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(From right) The Final Adjudication Panel, URA Non-Executive Director, Professor Tang Bo-sin, URA Managing Director, Ir Wai Chi-sing, and VTC Deputy Executive Director, Ir Dr Eric Liu, conduct assessment for the eight shortlisted entries.
(From right) The Final Adjudication Panel, URA Non-Executive Director, Professor Tang Bo-sin, URA Managing Director, Ir Wai Chi-sing, and VTC Deputy Executive Director, Ir Dr Eric Liu, conduct assessment for the eight shortlisted entries.
The shortlisted teams exert their best efforts to introduce their design concepts and presentations at the Final Adjudication.
The shortlisted teams exert their best efforts to introduce their design concepts and presentations at the Final Adjudication.
Adjudicators and the winners exchange views on innovative design.
Adjudicators and the winners exchange views on innovative design.
The Adjudication Panel take group photo with the winners at the Final Adjudication cum Award Ceremony.
The Adjudication Panel take group photo with the winners at the Final Adjudication cum Award Ceremony.
“Gold Award” goes to “Invisible Oasis” designed by Elmer Tai (from right) and Ivan Lee from IVE (Tsing Yi) Higher Diploma in Architectural Studies.  Another team member is Valli Leung.
“Gold Award” goes to “Invisible Oasis” designed by Elmer Tai (from right) and Ivan Lee from IVE (Tsing Yi) Higher Diploma in Architectural Studies.
Another team member is Valli Leung.
“Silver Award” goes to “Mountain City” designed by Max Ng (from right) and Yam Wing-lam from HKDI Higher Diploma in Interior Design.
“Silver Award” goes to “Mountain City” designed by Max Ng (from right) and Yam Wing-lam from HKDI Higher Diploma in Interior Design.
“Bronze Award” is presented to “HYGGE” designed by Alexander Utama (from right), Ng Chun-ho and Yim Chun-ming from HKDI Higher Diploma in Architectural Design.
“Bronze Award” is presented to “HYGGE” designed by Alexander Utama (from right), Ng Chun-ho and Yim Chun-ming from HKDI Higher Diploma in Architectural Design.
The URA brings the participating students to visit the distinctive projects in Central and Western District as well as the Urban Renewal Exploration Centre, allowing them to have a better understanding on the concept of urban redevelopment, preservation, revitalisation, as well as place making.
The URA brings the participating students to visit the distinctive projects in Central and Western District as well as the Urban Renewal Exploration Centre, allowing them to have a better understanding on the concept of urban redevelopment, preservation, revitalisation, as well as place making.

URA encourages innovative ideas among young people to foster special characteristics of Central and Western District

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) joined hands with the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) and Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), both under the Vocational Training Council (VTC), for the second year to co-organise the Innovative Design Competition 2018/19.  The competition aims to encourage tertiary students to apply their knowledge into practice while bringing about local characters and smart-living elements to the Central and Western District through creative designs.  The Final Adjudication cum Award Ceremony was held on 5 July (Friday).

Having considered the rich historical characteristics of the Central and Western District, the competition this year aimed to promote the understanding of the district’s local development and living culture among tertiary students while making use of their creativity and professional knowledge learnt from school.  The participants were required to employ creative thinking and incorporate smart-living design on a topic chosen from one of the four urban renewal projects in the district to showcase the local characteristics and foster cross-generation harmony and sustainable development in the community.  The four projects were Peel Street/Graham Street, Central Market, Pak Tsz Lane Park, and H6 CONET located in The Center.

Kicked off in December last year, the competition invited participation from higher diploma students of the engineering programme from IVE and the architectural design and interior design programmes of HKDI.  The URA also arranged docent tours to bring the students to the redevelopment and revitalisation projects of the URA to understand the characteristics, history, livelihood and culture of the local community, so as to gain insights for their works.  Visits to the Urban Renewal Exploration Centre were also arranged to allow students to understand the topics on urban renewal from different perspectives.

The Shortlisting was held in mid-June with adjudication panel formed by URA and IVE representatives, when eight entries were selected into the Final Adjudication.  The award winners were decided by the members of the Final Adjudication Panel, including URA Non-Executive Director, Professor Tang Bo-sin, VTC Deputy Executive Director, Ir Dr Eric Liu, and URA Managing Director, Ir Wai Chi-sing.

