CUHK bags four awards from Hong Kong Institute of Architects
Professor Thomas Chung Wang-leung, Associate Professor of CUHK’s School of Architecture, and his team have won two HKIA Annual Awards 2022—23, presented by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA), for Project Plum Grove: Revitalising Mui Tsz Lam with Experimental Restorations. The project won the President’s Special Prize and the HKIA Special Award – Architectural Installation, Curation & Exhibition Design. Two buildings on CUHK campus also received awards.
The Project Plum Grove has revitalised Mui Tsz Lam, a remote, 360-year-old Hakka village in Sha Tau Kok, through experimental architectural demonstrations with participatory co-creation. The project kickstarted Mui Tsz Lam’s revival by restoring two ruined houses, known as Old House and Mural House. It adopted three place-inspired design principles: in-situ, light-touch and co-creation. It upcycled found materials, while new rammed earth construction complemented adjustable scaffolding with timber-bamboo panels. Over two years, the project engaged returning villagers, students and volunteers to conserve heritage while also exploring rural living so that the village can flourish in the future.
The project’s architect and lead consultant Professor Thomas Chung said: “We are exploring remote rural revitalisation by developing context-inspired, cross-disciplinary action-research approaches to regenerate a place by reconnecting people via a collaborative process. It is a great honour that our project has been recognised by the HKIA Annual Awards. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsor, the Countryside Conservation Office (CCO), villagers from Mui Tsz Lam village and our collaborator, the Hong Kong Institute of Construction.”
The HKIA Annual Awards, launched in 1965, are among the most prestigious architectural awards in the region. The aim is to strive for local, regional and international architectural excellence through professionalism and creativity, and to provide a supportive environment for HKIA members to practise high-quality architecture and realise their professional potential.
The President’s Special Prize is judged by a panel consisting of the HKIA President, the previous president and another past president, and awarded to works in Hong Kong that demonstrate high quality and creativity in architectural design with a limited budget.
The HKIA Special Award – Architectural Installation, Curation & Exhibition Design aims to recognise exhibition installations that promote architecture and design. This category particularly values the involvement and engagement of the neighbourhood and the public, and the ingenious application of architectural skills.
Two buildings on CUHK campus were also honoured. Mei Yun Tang in New Asia College won a HKIA Award – Residential Building, while the Chung Chi Student Development Complex was awarded merit in the HKIA Award – Institutional Building.
For more information on the HKIA Annual Awards, please visit: https://www.hkia.net/annualawards/
