies from case to case, subject to the maturity of the solution and our experience with it.

Intrapreneurship © Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Adjacent The intrapreneurship programme allows participants to █ HKTDC Entrepreneur Day 2020. learn how to manage R&D activities as if running a start- up. Through seed funding and mentorship, Arup University As part of our start-up engagement efforts, we provide aims to create a safe space for employees to undergo trial mentorship and business advice for external entrepreneurs and error. This fail-fast model allows our leaders to calculate and innovators. For example, Arup mentors have recently risks before they make bolder decisions. provided mentorship support to students at Resilient HK Challenge, an initiative that brings together innovators Technolo eleance to coe usiness to eleance coe Technolo Internal

Incremental Engaging with start-up ecosystem to enable and corporates working together to help Hong Kong adapt, R&D disruptive innovation overcome and grow beyond its challenges as a resilient city. Successful corporate innovation requires not only internal Arup is also working with external partners to build a but also external talent and resources. Arup is open to Near term edium term ong term collaborative platform that facilitates internal project teams ear term edium term partnership opportunities with innovative start-ups to tap in the creation of innovative solutions, exchange knowledge, into emerging technologies and business models that fit into and discover new opportunities for synergy. Tie hoion our client solutions.

In-house research drives incremental innovation We have established relationships with the region’s tech Win-win-win for all Discovering new knowledge or ideas through applied research is crucial to driving ecosystem comprised of start-ups from the Hong Kong No matter the technology is mature or at an infant stage and incremental innovation within an organisation. Arup University’s R&D programme Science and Technology Park, Cyberport and other whether it is developed in-house or through partnerships, is meant to direct researchers towards understanding and formulating practical incubators/accelerators; the Hong Kong Trade Development Arup believes that there is no simple turnkey solution that solutions that meet specific business needs or address foreseeable challenges arising Council (HKTDC), venture capitalists, tech parks, co- caters to all. from urban planning, smart mobility, city resilience, workplace wellness, sustainable working space managers and research bodies, with an aim to development, etc, all of which are in line with Arup’s forward-looking approach to expand our technology portfolio that gives our project teams By fostering a culture of sustainable innovation internally city planning. a technological edge and create new value for clients. and engaging with innovative start-ups externally, not only can Arup gain a competitive edge, Arup can also continue to attract and retain talent and most importantly deliver innovative solutions to clients and end-users. 31 FIRST issue 8

The images then underwent the instance segmentation process to recognise object Intelligent scanning of boundaries and, in this case, identify rock armours from the trained database.

The results were converted back into GIS. In our rock armour analysis, polygons with the ground truth could be recognised and predicted from segmented orthophotos with an accuracy rate of about 88%. The trained model can be used to recognise and predict rock armours in other locations within Arup has trained an in-house developed AI are required to be carried out in addition to the Hong Kong. model that automatically analyses rock armour normal profile check by survey. This process is images captured by drones for abnormality done manually, usually once in two years. Also, Elsewhere outside of Hong Kong, Arup engineers detection. the work is dangerous and time consuming for can further train this model by inputting image █  the engineers involved. Elsewhere outside of Hong Kong, Arup engineers can further data of other types of rock armours or seawalls in train this model by inputting image data of other types of rock As extreme weather becomes the norm amid order to recognise and predict rock armours not armours or seawalls in order to recognise and predict rock. rising sea levels, seawalls play an important role In efforts to automate this process, Arup has seen in Hong Kong. in safeguarding lives and properties that are developed an automated rock armour mapping typically concentrated in coastal areas. Rock system that can monitor changes to rock armour armours are commonly used as seawalls as they structures, particularly after severe events, have natural appearances, and are more flexible therefore enabling repairs to be implemented in a and easier to construct. timely manner before a major, costly failure.

