news
| ACLA wins major Tourism Development commission in Vietnam | 10/6/2010 |
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ACLA has been appointed as the master planners for a 1000ha integrated resorts development near H  CMC. According to Johannes Spies who is heading the Vietnam operation this is a significant win and possibly the largest commission of this nature in Vietnam at this point in time. The project reflects the developer’s confidence in the future growth of Tourism and Property sectors in Vietnam. In additional to a significant residential component, the project further includes a 36 holes golf course, a theme park, a water park and three hotels. The project is scheduled to start construction later this year. |
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| ACLA presented Urban Future: The Rise of MegaCities at the Architecture Conference in HCMC in Vietnam | 10/6/2010 |
Robbert van Nouhuys delivered a paper to the conference outlining the impact of the urbanization trend a .jpg) nd the creation of Megacities with 20 million inhabitants or more. In Asia, Megacities will become critical drivers to a nations’ economic development and require a rich mixture of a coexisting population and highly efficient support systems. To drive maximum efficiencies he presented Megacity models with extreme densities of 1 million people on a 1 km2 floor plate, called a SuperCluster. In comparison, the average density in downtown Shanghai is approximately 40,000 people per km2. The SuperCluster achieves extreme densities by stacking land use functions, and using underground, vertical surface area and air rights, thereby increasing the overall useable surface area upto 15x its original 1 km2 floor plate. Robbert called for New Urban Thinking and Criteria driven by new technologies for construction, planning and management and acknowledgement of the unique opportunities this presents to quantum leap and spearhead a nation’s economic development and become a global benchmark. |
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| Repulse Bay Local Tree Planting Participation Event (25/05/10) | 1/6/2010 |
Another significant Local Tree Planting Participation Event was held at Repulse Bay Beach on Hong Kong Island to mark the recent planting of 40 Terminalia boivinii 小葉欖仁 (siu yip lam yan) under CEDD’s Greening Master Plan Contract for Southern District. Representatives of CEDD, ACLA and the contractor Yee Sun Garden, were joined by Southern District Council Member Fergus Fung.
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| GMP C4 Planting Event in Kowloon City | 1/6/2010 |
As part of the Greening Master Plan for Hong Kong, public planting events are organized for the benefit of local communities and stakeholders. This planting event was held at Argyle Street Lane adjacent to Holy Trinity Bradbury Centre in Kowloon City on 15 June 2010. GMP works included removing areas of pavement and replacing with colorful shrubs and trees. This has made a great difference to a grey and inhospitable environment. The planting works are adjacent to a kindergarten and dense residential high rise developments and are located on a busy main road. Before and after photos are attached. Kindergarten children, teachers, District Officials, Local Government and ACLA representatives attended the planting session. The event proved popular and enjoyable. Special comments were made by the public on the great positive difference the GMP had made to their local environment. Similar public planting events are planned for several nearby areas in the near future.
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| ACLA and Hyder presents to Carbon Trust (3/5/10) | 1/5/2010 |
The presentation outlined the Urbanization Trend in China as well as solutions for a Low Carbon future related to two recent projects undertaken in China. The topic was well received and the organizer commented the presentation as being very relevant and fascinating. The presentation reinforces ACLA’s intention to continue to develop strategic partnerships with Government Institutions and Universities globally to research and promote Low Carbon Cities. |
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| GMP C6 Planting Ceremony in Kwun Tong (14/5/10) | 1/5/2010 |
As part of the Greening Master Plan for Hong Kong, public planting events are organized for the benefit of local communities and stakeholders. This planting event was held at Telford Gardens in Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay on 14 May 2010. GMP works included removing large areas of concrete below elevated roads and planting them with colorful shade tolerant shrubs, climbing plants, palms and small trees. This has made a great difference to a grey and inhospitable environment. The planting works stretch for approximately 1km along both sides of a busy dual carriageway. Before and after photos are attached. The local community turned up in large numbers for the event, along with a District Councilor, ACLA site staff and the GMP Contractor. Both young and old joined in and spent approximately one hour planting a Livistona palm, shrubs and groundcovers. Everyone involved commented on the great positive difference the GMP had made to their local environment. Similar public planting events are planned for several nearby areas in the near future.
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| ACLA received special mention for the urban development competition for Nanjing South Station | 1/3/2010 |
ACLA was singled out by the jury for innovation and creativity in their approach for the redevelopment surrounding Nanjing South Station. Nick Chapin, Director in Shanghai stated : “ even though we did not win the competition the jury was genuinely impressed with our approach towards the urban park and plaza’s and integration and connectivity with the urban form. The jury eventually opted for a more conservative approach as the competition winner, but we were definitely seen as creative and forward thinking. Also the close collaboration with Hyder’s transport team resulted in some solid and appropriate traffic and transport solutions.”