Professor Tang Bo-sin said at the Final Adjudication, “I am glad to see that all entries are very outstanding with creativity.  They demonstrate the participant’s well use of knowledge from school as well as their understanding of the needs of the people and community, exhibiting their empathy.”  He also envisaged the students to put the concept of “people first” and “community-based” into practice when they become professionals in areas such as architecture, design and urban planning in the future.

VTC Deputy Executive Director, Ir Dr Eric Liu, said, “The entries of the students excelled in various aspects such as feasibility and practicality, innovation and integration of community concepts.  I believe that this learning experience would drive their innovation with greater vitality so as to further expand their professional career ahead.”

Year 2 students of the Higher Diploma in Architectural Studies of IVE (Tsing Yi), Elmer Tai, Ivan Lee and Valli Leung, were awarded the “Gold Award” and “Most Community-friendly Award”.  Choosing the Central Market as design topic, they proposed to install a water curtain at the open space of Atrium to relieve the noise nuisance from outside in order to create a tranquil space for the office workers in the Central and Western District.  The water curtain will also serve as digital display to provide a communication platform for the visitors while showcasing information of the tourist spots in Central so as to promote the local characteristics.  The team’s representative Elmer Tai said after the ceremony, “Our team members have benefited a great deal from the competition.  Throughout the research and innovation process, we could grasp a wide range of knowledge in different architectural projects which have broadened our horizons.”

All the winning entries of the URA/IVE/HKDI Innovative Design Competition 2018/19 are now on display at the URA’s H6 CONET community space located at G/F, The Center, 99 Queen’s Road Central. The exhibition is opened for public viewing from 8 to 22 July.  For more information and photos about the winning entries, the public may visit the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/UrbanRenewalExplorationCentre)of Urban Renewal Exploration Centre.

Event schedule of URA/IVE/HKDI Innovative Design Competition 2018/19

Date Event
December 2018 Introduction of competition to students
March 2019 

Docent Tours​

  • site visits to urban renewal projects in Central and Western District and Urban Renewal Exploration Centre
12 June 2019 Shortlisting
5 July 2019 Final Adjudication cum Award Ceremony
8-22 July 2019

Public Exhibition

  • Display of winning entries at H6 CONET community space


Winner List of URA/IVE/HKDI Innovative Design Competition 2018/19

Award Winning team Institute and programme Entry Scope of design
Gold Award

Elmer Tai, Ivan Lee, Valli Leung

IVE (Tsing Yi)
Architectural Studies

Invisible Oasis Central Market
Silver Award

Yam Wing-lam, Max Ng

HKDI
Interior Design

Mountain City

Peel Street/ Graham Street

Bronze Award

Yim Chun-ming, Ng Chun-ho, Alexander Utama

HKDI
Architectural Design

HYGGE Central Market
Merit Award

Edgar Pang, Aubrey Leung

HKDI
Architectural Design

Memorial Green Garden Pak Tsz Lane Park

Li Ngai-shing, Lau Yan-ni

IVE (Tsing Yi)
Architectural Studies

Pak Tsz Lane Park Pak Tsz Lane Park
So Shan-kwan

IVE (Tsing Yi)
Architectural Studies

活•色•生•香 Central Market

Lam Shuk-yan, Chong Ka-lai

HKDI
Architectural Design

RE:STREETS

Peel Street/ Graham Street

Kong Siu-lun, Wong Yu-hei, Lai Yan-tsun

HKDI
Architectural Design

中庭一號 Pak Tsz Lane Park
Special Award
Most Community-friendly Award

Elmer Tai, Ivan Lee, Valli Leung

IVE (Tsing Yi)
Architectural Studies

Invisible Oasis Central Market
Smartest Design Award So Shan-kwan

IVE (Tsing Yi)
Architectural Studies

活•色•生•香 Central Market

Best Idea for Place-making Award

Yam Wing-lam, Max Ng

HKDI
Interior Design

Mountain City

Peel Street/ Graham Street

Best Digital Presentation Award

Li Ngai-shing, Lau Yan-ni

IVE (Tsing Yi)
Architectural Studies

Pak Tsz Lane Park Pak Tsz Lane Park


(ENDS)