In the East Asia region, typhoons can cause In our study, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, catastrophic damage to coastlines. Breakwaters commonly known as drone, was used to capture and seawalls are important structures to protect high-resolution aerial photos and produce critical coastal facilities. Rock armours are orthophotos and Digital Surface Model. typically constructed offshore, or at the shore, to Research help dissipate waves, prevent coastal erosion, and Image data captured by the drone were then used reduce wave overtopping. to train the AI model built on Detectron2 – a PyTorch-based computer vision library released For rock armour layers and underlayers above the by Facebook in October 2019. Detectron2 reads water level, visual inspections from the top of the images annotated with JSON files as ground- slope and by boat from the bottom of the slope truth input. The goal is to develop an automated or semi- automated processor (or a standalone software ArcGIS add-ins were also developed to convert platform) that applies image segmentation the ground truth in shapefile and orthophoto technologies to quickly and accurately determine formats into VIA JSON format. the sizes of rock armours. This will help Arup engineers check the hydraulic stability of armours in seawalls and breakwaters efficiently and cost-effectively. Ground Truth In future, the model will provide clients with a Prediction permanent record to detect any rock movement over time. This learning-based anomaly detection and monitoring model can also be applied to other rock armour types or other seawall structures. This research project serves as a valuable trial for Arup’s implementation of drones in advancing civil engineering and surveying.

█  Manual inspections of rock armour layers are time consuming and sometimes dangerous. © The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Arup (HKUST) and Technology The Hong Kong University of Science and ©

█ In the analysis, polygons with the ground truth could be recognised and predicted from processed and segmented orthophotos with an accuracy rate of about 88%

33 FIRST issue 8

Mangkhut’s aftermath offers window of opportunity for Arup to study façade’s resistance to severe winds

In September 2018, typhoon Mangkhut swept through Hong Kong. At its strongest, the issued the Hurricane Signal No. 10, the highest level of █ Figure 2: Sheltering effects from high building density. Accelerated flow █ Figure 3: A building with seriously damaged windows. warning signals in Hong Kong. due to shear layers from significant upward buildings.

Despite the widespread damage it caused, with 0.5km between the urban space and the observed along the first row of buildings. A Mangkhut provided a window of opportunity coast. In the third scenario, onshore wind much smaller number of cases were reported for Arup wind and building envelope engineers blows from open water with 1.0km between the further inland. to study the impact resistance of glass façades urban space and the coast. against exceptionally strong winds, possible For buildings designed with the same damage mechanisms and design options that The findings also show that even 0.5km of city standards, the risk of glass breakage — mitigate the risk of wind damage. terrain reduces the gust wind speed at lower whether caused by overloading or wind-borne boundary layer heights (e.g. below 40m), due to debris impact — is smaller due to a slower According to the typhoon damage map we its higher surface roughness. wind speed further inland. This explains why created (Figure 1), it is evident that most glass most window breakages occurred close to breakages occurred near seacoasts, or to be Our team also conducted a Computational coastal areas. █ Figure 4: Negative interference effects of complex urban environments cause more exact, within 0.5km of the sea. To explain Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis on a selected wind acceleration. Accelerated flow due to shear layers from significant upward buildings (left) and channelling effects (right). the reasons behind such damage patterns, our coastal area where there were glass breakages. The typhoon damage map further reveals that team conducted a detailed terrain analysis, As shown in Figure 2, densely packed building severely damaged windows are often found constructing an ensemble of three wind speed blocks (along the purple line) prevent wind in building clusters rather than in isolation scenarios based on different distances from flow from permeating further inland. (Figure 3). Geographically, the clusters of open water. damaged buildings are located: (a) close The building cluster helps shelter the buildings to coastlines; (b) surrounded by complex In the first scenario, onshore wind blows behind from strong coastal winds. This is in infrastructures and landscaping; and (c) directly from open water. In the second perfect agreement with the observed damage sometimes near significant buildings. scenario, onshore wind blows from open water distribution with most glass breakages For buildings located close to coastlines (a), █ Figure 5: External conditions show evidence of impact damages caused by they need to withstand the strongest gusts wind-borne debris. of wind, while (b) and (c) entail different R=300m airflow patterns, wind speeds and directions In fact, relevant safety provisions, such as The R=500m caused by a complex urban landscape. In order to visualise these effects, transient Code of Practice on Wind Effects in Hong R=1000m CFD simulations were conducted on selected Kong (2019) and The Code of Practice for damaged building clusters. Structural Use of Glass (2018), in Hong Kong’s building code were updated in the past two █ Figure 1: Location map of surveyed damage Figure 4 shows that once the wind flow years to include different or higher standards spots after the 2018 from open water reaches the urban area, its needed to mitigate the risk of wind damage as Mangkhut. momentum is transformed into pressure on revealed by this study. (Note: The information the windward surfaces of buildings, resulting shown on this map is not in acceleration. This is either due to the shear Having said that, in view of the complex nature exhaustive and may not layers of upwind building blocks or other of the issue and the potential threat to the glass cover all locations with façade damages.) channelling effects. The negative effects building envelope, it is worth the efforts for the of interference between buildings on wind industry and research bodies to conduct more pressure increase the risk of glass breakage in studies in order to develop effective measures coastal building clusters. that can be taken to reduce the impact of a typhoon, and in particular, minimise property The investigation yields constructive insights damage and risks of casualties. that help design best practices in protecting windows and façades from typhoon damage in the future. 35 FIRST issue 8