The project further enhances ACLA’s Master Planning and Urban Design capability in China in addition to its outstanding reputation for Landscape Architecture. |
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| Tree Planting Ceremony for Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok Greening Master Plan in Kowloon, Hong Kong | 1/2/2010 |
Proceedings began aboard an open-top double-decker bus with our Resident Landscape Architect, Gavin Coates, acting as tour guide. En route from Tsim Sha Tsui, Gavin pointed out the successful greening of the median of Nathan Road, the 128 trees that now adorn the Cherry Street Roundabout, and the median and footpath planting along the Sham Mong, Hoi Fai and Lin Cheung Roads. On arrival at the northern edge of the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter, guests admired the transformation of the formerly derelict roadway into a new waterfront promenade with curvilinear sitting walls and colourful groundcover, shrub and tree planting. The GMP team had taken the opportunity to plant some 40,000 shrubs and groundcovers and 96 trees along the waterfront. Notable among the trees are 10 fine 5-7metre tall native Ficus microcarpa細葉榕 (Chinese Banyan), 1 magnificent 7metre native Ficus superba筆管榕 (Superb Fig), some Grevillea banksii紅花銀樺 (Scarlet Grevillea) and 3 Liriodendron chinensis馬褂木 (Chinese Tulip Tree) a veritable rarity in Hong Kong. Speeches were made by the Director of CEDD Mr. John Chai Sung-veng JP and the Chairman of Yau Tsim Mong District Council Mr Edmond Chung Kong-mo JP. ACLA’s Director Mr. Tomm Van Dyke joined them along with Deputy Secretary of Development Bureau Mrs. Jessie Ting Yip Yin-mei JP, and Yau Tsim Mong District Officer Mrs. Vinki Kwok Song Wing-ki JP, to add the final symbolic spade loads of soil to the base of a splendid Chinese Banyan, marking the formal completion of the Phase 2 GMP contract under which over 5000 trees and 1,200,000 shrubs and groundcover plants have been planted. The GMP site team has now turned its attention to the 7 new contracts for the Remaining Urban Areas in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island which are projected to result in 11,500 trees and 2, 700,000 shrubs and groundcover plants being planted over the next 14 months. |
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| ACLA and Hyder deliver paper and Conduct Master Class Workshop during the Green Buildings China Conference in Shanghai, China 23-24 March 2010 | 1/12/2009 |
Robbert van Nouhuys and Hendrik Rosenthal will deliver both a paper and conduct a Pre-Conference Workshop to business leaders and professionals in Shanghai, China. Robbert explained that within the context of urbanization in China and the rise of megacities there is an urgency to synchronize technology and new design concepts to match it with future needs and demands and the growing desire to developing effective KPIs for sustainable developments. Both ACLA and Hyder have made significant inroads and gained unique experience on significant projects over the past few years. The specific points covered during the workshop are: Urban Planning Principles for Sustainable Cities in China.
Robbert will also be one of the panel members during the conference will share his insights on Super High Rise Clusters and their Sustainability Potential which include:
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| ACLA Hong Kong Greening Master Plan progressing ahead of schedule. | 1/12/2009 |
Pictured is the newly planted Pedder Street roundabout (west portion) in the heart of Hong Kong"s Central District. A previously existing clump of poor quality trees and rather drab groundcover were removed and replaced with a sweeping pattern of multicoloured shrubs and ground covers along with 60 new trees. The pattern is centred on a circle of golden leaved Codiaeum (洒金榕)shrubs that reflect the "Heart of Gold" theme for Central District. Tree species include 3 native camphor trees (樟樹) that will mature to become the dominant features, 3 Cassia fistula (豬腸豆) that will become a fountain of yellow flowers in summer, some Araucaria cunninghamii (南洋杉) (Moreton Bay Pine), Foxtail palms (狐尾椰子), Chinese fan palms (蒲葵) and unusual yellow flowered Bauhinia trees (黃花羊蹄甲). In the foreground 3 topiary Bougainillea (毛寶巾) add a splash of colour along with a floral display area currently occupied by Euphorbia pulcherrima (品紅(聖誕樹)) (Christmas Star).
Gavin also indicated that with the signing of the 4 additional construction contracts earlier this months, Phase 3 of the Hong Kong Greening Master Plan is now commencing on site which will add a further 11,500 trees and 2,690,000 shrubs and groundcovers to the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The total construction cost for all phases will be in the order of HK$250 million.
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| The Implementation of the Hong Kong Greening Master Plan Phase 3 | 1/12/2009 |
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| ACLA and Hyder help create Vietnams largest integrated industrial park and township complex | 1/11/2009 |
ACLA and Hyder’s involvement in the project will ensure that this development’s master plan will be in line with international standards and establishes a flexible framework to accommodate market changes over time and ultimately offers a differentiated product from many other industrial developments. Phuoc Doc Boi Loi is located at the key gateway to neighboring Cambodia and will be positioned to facilitate trade between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries. With investment capital of around USD350m, the development has attracted international investors from a wide range of industries including mechanical equipment manufactures, car assembly, textiles and footwear to relocate to this new integrated industrial park and township complex.
