Sprouting From The Rooftops

Mount Pavilia is standing out from the crowd in densely populated Hong Kong due to its engaging mix of renewable and passive energy initiatives, and innovative landscaping techniques that synchronise with urban farming systems.

- Al Gerard De La Cruz

Among the first things visitors will notice about Mount Pavilia, a mixed-use project by award-winning Hong Kong firm New World Development, are its wind turbines. Perched above 27 tower blocks, the 13 eight-meter high turbines manifest Hong Kong’s potential in renewable energy.

In February, the low-density development designed by Wong Tung and Partners was certified BEAM Plus Gold in a final assessment by the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC). Since its completion in 2017, the 680unit property has been critically acclaimed and collecting accolades from PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, BCI Asia, and more. Beyond its wind energy generators, Mount Pavilia won over sustainability assessors with its efficient water recycling systems and its 340,000 square feet of landscaped areas by Hong Kong architecture firm Adrian L. Norman, the latter leaving room for urban farming systems, including aquaponics and hydroponics.

The 66,800-square-metre brownfield site used to be a mix of scattered farmland and storage yards, hemmed in by a country park and Tai Po Tsai, an indigenous village. Powerful winds sweeping the area were a major factor in the selection of the land, according to Dr. Tony Lam, associate director of building sustainability at Arup, the project’s sustainability engineer. The site sits in a 10- to 25-metre wind corridor by Clear Water Bay, and an airflow study on wind availability by Arup affirmed the location ideal “in terms of the height of the wind turbines,” informs Lam.