Learning in a socially Lessons learnt from COVID-19: distant world Shaping a resilient future

During the past six months, Arup in Future transportation will become Click to watch East Asia has hosted and co-hosted more Autonomous, Connected, a series of webinars and published a Electrical and increasingly Shared. collection of thought leadership articles This trend is characterised by the to share with the planning and building acronym ACES. Carmen Chu, professionals and the wider public on Arup’s East Asia Intelligent Mobility how the COVID-19 outbreak forces us Skill Leader and Director of Arup’s to rethink the way we plan, design and Transport Consulting team, and Lian manage our cities. Duan, Arup’s Senior Engineer in Transport Consulting, were invited by In the year to August, we have hosted AIA Hong Kong to give an overview and co-organised 17 webinars, of the fast-moving ACES trends attracting more than 130,000 and outline their impacts on cities, participants. The professional bodies communities and major developments. Arup partnered with in presenting these webinars include Construction █ Peter Lam, Managing Director Industry Council, China-Britain of HKT Engineering, was Business Council, Urban Land invited to deliver a talk to Arupians from across Arup’s Institute, Construction Innovation and East Asia offices on the Technology Application Centre, Hong implications of 5G for the Kong Green Building Council, and construction sector. The America Institute of Architecture (AIA) Hong Kong.

No matter working from home or in office, Arup on technological trends. In May, we In a webinar on ‘sustainnovation’ for invited Peter Lam, Managing Director green and healthy building design in University encourages employees to pursue training of HKT Engineering, to deliver a the big data era, Tony Lam, Arup’s wherever their needs are best met. talk on the implications of 5G for the East Asia Building Performance and construction sector. Afterwards, Arup’s System Skill Leader, talked about how attendees had a fruitful discussion on big data can be applied in sustainable and healthy building design to reduce As Arup employees adapt to remote Taught or developed by our Skill the deployment of 5G network and how potential health risks and improve the and flexible working, Arup University Leaders or subject-matter experts, it accelerates the integration of GIS, █ Webinar on mobility trends for a resilient urban system. overall environment for health and ensures that they have what they need these training sessions were conducted BIM and IoTs in building design and well-being of the occupants/users. Sharing and Training city planning. for ongoing remote learning. That in a virtual classroom or as self- They also gave details on how Meanwhile, our thought leadership is why providing remote training learning modules on the Moodle operational strategies, such as mobility- articles have been published in various and learning has become one of our platform. Externally, Arup experts are constantly invited by professional bodies as-a-service, can be implemented and social media channels, media outlets, strategic imperatives. their impacts on a city’s transportation and the website of Resilience Shift, Apart from our in-house courses, we and industry journals as speakers Click to watch to provide thought leadership on policy, adaptiveness and design such as 5 must-do’s on urban resilience Through Moodle, the companywide also partner with LinkedIn Learning processes. Other key takeaways in a time of COVID, the COVID- learning platform, Arup University in order to give our employees access disruptive trends. For example, Dr Goman Ho, Arup Fellow and East Asia included discussions on how an SDG connection and the future of provides continuous technical and soft to a database of selected courses, from efficient transportation system can transport resilience. Other articles skills trainings to employees, who are essential digital and software skills Structural Engineering Skill Leader, shared his perspective on earthquake be incorporated into city planning cover themes relevant to infrastructure advised to keep socially distant amid a in Python programming and BIM and how well-being can be addressed planning, particularly water and lingering pandemic. modelling, to soft skills like giving resilience in a webinar hosted by China’s Building Structure magazine through holistic mobility planning and public healthcare, as well as business presentations, professional writing, public transportation redesign in the continuity, healthy buildings and Since March, Arup University has in May, which was attended virtually time management and business post-pandemic era. supply chain management. organised a range of technical training etiquette. by over 30,000 building professionals courses designed to upskill our from across the country. employees in their functional fields. From time to time Arup University invites external guests to give updates