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| ACLA attend the Ningbo Real Estate Exhibition as guest of honour (30/10/2009) | 1/10/2009 |
To the interview movie clip: news.nb.soufun.com/zt/200910/14jzbh.html The interview: news.nb.soufun.com/2009-10-30/2867339.htm |
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| ACLA Wins Major Waterfront Planning and Landscape Competition in Dalian, China | 1/9/2009 |
 ACLA, together with Hyder Consulting, has won the international design competition for the expansion of the new CBD of Dalian, Dalian Xiaoyao Bay, an extensive existing master plan scheme encompassing the reclamation area for one of “the three bays” in Dalian. This was a very intense competition with a strong field of five other international competitors. Subsequently the Government of Dalian has also appointed ACLA to carry out the next stage of the design development. Conceived as a self-sufficient, sustainable development, the 170 hectares master plan will extend from a central green spine, creating a new core for entire CBD. This city will serve a population that is expected to grow from 6.2 million to over 8 million residents and visitors in 2020. The team proposes a new type of territory where city, hills, and water interact in a dynamic and balanced relationship – a new City in the Park. Tomm Van Dyke, ACLA’s Design Director commented: "The idea of having parks in cities, open to everyone to enjoy, is very new in history, only 150 years. For Xiaoyao Bay we wish to take this idea even further. No longer do we have Parks in the City, rather we have the City in the Park. Both are fully integrated and woven into each other. We can be sure of one main point, which is: Parks will evolve and change as the needs of the people in the city change. Future facilities will come and go depending on needs, so parks must be flexible and responsive to people. The parks can be built very simply at first, with complexity inserted over time as needs arise". The Jury complimented the team on the clear approach, the attention to human scale and the considerations for the technical realization. The scheme integrates a range of low to high-density mixed-use park areas connected either by rivers or waterfront access, plus four main park systems within the CBD zone. These take advantage of its strategic location close to major regional centers. To the south the landmark towers will anchor the CBD combining waterfront network with community, cultural and leisure facilities. The overall park and open space system will be multi-seasonal and easy accessible system and neatly frames the CBD development. The construction will be phased over 10 to 15 years. Tomm Van Dyke continued : "We are delighted that the judges share our vision and, along with continued engineering input from Hyder Consulting, and look forward to developing the project throughout the next stage". |
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| ACLA to conduct Workshop on Sustainable Cities in Singapore | 1/7/2009 |
 Sustainable Cities 2009 is designed to address the growing concerns of urbanization & climate change. International authorities, developers, architects and leaders from related industries will gather to discuss key issues and trends, regional legislation and policies, investment opportunities, green technological discoveries associated with developing sustainable cities. Hendrik Rosenthal and Robbert van Nouhuys will be the Workshop Leaders for a post conference workshop at the forum on Sustainable Cities, 17-18 November 2009 in Singapore. Last years workshop had great feedback and attracted a good turn out. This year the 1 day workshop will have the topic ‘Urban Planning Principles for the Tropical Climate’. For more information on the conference go to www.sustainablecitiesasia.com |
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| ACLA win master plan R&D Park in Vietnam | 1/6/2009 |
ACLA through Hyder in Vietnam has been appointed to undertake the master planning of a 300ha R&D Park in Vietnam. The Client brief calls for a sustainable development to international standards to attract multi-national corporations to set up their R&D facilities in Vietnam. Michael Koks and Lan Ahn Thai are leading this initiative from Hanoi. They stated that for developing the master plan it is essential to deliver a quality operating environment that reflects the business needs whilst complying with stringent internationally recognized sustainability standards. In particular : - ensuring the highest level of property and resource security. - promoting business clusters to ensure on site technological and commercial synergy and compatibilities. - flexibility to cater for expansion and market changes over time - using sustainability as a competitive advantage for users The development will retain most of its natural features such as water courses and existing vegetation and further enhances the local ecological and environmental conditions of the site and its surroundings. The key components are the R&D development clusters, special commercial village zones, an extensive open space network, conference/exhibition and business/innovation exchange features as well as incubator labs. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012. |
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| ACLA wins large scale Master Planning Project in China | 1/5/2009 |
 Changliu Priority Zone is a prominent development zone aimed to become the future CBD of Haikou the capital of Hainan island. One of the main challenges of this assignment is to reconfigure the existing land use and enhance the overall development intensity and the overall ‘look and feel’ of the place with a strong identity and to recommend a set of new urban design guidelines. Cynthia Fung ACLA’s Director in Beijing and in charge of the urban design component of the project stated that the integration of the Central Park with the surrounding development areas and cohe- siveness of the public realm are essential criteria. A further challenge is to create an almost seamless transition between public and private space with a strong emphasis on pedestrian convenience. Phyllis Cheung ACLA’s Director in Hong Kong explained that the central greening corridor includes a variety of functions reflecting the surrounding urban form and functions and yet with a clear identity and character. Changliu Priority Zone will be an exquisite mixed-use development with areas designated for commercial and retail, business and tourism, residential, CBD/ financial, research and development. The overall development GFA is 4,157,000 sqm. The public realm and open space includes commercial pedestrian priority zones, greening corridors, internal courtyard linkages, semi-public open space and tourist cycling paths.
