Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

HKUST Guangzhou

HKUST 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. HKUST 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.

A team of over 70 architects and planners across KPF offices in New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well as many consultants demonstrated incredible dexterity and collaboration to design and deliver a project of this scale on an accelerated schedule.

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

Watch a ‘Behind the Design’ video walkthrough of the campus here.

Location

Guangzhou, China

Client

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Type

Education, Planning + Urban Design, Public Realm, Research + Healthcare

Size

1,082,000 m2 / 11,650,000 ft2

Awards

Best Infrastructure, Community, and Civic Project – Gold (MIPIM Asia Awards 2023) Merit Award – Urban Design (AIA Hong Kong Design Awards 2023), Schools and Universities (American Architecture Awards 2023), Green GOOD DESIGN Sustainability Awards (2023), Best Cultural, Sports, and Education Project (MIPIM 2023), Social Public Project – Gold (CRED Awards 2023)

Carbon Emissions Cut From Day One

54%

Expected to Reach Net Zero by

2060

Hours of Outdoor Comfort Extended

30%

Amount of Site Covered by Water-Retentive Landscaping

50%

Hot Water Needs Met Through Heat Recovery

90%

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Project Type:Education
Project Location:Asia Pacific