37 FIRST issue 8

Profiles © Hong Kong Management Association © Hong Kong Management █ Vincent was awarded the Sustainability Leader of the Year at the Hong Kong Sustainability Award 2018/19 by the Hong Kong Management Association.

Dr Vincent Cheng, Arup Fellow and interconnectedness and the need for a codes and sustainability policies, Vincent Cheng East Asia Sustainable Development holistic development strategy to bring providing Asia’s policymakers, Leader, is one of Asia’s most notable economies back on track towards regulators and the private sector with sustainability-focused engineers. inclusive and sustainable growth. building design guidelines, energy Leading Arup’s During his career spanning over For me, sustainability is an evolving, performance targets and desired 25 years, he has driven Asia’s green dynamic concept, with increasingly comfort and health objectives. winning green team building movement, once leading an diverse interpretations.” 80-strong team of multidisciplinary Currently he is serving on the Board professionals specialised in green “Being a leader means we constantly of the Hong Kong Green Building building assessments, engineering challenge the status quo, envisioning Council and Energy Advisory designs, energy efficiency solutions and shaping the future. We see what Committee of Environment Bureau of and strategic partnerships across the we do as part of a larger purpose, Hong Kong SAR Government to help region. fostering trust among policymakers the local authorities formulate green and stakeholders.” building codes, develop assessment His commitment and substantial tools and promote the adoption of contribution to sustainability has To fulfil this ambitious mission, it is green building practices. He has led the “Being a leader means we resulted in myriad awards and important to drive change in policy, inclusion of district cooling systems, recognitions, the latest of which was practice and human behaviour, lighting and ventilation, green building constantly challenge the the Sustainability Leader of the Year each of which activates and inter- and life-cycle energy assessment, at the Hong Kong Sustainability influences each other. ‘As long as we urban climatic planning and urban status quo, envisioning and Award 2018/19 from the Hong Kong can demonstrate the environmental, heat island assessment.in Hong Kong’s Management Association. societal and economic benefits of planning code. shaping the future. We see sustainability in our design, we can What is sustainability have a strong influence on public In , he has led the Arup what we do as part of a leadership? policies. Meanwhile, if stakeholders team in developing the Low Carbon appreciate these benefits, it will raise Assessment Code for the island’s larger purpose, fostering According to Vincent, sustainable their environmental awareness and pro- Environmental Protection Agency. The development calls for concerted environmental behaviour, which will team is also partnering with Taiwan trust among policymakers efforts towards building an inclusive, eventually influence future policies and Land Development Corporation on sustainable and resilient future for our designs,’ he explained. embarking the eco-living projects in and stakeholders.” people and planet. Taiwan with the vision of achieving Shaping policy framework circular economy. “To achieve this, it is crucial to harmonise three core elements: towards sustainability economic growth, social inclusion As an active public policy advocate, and environmental protection. The Vincent has been driving the COVID-19 pandemic underlines their formulation of effective green building 39 FIRST issue 8

