#Landscape
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Architectural features of Che Kung Temple Sports Centre
Located at Sha Tin Tau Road, easily accessible from the nearby MTR Che Kung Temple Station and Chun Shek Bus Terminus, a new sports centre, Che Kung Temple Sports Centre, has just opened for public use since 17 September 2020. A lot of thought has been put into the design of this new sports centre. In particular, architects have deliberately broken the tradition of adopting an all-indoor layout for sports centres. Instead, with transparent layering, the indoor and outdoor areas are connected to integrate with the surrounding landscape. Apart from offering a wide range of recreation and sports facilities, the centre also provides a comfortable place full of nature for neighbourhood residents to hang out and take a break in. Connect different facilities with a layered layoutUnlike traditional sports centres, the Che Kung Temple Sports Centre has adopted a layered layout to maximise the sense of spaciousness. Senior Architect of the ArchSD, Mr LEUNG Kin-hong, Donald, says to us that corridors and staircases are built throughout the premises to enable visitors to easily access different floors, facilities, courtyards and terraces, and to encourage interactions among users. For example, large-size glass panels are used in the children’s playroom on the ground floor to let in the views of the forecourt; at the same time, one can see the indoor corridor and other activity rooms through the high windows on the other side, the visual connection among the three areas gives a sense of spaciousness, openness and brightness. Moreover, the architects deliberately do away with air-conditioning in all open access to promote natural ventilation and also let in sunlight, thereby protecting the environment and reducing electricity consumption. Letting in sunshine and natural sceneryThe sports centre is located in a peaceful environment with a backdrop of the mountains. Taking advantage of the natural setting, the project team has adopted floor-to-ceiling transparent glass panels to let in natural views to various indoor areas. The design focuses on brightness and transparency to give a more open view, breaking the tradition of adopting an all-indoor layout for sports centres in Hong Kong. Besides the trees specially planted by the project team in the atrium, the natural light coming in through the glass ceiling also creates a natural and comfortable environment. Different materials for indoor and outdoor areas to give different feelingsThe Che Kung Temple Sports Centre is the seventh public indoor sports centre in Sha Tin District, and provides facilities including a multi-purpose arena, which can serve as two basketball courts or two volleyball courts or eight badminton courts; a dance room; an activity room; a table tennis room; a fitness room; and a children's play room. Architect of the ArchSD, Mr SUEN Chun-sing, says that different finishes materials are used in indoor and outdoor areas to give people distinctly different feelings. Fair-faced concrete is mostly applied to the façades to give a natural and raw feeling. On the contrary, wooden and warm-coloured materials are used mainly on the walls and floors of the arena to create a relatively warm environment. An oasis in the citySince the commissioning of the facilities and public spaces of the Che Kung Temple Sports Centre, it has become neighbourhood residents’ go-to place for exercise and rest. I believe that users will be able to feel the sense of nature and comfort offered by the premises, green landscapes and surrounding scenery while using the various facilities. As colleagues of the ArchSD say, it is hoped that the new sports centre will become not just a sports centre serving the local residents, but also an oasis in the city. (The video is broadcasted in Cantonese) (The video is provided by Development Bureau)
While Hong Kong is often referred to as a concrete jungle, environmental greening is the way to go. In view of this, the job of the Landscape Architect is becoming increasingly important. A Landscape Architect’s job is to plan and design an outdoor space in harmony with nature as well as a green, beautiful and sustainable environment for a building project. Take Wetland Park for example. The Landscape Architect has incorporated elements of eco-conservation into its design to create an outdoor public space as well as a perfect place for bird watching. To become a Landscape Architect of The Architectural Services Department, one should have creativity, aesthetic and spatial sense, keen awareness of and curiosity about the surrounding environment, as well as basic knowledge of ecological and heritage conservation. One also has to be equipped with good communication skills to work with the project team in order to build a high-quality green environment. Organisation chart
