Architects urge building repair body and AI housing reform
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
As the consultation period for Hong Kong’s first five-year plan ended on August 14, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects set out a package of proposals spanning housing, building safety, decarbonisation, heritage and cultural development . Institute president and Legislative Council member Lo Man-kuen said the group wanted Hong Kong to align more actively with the national “3060” carbon-neutrality goals, including by developing standards for mass timber construction suited to a dense urban environment . The institute also urged the government to use artificial intelligence and big data to overhaul public rental housing allocation, broaden the housing ladder and revive the rent-to-buy model . It further proposed creating a statutory, neutral Building Maintenance Authority to strengthen oversight of repair works in both public and private buildings .
Key Points
- Lo Man-kuen said structural timber and bamboo are already widely used internationally as low-carbon building materials, and urged Hong Kong to draft standards for large-scale timber structures .
- The proposed code would cover glued laminated timber and cross-laminated timber, with requirements on fire safety, structural integrity and durability for Hong Kong conditions .
- The institute also called for environmental material standards, a green building materials database and certification system, and wider testing of low-carbon concrete, cooling coatings and eco-bricks .
- On housing, it urged authorities to use AI and big data to reorganise public housing resource allocation, enrich the housing ladder and relaunch rent-to-buy arrangements .
- For building repairs, the institute proposed a Building Maintenance Authority and suggested government inspection teams with ICAC and police participation for surprise site checks and prosecutions .
Why It Matters
The proposals connect several long-running Hong Kong policy pressures: ageing buildings, public housing allocation, carbon reduction and the reuse of urban and rural space . If adopted, they would push the government toward a more interventionist role in maintenance oversight while also testing whether digital tools and new materials can reshape how the city builds, allocates homes and preserves heritage .