Detailed Report: Eco-Friendly Design and Management of Festival Walk

This report analyzes the eco-friendly design and management of Festival Walk, a shopping mall located in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. The report highlights the positive impacts of its sustainable features, including reduced operational costs through energy-efficient lighting and water-cooled systems. It also examines how the mall minimizes environmental pollution by decreasing carbon dioxide emissions and implementing waste management strategies, such as recycling programs and a food waste digester. Furthermore, the report discusses how Festival Walk raises environmental awareness among citizens through various recycling schemes and public participation initiatives. The analysis concludes that Festival Walk serves as a model for eco-friendly building practices, demonstrating the benefits of renewable energy and sustainable design for creating a more sustainable future for Hong Kong.

Unique eco-building — Festival Walk
At the shopping mall, people can find different types of stores. However, have they
ever paid attention to the shopping mall design? Festival Walk is a seven-storied
shopping mall which is located in Kowloon Tong. The shopping mall was designed by
“Arquitectonica”, a well-known American architectural firm, with “flowing water”,
“canyon” and “glacier” as the design layout concepts. In 2017, Festival Walk received
the Final Platinum certification of BEAM Plus EB for existing buildings in the Hong
Kong Green Building Council(HKGBC). Eco-friendly shopping mall designs of
Festival Walk have three major positive impacts on building design and management,
namely decreasing operational costs, reducing the amount of environmental pollution,
and raising environmental protection awareness among citizens.
First of all, an eco-friendly shopping mall design is effective in reducing operational
costs. In Festival Walk, the glasses over the atrium are transparent. It provides natural
light to the interior of the building. Also, the interior design is dominated by white
light. The light inside the mall is brighter and more natural. Also, Festival Walk used a
new LED AR111 series for main lighting functions. Compared with halogen AR111
lamps, the LED AR111 series saves up to 80% of energy(MEGAMAN, n.d.).
However, it provides the same luminosity. After using LED AR111, energy
consumption dropped by 736000 kWh in a year which means less electricity is used

up. HK-BEAM Society (2007) pointed out “Festival Walk converting the air-cooled
conditioning system to a water-cooled one in 2002 to improve energy efficiency.”
This system has reduced energy consumption by almost 5 million kWh in a year.
Festival Walk reduces a large amount of consumption of electric power. Therefore, it
cuts back on spending every year.
Secondly, an eco-friendly mall design can reduce the amount of environmental
pollution. Operating a shopping mall consumes a lot of energy. Using LED AR111
series, Festival Walk carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 515 tons in a year
(MEGAMAN, n.d.). Hong Kong Green Building Council(2017) mentioned, “Festival
Walk is the first mall to direct thermal energy from the melting of ice from Festival
Walk’s Glacier ice skating rink for air conditioning purposes of its office units.” This
design can save 43,827kWh of energy annually. Carbon dioxide is one of the
greenhouse gases. It is produced when electricity is used. And it causes air pollution
and global warming. Also, the mall switches off lighting from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Then
the mall can avoid light pollution caused by excessive use of lighting systems.
Generally, when the amount of energy consumption decreases, it can be less emission
reduction and less pollution.

Thirdly, eco-friendly shopping mall management in Hong Kong is raising
environmental protection awareness among citizens. Festival Walk implements
multiple measures to protect the environment, for example, waste management,
recycling activities, and its operations. Swire Properties Limited(2010) referred to
Festival walk organized recycling schemes to enable citizens and tenants to reduce
wastes. Festival Walk set up a food waste digester for the food court to turn food
waste into carbon dioxide and water. This machine reduced 95% landfill waste
effectively(HKGBC,2017). Also, tenants can recycle their electronic wastes. Apart
from this, Festival Walk has set up recycling bins for the public to participate in
activities, such as the plastic bottle recycling scheme ‘Tap, Return, Earn’ (World
Green Organization, Octopus, Coca-Cola, 2019) that started in September 2019 until
now. Those recycling measures can promote environmental awareness and inspire
citizens' support and participation.
In conclusion, Festival Walk is an eco-friendly building in Hong Kong. The designs of
Festival Walk have three major positive impacts: namely decreasing operational costs,
reducing environmental pollution, and raising environmental protection awareness.
Because of the advantages of eco-friendly design and management, they help Hong
Kong create a sustainable future. Using more renewable energy and a more natural-

friendly design to operate the shopping mall is an advisable option. (636 words)