HKUST(GZ)

HKUST(GZ) is an iconic, innovative campus that combines the university’s programmatic aspirations with the site’s natural beauty and urban context, all the while targeting carbon neutrality and zero water waste.

Located in Nansha, Guangzhou, the master plan will materialize over two phases to accommodate more than 10,000 students and faculty and a full range of university facilities: spaces for housing, teaching and research, athletics, performing arts, and amenities. These specialized facilities converge around a dynamic, central space to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and engender a strong community. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) provides an inspirational environment for students, faculty, and staff to live, work, and study, establishing a world-leading standard in higher education for future generations and campuses across China.

The campus features exemplary sustainability and resiliency measures, attuned to the site within the rapidly developing, coastal region of mainland China and an area of the world that will witness some of the greatest climate change impact. Three canals will embrace the delta and enforce its “zero water waste” goal, collecting and filtering rainwater for reuse and promoting resiliency through flooding and wetland protection. Both the main outdoor collaboration areas and the buildings themselves incorporate a combination of active and passive thermal comfort strategies to guarantee the well-being and enjoyment of occupants within the humid micro-climate of the site. Within the canals’ borders, the campus will be free of emissions, in which a smart electric mobility network will support all transportation of resources and people.

Learn more about each HKUST(GZ) component, including the Academic and Research Hub, Administration Building, Athletic Village, Energy Plant, Library, North Faculty Housing, High Street Housing, and University Activity Center.

A Cutting-Edge Sustainable Campus

Low Energy, Long Term

Campus-wide electrification is a signature feature of the project. By using only electrical systems, such as heat pumps, for all mechanical services in each of the more than 50 buildings on campus, KPF prevented the installation of new fossil fuel infrastructure and cut day-one emissions in half, enabling HKUST(GZ) to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Integrated Low-Carbon Energy System

The HKUST(GZ) campus is designed for decarbonization by 2060 in line with China’s national policy.

Cooling Loop

Campus-wide cooling systems achieve operational efficiency.

Heating Loop

An integrated heating loop recovers waste heat from data centers.

Photovoltaic Array

The entire campus is designed to accommodate a utility-scale rooftop solar array that will meet up to 7% of campus energy needs.

Smart Building Management

A centrally managed smart building system optimizes campus operations.

Resilience

The campus is located on the coast, downstream from an area slated for future urbanization, and features three existing canals, making flood resilience a paramount concern. The team raised essential laboratory buildings and the power plant above grade to ensure their continuous operation even in a 200-year flood event. Other buildings, such as dormitories and amenities, feature a flood-resilient ground floor designed to survive occasional inundation. Landscaping techniques such as rain gardens and bioswales account for over 50% of all planted surfaces, retaining all of the campus’s stormwater onsite and helping to filter runoff from upstream development.

A Complete Campus

Designed on an accelerated timeline, the 267-acre research campus of HKUST(GZ) is a complete university with academic buildings, labs, residences, administration buildings, an athletic complex, and more. Learn more about each HKUST(GZ) component, including the Academic and Research Hub, Administration Building, Athletic Village, Energy Plant, Library, North Faculty Housing, High Street Housing, and University Activity Center.

Academic and Research Hub

Located at the heart of the campus, the Academic and Research Hub links the entry plaza to the library, as well as the eight laboratory wings through a design that integrates teaching and research activities with ample amenities.

Administration Building

Overlooking the entry court and its central firebird sculpture, the Administration Building marks the arrival to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), forming a gateway to the research campus.

North Faculty Housing

The North Faculty Housing achieves three design priorities through an organic layout that relates to the curvilinear canal: building neighborhoods, opening the ground plane, and creating a user-friendly and sustainable roof deck.

Athletic Village

Promoting a lifelong commitment to health and wellness, the Athletic Village encourages wellness and community through its sports and fitness facilities open to students, faculty, and families.

Energy Plant

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) Energy Center focuses on performance and flexibility, reducing the campus reliance on outside energy supply, increasing resilience, and enabling advanced operation controls using real-time energy data.

Library

Connecting east and west campus by traversing the canal, the library serves as the focal point for the central hub through its elegant architectural expression.

High Street Housing

Lined with highly transparent cafes, shops, and public amenities, High Street creates a vibrant campus edge and provides a gathering area for faculty and post-graduate and Ph.D. students that live in the residential neighborhood.

University Activity Center

Linking the central campus and the residential High Street, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)’s University Activity Center (UAC) is characterized by its green roof and fluid form.