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| ACLA wins Hong Luo Lake Resort Development Plan | 1/4/2009 |
ACLA have won the commission for the design of the Hong Luo Lake Resort, a unique 54 hectare resort development that will apply stringent sustainability design criteria using Hyder’s Sustainability Toolkit. The project is situated at the backdrop of Hung ACLA’s Cynthia Fung stated : “Hong Luo Lake Resort is a unique resort development situated at the backdrop of Hung Luo Mountain and facing the theme park “Xiyouji”. Cynthia continued : “Using a stringent sustainable approach, Hung Luo Lake Resort development will create a highly sensitive and exquisite mixed offering of detached homes, townhouses, service apartments, a hotel, a convention centre and various clubhouses all synergistically working together and with the surrounding environment ”. The overall development GFA will include 300,000 m2 for residential use, 50,000 m2 for the hotel and 30,000 for the convention centre. The recreational facilities include an elaborate and ultra-modern indoor, wellness and health spa and a broad range of both active and passive recreation and sports facilities. The overall resort is set in a large botanic park with an exclusive selection of traditional medicinal plant species. The development is planned for 1,450 new residents and visitors and anticipated to open to the public early 2011.
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| Hong Kong Greening Master Plan Nominated for Project of the Year | 1/3/2009 |
The UK based Sustainmagazine for sustainability, business and the built environment has listed Hong Kong Greening Master Plan for Central District as one of the 4 nominees for the International Project of the Year Award. The Award ceremony will be held on 3rd March in London. More info available here: http://www.sustainmagazine.com/pages/awardstext.html under Property and the Built Environment.
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| ACLA Scoops Coveted Sustain Magazine Award | 1/3/2009 |
ACLA, a subsidiary of advisory and design consultancy Hyder Consulting, has won the International Project of the Year category at The Sustain’ Magazine Awards 2009 for developing and implementing Hong Kong’s Greening Master Plan (GMP). The project - which is funded by the Hong Kong government and covers 9,230 hectares of urban centre and a further 8,600 hectares of country parks - is scheduled for completion by 2011 and aims to establish a ‘green continuum’, where a tree or green space will be visible from every point on the island. The judging panel stressed the vital role ACLA is playing on the GMP and singled out its team of experts for this landmark award: “The sheer scale of this undertaking and potential of the project as a catalyst for change sends out a genuine global signal. "ACLA and Hyder Consulting are currently working on some of the world’s most exciting sustainable projects - including water conservation in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, hydrogeological support in rural Australia and flood risk management in the UK. Tomm Van Dyke, founder and director of ACLA said: “Hong Kong is extremely densely populated and its population is supported by equally dense infrastructure. “The Greening Master Plan therefore needs to overcome a host of technical and design obstacles and must win the approval of local communities. By combining our team’s technical, design and people skills, the implementation of the plan is running extremely smoothly - and we are delighted that our hard work has been recognised by this hotly contested award.” Jim McClelland, founder and editor of sustain’ magazine commented: “Given the mainstreaming of the sustainability agenda that we have witnessed since sustain’ was first published ten years ago, the field of competitors in the running for the awards has strengthened enormously both in terms of quantity and quality. “The calibre of the shortlist and standout excellence of the winning entries represent the benchmark for achievement in sustainability, business and the built environment, setting a standard for their peers to match.”
