Zero Carbon Building

Zero Carbon Building (ZCB), the first zero carbon building in Hong Kong, is specifically designed for the sub-tropical urban context. It demonstrates state-of-the-art eco-building design and technologies and at the same time, promote sustainable living to the community.  Performing “energy-plus”, ZCB generates on-site renewable energy for its own operational energy consumption on an annual basis and exports surplus energy to the grid to offset its embodied energy.  Priority is placed on energy demand control by effective passive building design and energy-efficient active systems to enable cost-effective implementation of renewable energy technologies.

Facts:
Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners
Location: Hong Kong 
Site area: 1.48 hectares
GFA: 3,300 sq. m.
Completion date: 2012

The design mitigates local heat island effect and harnesses available solar energy and urban wind energy for the building.  The urban native woodland and high greenery coverage (about 50%) enhances biodiversity, cools down prevailing summer breeze, provide shade and amenity.  Priority is placed on energy demand control by effective passive design and energyefficientactive systems. The passive design and active systems are expected toreduce ZCB’s energy consumption by 20% and 25% respectively as compared tocurrent benchmarks. Grid connection of on-site renewable energy technologiesavoids costly and environmentally-unfriendly battery provisions and resolves theintermittency of the renewable energy supply.

To buffer against environmental nuisances from surrounding traffic and to minimize carbon footprint during construction, the site is formed in a balanced cut and fill manner, to create higher planting zones along its perimeters and a lower multi-purpose open space at its centre.Low embodied emission design is adopted with minimized use of materialsand recycled / regionally manufactured materials, such as eco-pavers, concretemix with high percentages (25 to 35%) of pulverized fuel ash (PFA) and recycledaggregates, and use of concrete debris salvaged from the demolition works forgabion wall construction in the landscaped areas.