Meeting with Qianhai Authority
Members may remember that the BSD has been keeping a close eye on the development of Qianhai (前海) in Shenzhen and the opportunities for expanding the professional services of building surveyors in this new development area. Representatives of the BSD council, Nathan Lee, Edgar Li, and I, visited Qianhai Authority on 6 September 2012 to obtain updates on the progress of Qianhai’s development and to offer their expertise to its Human Resources Division (人力資源處). Following our visit, the Human Resources Division(人力資源處formally visited the HKIS on 27 September to meet with representatives of all the HKIS’s divisions with a view to getting a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the professional expertise of HKIS members in relation to Qianhai’s development. This was an important and successful meeting that laid a foundation for further cooperation between Qianhai Authority and the HKIS, in particular by introducing the surveying profession to Qianhai.
Along with the further dialogue between Qianhai Authority and the HKIS, the BSD will explore and develop actual career and job opportunities for its members forthwith.
Members may wish to visit the website of Qianhai Authority (http://www.szqh.gov.cn/ ) to learn more about the details of the development.
Press Conference on 4 October 2012 on MBIS
In order to promote our professional expertise on building inspection, maintenance, and repairs, as well as to help the public become more aware of the recently implemented MBIS/MWIS, we held a press conference on 4 October 2012 to explain the details and requirements of MBIS/MWIS to the media. During the press conference, we elaborated on the preparations building owners may need to take in response to MBIS/MWIS. We also published the MBIS inspection and repair services professional fee scale reference, as well as the general repair cost reference of ageing buildings for the reference of building owners in general.
The press conference attracted much attention from the media and the public, with eight newspapers and five electronic media outlets joining the conference and following it up with a widespread report on the issue. The full version of the press release in Chinese can be downloaded from the HKIS website at http://www.hkis.org.hk/ufiles/20121004_bsd_fee_scale.pdf .
MBIS Inspection Fee Scale Reference
In order to assist the public and building owners to budget their funds for a professional quality building inspection and the management of repair works by appropriate building professionals, the BSD has released a reference fee scale for professional surveyors who undertake the relevant services. We expect the fee scale to help the public gauge and compare the fee proposals prepared by different professionals or service providers in the market so that owners can select their providers wisely. We have made it clear to the media and the public that the fee scale is not mandatory, and building owners should still need to judge and compare the fees and services of different consultants with comprehensive perspectives based on the circumstances of each building.
Repair Cost Research
A study on the cost level of typical repair works for ageing buildings was recently completed by the BSD in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The study aims to establish an information system for common building repairs in Hong Kong. We hope it can give layman owners and Incorporated Owners a rough indication of the cost range for repairing and maintaining their buildings. The research results were released to the public via the media on 4 October, and a summary of the research findings is available for members’ reference at the BSD webpage (http://www.hkis.org.hk/hkis/general/bsd/BuildingMainCostDataFINAL_e.pdf ). The key findings are summaried on the right.
Encourage more BS to apply for RI registration
Further to our series of events on MBIS held this month, I fully believe that the general public desires quality services from professional building surveyors. In this regard, I would like to lodge my further appeal to our surveyors to register as Registered Inspectors (RIs). It is a unique opportunity for us to develop and cultivate a proper building maintenance and repair culture in Hong Kong.
MBIS/MWIS Workshop on 14 October 2012
In line with the public promotion exercise launched by the BSD in June 2012, a workshop for owners of ageing buildings was held by the BSD on 14 October 2012 at Caritas Community Hall to help them understand the details and requirements of MBIS/MWIS and prepare them to engage professionals on how to handle the inspection and repair works. Owners’ representatives of over 70 buildings in the Kowloon City, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, and Tsim Sha Tsui districts joined the workshop and shared their concerns and raised questions over MBIS/MWIS. They also undertook a thorough reading of the information boards prepared by our young building surveyors. We set up consultation booths and invited several experienced building surveyors, including David Chan, Edwin Tang, Kenneth Yun, Andrew Kung, and Kenny Tse, to provide professional advice on the subject to the participants after Edwin Tang and I delivered the talks.
Questionnaire surveys to the invited owners were also conducted to understand their awareness of MBIS/MWIS. The survey revealed that not many owners were sufficiently acquainted with their duties and liabilities under the schemes. A summary of the survey findings can be found below.
The workshop was a successful and meaningful event in that not only did it provide assistance to building owners, but it also boosted the public image of building surveyors. I hereby thank the event organizing team led by our council member, Peter S K Wong, for its hard work. We hope to arrange another round of workshops on Hong Kong Island in the near future.
Update on Green Building issues
The Professional Green Building Council – Green Building Award 2012
Subsequent to the award presentation ceremony held in early June 2012, the organizing committee arranged a review session in September to summarize the lessons learnt and to prepare proposals for the next organizing committee’s consideration. The next Green Building Award will be held in 2014. Members are encouraged to closely monitor their projects and be prepared to join the award ceremony.
The Hong Kong Green Building Council – Green Labelling Committee
Until mid-September, 253 projects had completed the registration procedure for the BEAM Plus Assessment.
Subsequent to the release of BEAM Plus Version 1.2 for New Buildings and Existing Buildings in July, the Hong Kong Green Building Council is going to farm out BEAM Plus Interiors to cover fitting-out and interior projects. Two Stakeholders Engagement Workshops were held in mid-October before the finalization of this new manual. Representatives from the BSD participated in these workshops.
Building Surveyors Conference 2012
The Building Surveyors Conference, which is one of the most important annual events organized by the BSD, was successfully held on 20 October at the JW Marriot Hotel. This year’s conference, titled “Readiness for Tomorrow” was attended by over 250 members and guests.
This is the 26th year that the conference has been held, and we have conducted it annually without any discontinuity since we first organized it in 1987. The main objective of our conference is to provide a platform for knowledge and experience-sharing so that we can learn from those inspiring presentations conducted by our distinguished speakers. We can also visit exhibition booths set up by material suppliers or service providers and meet friends, ex-colleagues, and old classmates to update each other on our current situations. This year, the theme of “Readiness for Tomorrow” was particularly apt for our mission. Apart from observing the upcoming challenges and opportunities in Hong Kong and Mainland China, our Conference shed light on how we should nurture our successors and equip them for the challenging “tomorrow”.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all speakers, moderators, guests, sponsors, the Organizing Committee, and helpers for their invaluable time and efforts in making this conference fruitful and meaningful.
CPD Updates
Site Visit to Hong Kong’s Revitalization Projects - Lui Seng Chun and the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre.
With the kind arrangement of Mr L C Lam of Hong Kong Baptist University, we made a site visit to Lui Seng Chun and Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre on 29 September 2012. The revitalization projects brought out some touching stories behind these old buildings. The projects are good practical examples showing the creativity in overcoming the restriction in converting historical buildings to meet the requirements of the users and building controls. The revatilisation of the old
industrial building at Shek Kip Mei into Jokey Club Creative Arts Centre would further generate the creative power of the society.
BSD Scholarship for Secondary School Students
Further to the report in the last issue, we have received 16 nominations for this scholarship and plan to assess these entries in mid-November, after which we will shortlist candidates by conducting interviews in mid-December. The results should be released by the end of December. Shortly after the release of results, we will arrange for the Award Presentation by the end of January 2013.