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| Hong Kong Greening Master Plan goes on site (05/02/09) | 1/2/2009 |
.jpg) ACLA has been appointed as the lead consultant to undertake the Greening Master Plan for Hong Kong and According to Gavin Coates, ACLA’s Principal Landscape Architect and Resident Landscape Architect on site, one of the biggest challenges is getting the plant material, especially trees, supplied to a high standard. Ensuring that the trees are well prepared with sufficiently large root balls, and are carefully watered during the planting process is essential to the success of the project. We must constantly keep up the pressure to make sure that the contractor maintains the high quality standards that we and CEDD, our client, are expecting. ‘Having worked for several years on the preparatory studies leading up to the implementation of this project, it is very exciting to see trees and plants actually go into the ground’, says Gavin, ‘It is very satisfying to see that we are making a real impact on improving the street environment of Hong Kong which until now has been sadly lacking’. During the course of the next few months another 3-5 planting contracts will be tendered and eventually approximately 10,000 trees will be planted by the end of the project in 3 years time. |
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| ACLA wins International Urban Design Competition | 1/12/2008 |
.jpg) ACLA was awarded first prize in an international Urban Design competition for an Urban Regeneration Project near Ho Chi Min City. The jury described the submission as technically highly innovative, efficient and enhancing the overall development potential of the site. The project site is one of the oldest Industrial zones of Vietnam, established in 1963 and one of the first areas to be transformed into a mixed use commercial & residential development. The brief called for preservation of the industrial heritage and solutions for waste, traffic and a suitable high-end commercial and residential development. The project concept has been developed by Johannes Spies and Michael Koks. Michael mentioned that the concept is based on using the open space as a framework for future development and a casco in which there is flexibility for changes in land use demand over time. The project takes advantage of the specific site conditions, in particular the edges such as the major through road with associated predominant commercial land use, and the river with adjacent predominant residential land use. The key feature is the central park that has on its peripheries a selection of public amenities and special land uses such as musea, galleries, schools, etc. The project was conceived using an integrated multidisciplinary approach with Hyder provided sustainability and environmental inputs and an initial transport and infrastructure strategy. One of the unique characteristics of the proposal is that the open space ratio is 11 times higher than required by local law (22m2 per resident instead of 2m2), yet still it can provide for the specified target residential population of approximately 57,000 as well as a working population of 57,000. Other features include the use of open space to do wastewater treatment on site, create on site electricity and create public gain for a wider region, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment technologies and extensive use of roofs for public greens and agriculture. Johannes mentioned that the next stage involves a detailed master plan for the entire site including development guidelines and phasing proposal and this win signifies a major landmark that reinforces ACLA capabilities as an expert in the field of sustainable urban design and master planning. |
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| ACLA Wins Another Design Award | 1/11/2008 |
Tomm Van Dyke |
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| ACLA and Hyder conduct Master Class workshop during the Green Building Asia Conference in Singapore 5-7 November 2008 | 1/11/2008 |
Robbert van Nouhuys, Michael Koks of ACLA and Hendrik Rosenthal Hyder’s sustainability expert will conduct a Master Class workshop to business leaders and professionals in Singapore with as topic : Urbanisation and Performance Accreditation. Robbert explained that Cities in Asia are growing at a rate of over 100,000 people a day. In China urbanization is expected to be completed by 2030 and in China alone 350 million people will be added to its urban population. New master planning projects of several hundreds of hectares are being developed to accommodate this enormous growth, not only in China, but also Vietnam, India and other countries in Asia. Simultaneously and contrastingly, the resource, infrastructure, transport and institutional needs this urbanization demands are unprecedented. In order to match and synchronize both needs and demands there is a growing urgency in developing kpi’s for sustainable developments. The current acceptable accreditation systems in place (LEED and BREAAM being the most well-known), all focus on individual buildings only and are often not regional or country specific. Furthermore, as identified during our presentation during the recent “World Architecture Congress” congress in Singapore, with international professionals from the architecture and master-planning field, these existing accreditation systems are not applicable to cover urban development. Hendrik stated that with major developments and unprecedented urban growth in place, we should be looking at the bigger picture, instead of looking at buildings only. In addition to the accreditation for individual buildings and project components, there is a more urgent need for an integrated accreditation system that assesses large-scale projects as a whole, a tool that assesses the overall sustainability and measure performance of a master-planning project in an integrated manner comprising functions such as infrastructure, transport, building, water, open space, institutions, in terms of public and environmental/ecological gain, carbon emissions, resource use and demands, carbon foot print etc. By institutionalizing a country specific practical accreditation tool we can assess the impact and benefits of urban development and put in place new innovated solutions ensuring sustainable development within the rapidly developing urban centres in Asia. Michael mentioned that specific points covered during the workshop are : · Urbanization trend, an overview · consequences of the urbanisation in Asia under current conditions · integrated approach towards sustainable master planning · benefits of performance indicators for large scale developments · report on global progress on accreditation for master planning projects · outline framework of and essential components of urban development and master planning accreditation in Asia. · Recommended action plan and the next step forward. Robbert who will also be one of the panel members during the conference, added that considering the unprecedented acceleration of urbanization and the limited time span in which the urbanization process will take place, time is of the essence and this Master Class could be pivotal. It will also further enhance ACLA and Hyder’s credibility in terms of their expertise as a leading integrated service provider for sustainability.