When you look at the trees in the street, your attention is often only focused on the tree forms, whether they have beautiful flowers or cause any obstruction to the traffic and pedestrian flow, etc. In fact, you may not realise that the selection of tree species for street planting involves a lot of knowledge as every tree species has its unique “character”, and on top of that, they have to grow in the dense and compact city of Hong Kong. Thus, there are a series of considerations behind the decision.Capability to withstand different roadside conditionsThe Government has been striving to create a quality environment for urban planting to enrich vegetation diversity and enhance the outdoor environs, so as to provide outdoor spaces for public enjoyment. In this connection, the Greening, Landscape, and Tree Management Section (GLTMS) of the Development Bureau (DEVB) commissioned a consultancy study to provide a reference for selecting suitable tree species for different types of streets in Hong Kong. The GLTMS has completed and issued the Street Tree Selection Guide (the Guide). Here we have invited a landscape architect of the DEVB to introduce the details of the Guide and talk about the considerations in selecting tree species for the streets of Hong Kong. Recommendation on vegetation diversity in tree plantingCurrently, there are only around 20 species of trees planted at roadsides in the urban areas of Hong Kong, which account for about half of our urban trees. However, low diversity in the species planted is making our urban forests more vulnerable to outbreaks of pests and diseases and diminishes soil quality, consequently leading to higher maintenance pressure. The DEVB’s Landscape Architect (Greening and Landscape), Mr CHEUNG Ka-wai, Allen, says that the purpose of the Guide is to explore the possibility of planting a greater diversity of species and encourage the planting of suitable native species to improve the resilience of Hong Kong's urban forests through promotion of vegetation diversity under the "right tree, right place" principle, with a view to improving ecological health and minimising tree risks. Simply put, the width of pedestrian paths, soil volume, distribution of underground utilities and pipes, upper ground space, air flow, sunlight, etc. may affect the planting and growth of trees. Also, different tree characteristics such as buttress roots, forms and sizes may affect the selection of suitable planting locations. Therefore, the Guide provides a reference for government departments and industry stakeholders in selecting street tree species.To enable the public to have a better understanding of the tree species introduced in the Guide and the importance of selecting trees with essential attributes suitable for street environments, Mr Allen CHEUNG talks to us about some tree species suitable for street planting. One example is Xanthostemon chrysanthus, also known as Golden Penda. When Golden Penda blooms, the stamens will form a ball shape and the flowers are in bright colours. Its nectar provides food for wild animals. Most importantly, it has essential attributes suitable for the street environments in Hong Kong. For example, it can tolerate roadside pollution, less prone to pests and diseases, and is wind and drought tolerance. Preparing for more frequent extreme weatherTo address the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather conditions due to climate change, and to meet the challenges brought by ageing street trees, we need to make our urban forest more resilient and adaptable to enable sustainable development. Super Typhoon Mangkhut has caused extensive damage to our tree stock when it hit Hong Kong in 2018, but it also opens up opportunity for planting at the same time. After clearing the tree debris, various departments will carefully inspect the extent of damage of the planting sites and related areas. Trees will be replanted only if it is feasible and suitable to do so. To provide a better growing environment for the new trees, the number of trees to be replanted will depend on the sites’ condition. For example, trees will not be replanted on steep slopes (35 degrees or steeper) to safeguard public safety. Besides, departments will not indiscriminately pursue quantity or blindly follow the compensatory planting ratio of 1:1. Furthermore, departments will examine the feasibility of expanding the size of existing tree pits and study the potential of linking the soil volume below the pedestrian paths before replanting trees.Dedicated tree care and maintenanceAfter selecting suitable tree species, we have to make sure that other aspects of planting are also done properly. For example, tree stock quality, planting standards, and the implementation of associated planting works have to be appropriate. Therefore, we encourage landscape designers and departments to widely apply the Guide when replacing and planting street trees.As proper selection of tree species is only the first step and the work that comes afterwards is very important, departments will pay great attention to the maintenance of trees. Through routine maintenance and management, including regular yearly tree risk assessment, timely inspections and appropriate pruning, we can minimise the risks posed by trees to the public and their property. Moreover, our urban forest will grow healthily and sustainably. (The video is provided by Development Bureau)
Have you ever wondered about the various landscape designs that are concealed in the streets and buildings we walk past every day? As enthusiasts of nature and design, Irene and Jason chose to become landscape architects at the Development Bureau for one goal: to promote health and environment protection and develop a green city. In addition to taking care of plants and flowers, landscape architects also need to know how to balance citizens’ livelihoods with urban planning while also taking account of the mode of operation of various departments. Furthermore, they must consider the impact that the passage of time has on the environment. The work of a landscape architect is rather challenging because each and every plant or tree should be carefully considered. Organisation chartOfficial recruitment page