Engaging stakeholders Realising impactful projects Inspiring young Arupians Vincent’s mentorship with the firm’s established learning culture has Apart from advancing green building Throughout his career, Vincent has As an Arup Skill Leader, Vincent inspired young Arupians to come up policies, it is equally important that delivered more than 100 BEAM devotes selfless efforts to developing with innovative solutions. His group the needs and concerns of stakeholders Plus and LEED projects in East Asia our people. “Part of Arup’s success has delivered the highest number of are properly addressed. For instance, contributing to a long-lasting positive lies in our commitment to creating a patented projects across Arup. commercial property owners are more impact on building energy efficiency learning culture. We have many very concerned about cost effectiveness and and carbon reduction. Recent exemplar talented leaders. We work together to return on investment, thus they must projects include Construction Industry contribute to our learning culture. It be convinced that the benefits of green Council Zero Carbon Park (CIC-ZCP), has not been always smooth, but we buildings outweigh the costs, such as Hysan Place, Victoria Dockside, Wah work like partners to make it happen.” increased rental values and improved Ha Estate, Kai Tak District Cooling The learning culture is more than employee productivity. System (DCS) , West Kowloon Cultural developing technical skills. It is also District (WKCD) DCS in Hong Kong; about creativity and collaboration “For homeowners or occupants, if they and Hualien Bay in Taiwan. — to identify problems and develop can personally experience, they will solutions and to have control over value and appreciate the benefits of Not only do CIC-ZCP and Hysan Place outcomes. Equally important are █ A District Cooling System (DCS) is installed across living in a green building — physical showcase successful zero-carbon the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). the soft skills and mentality like comfort, indoor air quality, and that emissions strategy and implementation, on residents’ well-being. The process perseverance, communication, and their home was designed and built to be they also provide practical functions is challenging, yet the results are especially empathy, he said. as environmentally friendly as possible. for the office and public spaces, he said. With more than two decades of rewarding and meaningful to us.” Therefore, residential projects are better “CIC-ZCP sets a living example of experience in designing public housing, “Empathy means we understand each to be designed to foster a ‘dialogue’ sustainable low-impact lifestyle not just Vincent said a more densely built For the Wah Ha Estate project, other and are aware of and are being between users and the environment, for East Asia but also for the world.” environment does not have to come at converted from a 50-year old factory sensitive to the feelings of others. We reinforcing positive experience.” Another green icon, Hysan Place, is the expense of living standards. “For building, Vincent’s team conducted identify others’ problems, creatively Hong Kong’s first LEED Platinum less well-off families living in public microclimate and Computational developing solutions, designing and BEAM Plus Platinum certified housing, they also deserve a good Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses and the environment and creating the building, infusing green building quality of life. Our public housing tailored a number of green features, experience are the skills that enable us elements into the business community. design involves a careful consideration including eco-walls, to enhance natural to see, understand and feel the world ventilation and introduce daylight into from others’ perspectives.” domestic flats. Each residential unit is also carefully oriented to overlook He reminded young engineers to keep the internal courtyards to optimise a curious, problem-solving mindset. ventilation and minimise street noise. ‘Being able to explore outside the realms of business practice heightens For the Hualien Bay project in your ability to formulate innovative Taiwan, the holistic design improves solutions,’ he said. ‘It’s important to the whole microclimate and boasts stay curious and find out how things plenty of communal green spaces, work.’ making it more comfortable for tenants and having a positive effect on the community.

The impact of Vincent’s involvement in the planning, design and implementation of the Kai Tak DCS is even more far-reaching. The first of its kind in Hong Kong, the construction of Kai Tak DCS required fundamental changes to the city’s planning and design codes for energy.

Elsewhere in Asia, Vincent has been leading sustainable projects that address issues of rapid urbanisation and climate change, including eco-cities in mainland China, passive buildings in Japan and smart city in Korea. © Cheung Tsun © Cheung

█ Throughout his career, Vincent has delivered more than 100 BEAM Plus and LEED projects in Asia, including Construction Industry Council Zero █ As an Arup Skill Leader, Vincent supports young engineers’ creativity and innovation Carbon Park (CIC-ZCP) (above) and West Kowloon Cultural District District Cooling System (WKCD DCS) (top right) in Hong Kong. through training and mentorship.