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| ACLA wins RAK Gateway City Master Plan Validation commission | 1/10/2008 |
According to Kenneth Chan who is leading the project, the Gateway City is a prestigious development based on community living and underscores ACLA’s master plan and capabilities and Client confidence to set new benchmarks. He added that the validation included the review of urban design, engineering and transport components as well as new proposals for land use zoning, sub-division and Public Realm definition. In general the review shall be based on the following criteria: § The objectives of Rakeen’s design brief; § International standards acceptable standards for transport and infrastructure § International standards acceptable standards for quality convention and exhibition centres; § International acceptable standards for sustainable urban design; and quality living environment; This project is important as it will be competing with other key projects in the UAE region. Ultimately Gateway City has the opportunity to become a landmark development for the region that would consistently generate investors’ excitement and a place one desires to live.
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| ACLA/Hyder Associate Sponsor of the Urban Regeneration Summit in Shanghai 3/9/08 | 1/9/2008 |
ACLA and Hyder together with Shui On Land are the key sponsors for this summit organized by the Financial Times. The summit has as subtitle: Designing and Financing Sustainable Futures. Robbert van Nouhuys will be one of the key note speakers and panel member. He stated : ”This summit will bring together 200 key decision-makers, including urban planners, property developers, investors, financiers, environmentalists, architects and regulators, for a landmark dialogue in Shanghai focused on the latest trends and best practice in urban regeneration.” He continued : “This unique conference will examine the pressures facing the world’s cities as they expand and age, and how under-developed areas are being renewed, often through public-private partnerships, to create sustainable living and working environments.” The conference will be held at the EXPO 2010 site in Shanghai on 22 September 2008. For more information visit www.ftconferences.com/urbanregeneration.
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| ACLA/Hyder - Sustainable Design Group initiative | 1/8/2008 |
In response to the rapid urbanization in the region, ACLA, together with global experts from Hyder, has set up a sustainable design group (SDG) to develop local and specific sustainable design solutions. The SDG is initiated and driven by a young and dynamic team comprising of Gavin Coates, Dane Currey, Cynthia Fung, Michael Koks and Hendrik Rosenthal. Michael Koks, who is heading the SDG for planning related initiatives, stated: "Sustainable design is a reaction to the regional urbanization trend, i.e. the rapid growth of economic activity and human population and subsequent depletion of natural resources, damage to ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. The fact is that our growing use of the earth has exceeded the sustainable limits of the earth, importantly because of continually increasing investments in diminishing resources. The way we have set up the SDG is identifying opportunities to reverse this process and incorporate those across disciplines from the onset and throughout the project process". The focus of the SDG is to drive solutions for the increasing complexity of efficiency improvements: - The scale of resource uses is growing and not stabilizing. - Bringing this across the various disciplines within the entire Hyder organization, will create "transformative" technologies and deliver effective and realizable options and solutions. ACLA has pledged a substantial component of every consultancy commission to enhance sustainable design innovation.
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| ACLA appointed as the master planners for Dana Island in UAE | 1/8/2008 |
 ACLA was appointed as the master planners and urban designers to review and enhance the overall development of Dana Island. The project is a reclamation similar to the well known Palm Island development in Dubai. The Client, a leading property development company in Ras Al Khaimah and the real estate development arm of the Ras Al Khaimah Government, has announced its Dhs60bn Dana Island project during its participation at Cityscape Dubai 2008. Kenneth Chan in charge of the project stated that the commission consists of 2 phases, the urban design and master plan stage and the landscape mater plan stage. The island has a large number of resort hotel development, commercial zones, institutional facilities as well as residential zones. He continued, the project is unique as well as vast, it is like a new city reclaimed from the sea. Upon completion Dana Island eventually will provide accommodation for 100,000 residents and a similar number is anticipated for daily visitors. Robbert van Nouhuys mentioned that the critical issue is to convert a potential hostile environment into a resort city destination. This require indepth understanding of the conditions and appropriate urban design practice. Aspects such as climate conditioning, human scale, transportation and infrastructure requirements, development control guidelines, contextual variety and diversity are all pieces of the puzzle that eventually will determine the success of Dana Island. The client was previously involved in the Palm Dubai project and has a good understanding of the project and its critical success factors. Despite the downturn, land sales have been promising and 30% of the sellable plots have been committed already and the final plans have yet to be approved by the Authorities. |
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| ACLAs Robbert van Nouhuys joins Hyder Professional Board | 1/6/2008 |
Robbert van Nouhuys, ACLA’s Director of International Projects has joined Hyder’s Professional Board with immediate effect. Robbert noted that this appointment reflects Hyder’s appreciation of ACLA’s positive global influence on and contribution to enhancing the company’s business and business culture. The Professional Board plays an important role in the strategic positioning of the company as a whole and provides the all important link between professional capability and commercial needs within the organization. The Professional Board meets once every 3 months. Earlier Robbert was also appointed as Hyder’s Global Leader for the Professional Excellence Group for Property Services, overseeing the implementation of key initiatives to further professional abilities and standards in the field of Property Services. |
