Arup secures double win at the HKILA Awards 2024

Designing a sustainable rural township with nature-based solutions
Gold Award in Excellence in Landscape communication category

This joint research project with WWF-Hong Kong demonstrates the transformative potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in Mui Wo. By sharing a vision for a thriving community and healthy environment, the project combines local knowledge with landscape architecture expertise to design and implement six effective NbS interventions that address Mui Wo’s specific vulnerabilities.

The project’s commitment to aligning the six interventions with the IUCN Global Standard underscores the importance of rigorous, science-based design. The study is now serving as a comprehensive guidebook for diverse stakeholders, including the government, developers and other related sectors, to prioritise sustainability in rural development, foster green financing and ultimately boost Hong Kong’s green economy.

BioVerse
Gold Award in Excellence in Landscape transformation category

BioVerse revolutionises ecological assessments by addressing the limitations of traditional manual surveys, which are often costly, time-consuming, and prone to subjective bias. Our innovative platform streamlines habitat classification and NbS design, enabling efficient, data-driven approaches to enhance biodiversity.

Leveraging a comprehensive database of best-practice projects, BioVerse combines a global biodiversity framework with crucial local ecological data to develop tailored, evidence-based NbS solutions rapidly. The platform automates essential processes, including habitat mapping, species analysis, and predictions of habitat evolution and species density based on selected NbS typologies.

The HKILA Awards seeks to promote excellence in landscape planning, design and management in both public and private landscape projects, to recognise outstanding achievements by landscape architects, landscape designers, students in landscape architecture and to bring the valuable works of local landscape architects, landscape designers and students to the public’s attention.