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Sam Chow, an Arup Fellow, Global Hong Kong’s ‘golden age’ ‘The experiences I gained from these Skill Leader of Transport Planning projects are so valuable for my later Hong Kong experienced strong and a Director in charge of East Asia’s career at Arup that paved the way for economic and population growth in transport consulting business, has us to capture tremendous opportunities the 1980s and 1990s. The then Hong contributed to the successful planning arising from China’s growth story that Kong government invested heavily of many regional urban transport began in the 1990s.’ in infrastructure facilities including projects in East Asia over the course of ports, railways, highways, new towns his career. and other strategic works to keep Hong A ride on China’s rise Kong a competitive world-class city. Since the 1990s, the initial stage Sam is now an internationally of China’s growth has been its recognised expert in transport Among the first few projects he worked infrastructure development, planning, engineering, forecasts, on in Hong Kong were planning particularly transport. All modes of research and development studies. studies on the extension of the metro transport saw their networks expanded He has led a multidisciplinary team and railway networks. He then rapidly, aiming to provide the of planners and engineers from conducted a lot of traffic forecasting infrastructure needed to support the Arup in contributing to the regional for major highway projects, such as broader development goals. ‘I was very infrastructure development in the past West Kowloon Highway, West Harbour lucky that I could ride on the wave of ten years. Crossing, and China’s economic development.’ Tsing Ma . Sam spent nine years with the US- Transport planning chosen as based consultancy in Hong Kong. He life-long career Amidst the city’s trade boom, Sam was already a managing director in After completing high school in Hong was also involved in the planning and charge of the company’s East Asia Kong in the early 1980s, he went on to design of multiple port development operations by 1999. Sam Chow study civil engineering in Australia. projects and a comprehensive study He pursued his childhood interest in on the expansion of the then Kai Tak His track record included numerous transport planning by selecting traffic Airport. infrastructure projects, such as toll Road to success infrastructure engineering, modelling roads, , subway systems and and management elective courses on With rapidly increasing disposable tunnels. Many of these projects were top of discipline core courses. income and growing tourists and public-private partnerships with business travellers flocking into the various sorts of funding, guarantees Upon graduation, Sam returned to city, numerous upmarket hotels and and other items from the government. Hong Kong in 1986. He was landed shopping facilities were built, expanded a job as transport modeller with a and renovated including Pacific Place Building Arup’s transport US-based international transport in Admiralty and Harbour City on the team consultancy. During his six-year stint, harbourfront of . Sam He joined Arup as Director in 2011 on he had many opportunities to work was engaged in these iconic mixed-use the invitation of Wilfred Lau, an Arup on transport infrastructure projects in projects as transport planner. Fellow, who set up the firm’s transport Hong Kong. consulting practice in East Asia. Sam left Hong Kong for Australia again in late 1991. He joined an Australia-based transport consultancy, By leveraging where he gained plenty of experience in international projects. connectivity, big data While working in Australia, an old and analytics, smart colleague in Hong Kong introduced him to a job at the Hong Kong transportation will seek company as a senior transport planner, a role required to be willing to travel to reduce congestion, to mainland China frequently and be able to communicate with Chinese improve safety, lower clients. Apparently, Sam was the right candidate. emissions and promote He was officially back to Hong walkability. Kong in the mid-1990s to pursue his career journey as transport planner. Hong Kong’s and later China’s rapid

economic development opened him █ Contract signing ceremony for an urban transport planning strategic partnership with the doors to exciting opportunities. Municipality in 2012.

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‘Over the years, we’ve built a 90-strong transport planning team in the East Asia Region, with key members in Hong Kong, Shanghai and . That compares with a humble team of 30-plus people when I came on board.’

The Chinese government has demonstrated a strong political will to drive through many transport projects over the past decade. Today, Arup’s transport planning projects in mainland China account for nearly half of its transport consulting business in East Asia.

‘After joining Arup, I’ve travelled extensively across the country, having made my footprint in all provinces in the country, from tier-one cities to as far as Qinghai and Tibet. For example, we worked on the Lhasa airport project with the aviation team before.’

