The Hong Kong Jockey Club has been honoured in the new Skyrise Greenery Awards for turning the rooftop of its headquarters building at Happy Valley into “Our Green Place” – a delightful green oasis in the heart of the city. The project today (8 May) received a Silver Award in the Non-Government Organisation/Institution Projects category.
The Skyrise Greenery Awards are aimed at promoting the development of skyrise greening as a new environmentally-friendly trend in Hong Kong. The awards scheme is organised by the Government's Development Bureau in association with the Hong Kong Green Building Council, the Professional Green Building Council, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects, The Hong Kong Institute of Planners and The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors.
The juries for the inaugural 2012 Awards, comprising representatives from different sectors of expertise, assessed the entered projects on a range of criteria including integration of the building design with its landscape, quality of greenery, sustainable design and cost effectiveness, improvement of the surrounding environment and the cityscape as a whole, innovation, community engagement and social interaction.
The Club's "Our Green Place", a 510 square-metre garden on the roof of its headquarters building, is full of environmental elements. Its extensive use of plants not only transforms the roof into a bright and green area, but also creates a cooling effect. This in turn enables the Club to increase its energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
A number of environment-friendly technologies have been adopted. For instance, the plants on the vertical green wall are irrigated by water discharged from the water-cooled chillers installed on the roof. Other features include solar-powered irrigation and lamps, eco-friendly timber decks and the use of eco-bricks made from recycled glass. The walls carry decorations made from used tyres, while the corridors display artistic metal sculptures created by Club farriers from recycled horseshoes.
The Club had to overcome several difficulties during the roof design progress. The most challenging was retaining the existing gondola rails which are irremovable. Finally, a clever and flexible method was adopted – installing eco-timber deck that can be removed during cleaning work on the external walls to enable safe operation of the gondola.
The roof now provides a pleasant gathering spot for Club staff during lunch breaks or departmental activities. It is also open for external visits during designated hours. The name "Our Green Place" came from a JCHQ Green Roof Naming Competition and Chinese Calligraphy Competition organised by the Club to encourage staff members to support this green initiative and understand the concepts and benefits of green roofs.
“Our Green Place” serves as a good example of the Club’s vision of embedding sustainability concepts throughout its operations. To ensure that the Club's Environmental Policy can be dovetailed into everyday business processes, an employee-led Environmental Management Committee draws on the expertise of staff from different functional units to devise green policies and co-ordinate green initiatives.
For instance, the Club has taken a lead in recycling by collecting some 50 tonnes of used glass bottles a year from its catering facilities at its two racecourses and three clubhouses in Hong Kong, sending them for processing and recycling into 110,000 glass eco-bricks.
The Club's Green Procurement guidelines also govern the supply of a variety of office essentials ranging from copy paper to plastic bags and even vehicles. The Club’s dining outlets have introduced biodegradable food containers and environment-friendly food packaging, deployed food waste decomposers, and removed shark's fin dishes from its a la carte menus. Meanwhile, its betting operations have introduced 100% recyclable betting slips. These concerted efforts resulted in a significant 5.2% reduction in the Club's carbon emissions in 2010/11.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world's leading horse racing organisations but also a world top 15 charitable organisation and Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.6 billion in 2011. It is also a major taxpayer, Hong Kong's single largest by far, generating over HK$15 billion a year for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious, with more than 23,000 members. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.
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The Club's Executive Manager, Property Facilities Management, Graham Tier (first from right), Technical Services Manager, Martin Lui (first from left) and Assistant Technical Services Manager Thomas Ho (second from right) receive the Silver Award in the Non-Government Organisation/Institution Projects category of the Skyrise Greenery Awards 2012.
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The Club's Executive Manager for Property Facilities Management, Graham Tier, outlines the features of a£á?Our Green Placea£á? after the awards ceremony.
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Photo 3, Photo 4:
The 510 square-metre garden "Our Green Place" not only creates a bright and green oasis in the heart of the city, but also provides a pleasant gathering spot for Club staff.
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