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| ACLA parent company wins Queens Award for International Trade May 14 | 1/5/2008 |
ACLA’s parent company Hyder has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade in the UK. Queen’s Awards are one of the most prestigious awards for business performance and acknowledge and reward companies who have made outstanding achievement and growth. Since its acquisition, ACLA consistent growth and delivery excellence was one of the key contributors to the success in international trade in which we have delivered a group-wide 66% increase in international sales over the past 3 years. Tim Wade, Hyder’s Chief Executive commented “This Award is a great endorsement of the progress and reflects the truly international nature and profile of our company. This award would not have been possible without the combined efforts of our outstanding people across all our regions. I would like to congratulate and thank you all for your work and commitment which has culminated in this award and I look forward to our continued success”. |
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| Continuous Professional Development Initiatives and Quality Design Solutions | 1/4/2008 |
Representatives from ACLA’s offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong got together earlier this month in Shenzhen to develop a common framework to enhance and develop innovative quality design solutions under the guidance of Barnaby Smith, associate of ACLA in Hong Kong. An on site evaluation exercise was conducted to review design, realization and implementation. This was followed by a seminar to discuss and draw up an action plan to incorporate the findings in future design work. Barnaby stated the exercise was extremely useful promoting integration between the three offices, setting common benchmarks and providing excellent material for innovative ideas in quality design solutions that are extremely applicable to our high profile projects. |
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| ACLA heavily involved in the World Architecture Congress April 14-17 | 1/2/2008 |
ACLA is well represented during this years World Architecture Congress in Singapore. Robbert van Nouhuys will be delivering a paper on ‘Sustainable Urban Design: The Ecological Footprint of a City’, covering topics such as : -Measuring the ecological carrying capacity of a city; - Ensuring sustainable design is integrated in the urban development process; and several case studies relevant to Sustainable design solutions for sustainable living. In addition Robbert will lead the Workshop on Architecture for Sustainable Cities and examines how urban centres can become carbon neutral and how green building techniques can increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. He will also explore the latest in green innovations and the quest to achieve zero energy consumption.
This workshop will include presentations, case studies of international projects and discussion.
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| ACLA has won a major sustainable tourism commission in Vietnam | 1/1/2008 |
ACLA has been appointed to complete the master plan for a 265 ha integrated resort development along the coast in northern Vietnam. The resort development will include 200 luxury homes, a golf course and several luxury resort developments. The project also include educational facilities and upgrading of existing villages fishing harbour and commercial facilities for both local and tourism clientele. The site is undulating with steep cliffs and extensive beach areas. The total project coast line stretches beyond 4 km. Robbert van Nouhuys ACLA Director for International Projects explains : “The growing number of tourism arrivals projected for the next 5 years combined with the increase in GDP over the same period has put a lot of pressure on developers to deliver quality destinations with quality service. This project has a unique potential being able to regenerate and revitalize an entire area well beyond the site boundary and provide quality employment and business opportunities for the local population.” He continued : “ The prominent location and unique site features warrant an ecologically sensitive and sustainable site development approach. This is in line with demand generated by the fastest growing segment in the tourism industry ; eco-tourism. The project is scheduled for completion in 2009-2010.
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| ACLA has won a major resort and tourism commission in Georgia | 1/12/2007 |
ACLA has been commissioned to master plan a 200ha integrated mix use, luxury resort and tourism destination in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Located just outside Tbilisi on the top of a 800m elevated ridgeline, the site overlooks the entire city with 360 degrees view of its surroundings. The project includes high end residential mid rise units, a commercial shopping street, hotel and convention centre, international school and 300 luxury residential villas. The unique sloped site conditions provide both an engineering challenge as well as design opportunities. Dastin Hillery, project coordinator and senior designer on the project commented : the design challenge is to match the site characteristics with a strong urban design statement to really unlock the development potential and essential qualities”.
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| Beijing Park nearing completion | 1/11/2007 |
ACLA has completed the concept and design packaging for the 12ha Another Park in Beijing in record time. The project is now nearing completion and is already well received by the general public. Tomm Van Dyke and Phyllis Cheung, both Directors in ACLA stated, this park has an important function in city of Beijing and ensuring the delivery of it to the highest quality standards was essential. This could only be achieved through close collaboration between the ACLA offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, the Client and the contractors.