In 2018, the team was awarded a consulting contract to conduct a feasibility study of developing a transit- █ Meeting Thailand’s Ministry of Transport officials in 2019. oriented development (TOD) for the Hangzhou West railway station, which █ Traffic consultancy for Shenzhen Qianhai COFCO Asia-Pacific headquarters. is a planned new station intended as part of the infrastructure preparations make ‘liveable’ cities a central goal and roadway infrastructure using 5G for the 2022 Asian Games. The team of China’s urban planning as well, he networks. made field trips to South Korea and said. Japan to study the success factors of ‘When all vehicles become CVs, TOD overseas. ‘We are seeing an emerging market there will be far less accidents in Southeast Asia, especially due to caused by human error. Congestion ‘Our team was also involved in a rising urbanisation and the growth of could be improved, too. If cars could planning project that aimed to develop a sizeable middle class in the region communicate with stop lights, for southern Pazhou, into a who are keen to travel. Countries such instance, the flow of traffic could new Central Business District (CBD) as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines be streamlined. By leveraging as the city government wanted to and Indonesia will be a key growth connectivity, big data and analytics, accommodate an additional population engine for us over the next few years, smart transportation will seek to of 3.5 million by 2035.’ while our experience in China in the reduce congestion, improve safety, last decade would be a very good lower emissions and promote Not only that, the team has worked on experience that can be drawn on to walkability.’ numerous transport planning projects help us develop best possible strategies for a wide range of integrated mixed- for the region.’ Therefore, smart and sustainable █ Speaking at the Transit-Oriented use urban complexes and prime office transportation not only will help reduce Development Asia Conference held in Shenzhen in 2013. developments across China. Recently, Smart transportation for the carbon footprints or the negative China Resources has commissioned the sustainable future impacts of environmental effects (Goal team as term consultant for the group’s 13: climate action), the efforts also pipeline of projects in both southern The deployment of 5G networks will be address Goal 3 (good health and well- and northern China. transformative for transport planning. being), Goal 15 (life on land), Goal 11 While connected autonomous (sustainable cities and communities), By the western standard, China’s vehicles (CAVs) may take some time and Goal 9 (industry, innovation and to mature into reality due to complex █ Sam’s team has conducted various feasibility studies of developing transit-oriented urbanisation took place at a stupendous infrastructure), according to Sam. development (TOD) projects in mainland cities, including the Shanghai Xujiahui ITC speed in the past decade. The process legal and safety reasons, connected TOD project. was quick and dirty. But the benefits vehicles (CVs) are within reach. outweigh the difficulties. Policymakers Connected vehicles are those that have also vowed that they would can communicate with other vehicles

45 FIRST issue 8 At a glance…

Future of offices in a post-pandemic world Click to download the report COVID-19 is reshaping the office landscape and accelerating growth in the deployment of smart buildings, according to Future of offices in a post-pandemic world published by Arup. Sustainability, smart buildings and the digitally oriented workplace are an integral part of this transformation, reshaping what will be the office space of the future.

For investors and developers alike, the huge uncertainty caused by the pandemic is a critical factor in determining building design and floorspace. Smaller satellite offices in multiple locations allow tenants greater flexibility and choice, allowing them to build organisational resilience through diversification. The pandemic has also significantly raised the awareness of the importance of hygiene and wellness in office settings, driving innovation in smart buildings for improved indoor quality and ventilation.

Five city resilience lessons from the coronavirus From healthcare to high street retail, transport to food and medical supply chains, the COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the limited resilience of our cities. Beyond the immediate priority of everyone’s health and livelihoods, the crisis is an opportunity to rethink the way we plan, design, develop and manage our cities to make sure we are better prepared when the next emergency arises.

So, how do we improve our response? Bruce Chong, Arup’s Director of Urban Sustainability, explores what the current crisis is teaching us – from understanding the connections between multiple hazards and taking a proactive response, to using ‘big data’

Click to read the full article and identifying the inter-connectedness of cities’ many systems.

Fulfilling Asia’s offshore wind potential Blessed with long coastlines and favourable government policies, Asia looks set to grow its offshore wind significantly over the next decade and beyond. As the region makes the most Follow us on of its opportunities, this promises to be a very busy time – both for developers and for design teams with the local expertise to meet these regional needs. Twitter | @ArupGroup

According to Peter Thompson, Arup’s East Asia Energy Business Leader, Asia is becoming Instagram | @ArupGroup​ the focus of growth in global offshore wind and has the opportunity to fast-track its Facebook | @ArupGroup development by exporting long-established expertise from the established European market. LinkedIn | Arup

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