A series of integrated building innovations and sustainable building design strategies have been adopted:

Modular construction:
To reduce embodied energy, construction waste and associated environmental impacts, modular construction approach was adopted. This includes the use of recycled freight containers and mild steel framing structures fixed by bolts and nuts. As a result, the use of prefabricated building components as well as flexibility in layout changes are maximised. The building materials can also be easily dismantled and reused elsewhere at the end of the building’s life.

Use of Environmental Friendly Construction Materials:
Low embodied energy and sustainable materials were adopted in the construction. The use of second-hand freight containers as the main building structure minimised the energy consumed and environmental impacts during the extraction of virgin materials and manufacturing process. Similarly, the embodied energy and environmental impact due to transportation of construction materials were reduced by using manufacturers of region within 800 km from the site. In addition, the paving blocks for the site were manufactured from recycled aggregates, recycled glass, fly ash, coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2), which helps abate nitrogen oxide (NOx) from road vehicles. This purifies the ambient air and benefits the health of the building users and pedestrian. Besides, the wood cabinets in the office were made of certified timber from sustainable forest.

Passive Designs:
One of the key strategies for minimising energy footprint is to reduce the building energy demand. Various passive design measures are utilised. For instance, the building disposition was carefully planned such that around 80% of the roof areas are covered by the Kwun Town Bypass to minimise solar heat gain. Other than that, perforated external walls in form of bamboo fence were installed to capture cool breeze to the courtyard area. Moreover, windows were installed on opposite sides of the office areas and Information Kiosk to facilitate cross ventilation. To enhance daylighting, the underside of the Bypass, painted white, is used as a light-shelf to reflect daylight, making the central courtyard well-lit throughout the day without artificial lighting. The shallow depth of the office space (less than 5m) and the opposite windows also facilitate daylight penetration.

Energy Efficient Systems:
Another energy reduction measure is the use of energy efficient systems. Variable refrigerant volume (VRV) air conditioners were installed which energy efficiencies (above 3.8) are much higher than room air conditioners / split units (usually below 3.0). For lighting, T5 fluorescent tubes integrated with task lights effectively reduce the lighting power density (LPD). Besides, daylight and motion sensors were installed to further save lighting energy consumption if the lighting is not required. 

Total Water Management:

To minimise fresh water demand, low-flow taps were installed at the toilets and pantry. In addition, rainwater is also harvested for irrigation of the landscape areas. Consequently, the carbon emissions due to fresh water processing are reduced.

Quality Indoor Environment:

Good indoor air quality (IAQ) contributes to the health of the occupants and productivity of the staff of EKEO. To improve IAQ, the ventilation system was designed to provide higher outdoor air ventilation rates than the minimum requirements by ASHRAE 62.1-2007 (ASHRAE, 2007) to facilitate dilution of indoor air pollutants. Independent exhausts are also provided for photocopiers to remove the particulates at source. Indoor air quality meets the Good Class of the IAQ Certification Scheme (HKSAR Government, 2003). Moreover, the building is set back from the street boundary by about 16m to minimise traffic noise impact from the abutting road. 

Waste Minimization:
The extensive use of prefabricated building components such as the freight containers and mild steel framing structures help minimise construction waste. Furthermore, most of the construction waste including wood, rebar and concrete were reused or recycled.

Site Specific Design for Land Saving:
To save precious land for other use, the EKEO was set up by revitalising a piece of unattractive land on a site under the Kwun Tong Bypass. With the above evidences of sustainability performance, the EKEO building has shown the innovative way to convert site constraints into opportunities for building sustainability.

Efficient Construction Management:
To meet the tight construction programme and reduce nuisance to the surroundings, several measures were undertaken to enhance construction management, such as off-site fabrication and reduction of inter-phasing.

A series of integrated building innovations and sustainable building design strategies have been adopted as detailed below.

Modular construction:
To reduce embodied energy, construction waste and associated environmental impacts, modular construction approach was adopted. This includes the use of recycled freight containers and mild steel framing structures fixed by bolts and nuts. As a result, the use of prefabricated building components as well as flexibility in layout changes are maximised. The building materials can also be easily dismantled and reused elsewhere at the end of the building’s life.

Use of Environmental Friendly Construction Materials:
Low embodied energy and sustainable materials were also adopted in the construction of the EKEO building. The use of second-hand freight containers as the main building structure minimised the energy consumed and environmental impacts during the extraction of virgin materials and manufacturing process. Similarly, the embodied energy and environmental impact due to transportation of construction materials were also reduced by using nearly 100% of regionally manufactured building materials (within 800 km of the project site). In addition, the paving blocks for the site were manufactured from recycled materials (recycled aggregates, recycled glass and fly ash), coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2), which helps abate nitrogen oxide (NOx) from road vehicles. This purifies the ambient air and benefits the health of the building users and pedestrian. Besides, the wood cabinets in the office were made of certified timber from sustainable forest.

Passive Designs:
One of the key strategies for minimising energy footprint is to reduce the building energy demand. In this connection, various passive design measures are utilised. For instance, the building disposition was carefully planned such that around 80% of the roof areas are covered by the Kwun Town Bypass to minimise solar heat gain. Other than that, perforated external walls in form of bamboo fence were installed to capture cool breeze to the courtyard area. Moreover, windows were installed on opposite sides of the office areas and Information Kiosk to facilitate cross ventilation. To enhance daylighting, the underside of the Bypass, painted white, is used as a light-shelf to reflect daylight, making the central courtyard well-lit throughout the day without artificial lighting. The shallow depth of the office space (less than 5m) and the opposite windows also facilitate daylight penetration.

Energy Efficient Systems:
Another energy reduction measure is the use of energy efficient systems. Variable refrigerant volume (VRV) air conditioners were installed which energy efficiencies (above 3.8) are much higher than room air conditioners / split units (usually below 3.0). For lighting, T5 fluorescent tubes integrated with task lights effectively reduce the lighting power density (LPD). Besides, daylight and motion sensors were installed to further save lighting energy consumption if the lighting is not required. 

Total Water Management:
To minimise fresh water demand, low-flow taps were installed at the toilets and pantry. In addition, rainwater is also harvested for irrigation of the landscape areas. Consequently, the carbon emissions due to fresh water processing are reduced.

Quality Indoor Environment:
Good indoor air quality (IAQ) contributes to the health of the occupants and productivity of the staff of EKEO. To improve IAQ, the ventilation system was designed to provide higher outdoor air ventilation rates than the minimum requirements by ASHRAE 62.1-2007 (ASHRAE, 2007) to facilitate dilution of indoor air pollutants. Meanwhile, independent exhausts are also provided for photocopiers to remove the particulates at source. An IAQ measurement was conducted and the result illustrated that the indoor air quality meets the Good Class of the IAQ Certification Scheme (HKSAR Government, 2003). Moreover, the building is set back from the street boundary by about 16m to minimise traffic noise impact from the abutting road. 

Waste Minimization:
The extensive use of prefabricated building components such as the freight containers and mild steel framing structures help minimise construction waste. Furthermore, most of the construction waste including wood, rebar and concrete were reused or recycled.

Site Specific Design for Land Saving:
To save precious land for other use, the EKEO was set up by revitalising a piece of unattractive land on a site under the Kwun Tong Bypass. With the above evidences of sustainability performance, the EKEO building has shown the innovative way to convert site constraints into opportunities for building sustainability.

Efficient Construction Management:
To meet the tight construction programme and reduce nuisance to the surroundings, several measures were undertaken to enhance construction management, such as off-site fabrication and reduction of inter-phasing.