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| Major strategic project win in Hong Kong | 1/9/2007 |
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| Window to China, Beijing | 1/4/2007 |
ACLA, along with Hyder Hong Kong and RAD Architects, added value to the entry with strategic advice and concepts for: - Environmental advice and sustainable development strategies, - New planning concepts focused on comprehensive open space systems benefiting the development and surrounding communities, - Enhancement of ‘public gain’ features in the planning, - Planning strategies for flexibility and change over time, - Business community concepts and Clustering Strategies, - Comprehensive transportation and traffic solutions for intense usage. Robbert Van Nouhuys, ACLA Director for International Projects, commented, “Our Client could see immediately the added value and thinking our team brought to their project. This is not only an iconic, striking new development. The planning and design have addressed real world directions for the future that are responsible and fore-sighted. These are major concerns now being faced in China.” ACLA is now in discussions with our Client for the detail planning and design assignment for the project.
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| ACLA Wins Cityscape Architectural Review Master Planning Award for Cairo Future City | 1/3/2007 |
ACLA, the master planning and landscape architecture Company recently acquired by Hyder Consulting, was announced as winner of the Cityscape Dubai Master Planning Award, for Cairo Future City. Earlier this year, ACLA won the Award for Parks and Open Spaces for Dubai Festival City, from the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects. Cityscape Award judges commented “This is an ambitious proposition for a 21st century city outside of Cairo which proposes an environmental section including roof level mesh covering much of the site" The design brief for Cairo Future City demanded the design of a sustainable city for the future which would meet the environmental demands of the present population without compromising future generations. “The simplicity and openness of this brief provided us with the opportunity to create a design which focused on preserving the present environment of Cairo for future generations, rather than developing for short term gain” explained Mona Rizk, Project Co-coordinator, ACLA. The banks of the River Nile are already suffering the effects of urbanisation. So, rather than creating a design which would further damage this region, areas of desert outside of this zone were selected to provide a 3,900 hectare community which could accommodate over 900,000 people. ACLA felt that the major economical, social and environmental concerns of the present and future generations of Egyptians needed to be addressed. The main concept was to create a development that would consist of three self-sustainable satellite cities around Cairo city: Village Zone, Urban Zone and Metropolitan Zone. The Village Zone plan is a dispersed urban area where recreation and open landscape mix with residential. Dwellings range from subterranean and courtyard housing to individual farmhouses in compound walls with a multitude of courts and patios, as well as three-storey Kasbah apartments. The design of the Urban Zone would comprise a mixed residential programme. Commercial and business activities take place on the first levels, while apartment complexes ranging from 4 to 8 storeys with stepped terrace levels continue to the top floor. The urban fabric is compact and dense, allowing the buildings to shade the streets and courtyards. The Metropolitan Zone design represents a global city in the context of the Egyptian desert. The mixed program of office and residential on the top floors, and residential on the lower ones would appeal to a wide audience. Buildings range from 9 to 15 storeys, and the compact fabric with multiple towers on podiums gains strong character from the many wadis that cut through the area. Unique concepts for the design include a super-intelligent multi layered mesh to allow filtering of the sun’s rays. An ecological buffer comprised of a layer of vegetation on terraces between the mesh and the built form of the city, would minimise heat transmissions, and provide a source of oxygen. The terraces would also be connected to the city’s water network to collect the highest possible level of rainwater. Khamsin winds would effectively blow over the horizontal buildings leaving little effect on the city tucked into a gently sloping hillside. Natural wadis would allow penetration of the Northern winds, and also act to divert flood streams, while their fertile grounds would form a base for the development of urban parks. Mona continues “We are delighted to have received this award, which serves to recognise the fact that biggest is not always best, and sustainability and environmental considerations will hopefully bear more weight in the design of future developments.” |
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| ACLA wins the Silver Medal Design Award for Excellence in the Landscape | 1/2/2007 |
“We are very pleased that the HKILA has recognised this excellent project with its highest honour,” notes Tomm Van Dyke, Director of ACLA. “The concepts and design look to the traditions and cultures of China and Beijing to create a new, contemporary expression of landscape perfectly suited to its place and time. It sets a new benchmark for elegant expression in the landscape.” The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects is the governing body of landscape architects in Hong Kong. Its annual awards scheme is the highest honor bestowed upon landscape architecture in Hong Kong.
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ACLA has been named the winner in the invited international competition, Concept Master Plan for Window to China in Beijing. This mixed-use development is positioned as a major centre for trade and commerce for Beijing and China. Spanning some 53 hectares, Conference and Exhibition Facilities, and a B2B Business Park will be supported by office buildings, a 5 star hotel, commercial areas and a Government Services Centre. Over 1,000,000 square metres GFA will be provided when completed.
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We are very pleased to announce that we have been awarded the Silver Medal for Design Excellence from the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects for our Contemporary Chinese Art Garden in Beijing, China. The silver medal is awarded to the best design project, commended by the Jury “for exceptional landscape design quality and excellence”. Set within a new mixed-use project, Fu Hwa Jing Bao Centre, near the Forbidden City in Beijing, the landscape gardens are the focus for the Regent Hotel, Park Plaza Hotel, and Jin Bao Office Tower.