Richards Basmajian

09/04/2025

PCFB

The Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board (PCFB), a Hong Kong statutory body, provides a platform for compensation, rehabilitation, and prevention of pneumoconiosis and mesothelioma, aiming to improve the well-being of patients, the workforce in related industries, and society as a whole.

Pneumoconiosis

is fibrosis of the lungs due to dust of free silica or dust containing free silica, whether or not such disease is accompanied by tuberculosis of the lungs, or any other disease of the pulmonary or respiratory organs caused by exposure to such dust;

or

fibrosis of the lungs due to dust of asbestosis or dust containing asbestos, whether or not such disease is accompanied by tuberculosis of the lungs, or any other disease caused by exposure to such dust

Mesothelioma
is a primary malignant neoplasm of the mesothelial tissue due to dust of asbestos or dust containing asbestos, whether or not such disease is accompanied by tuberculosis of the lungs or by any other disease caused by exposure to such dust

To emphasise the organisation’s accessibility to the public, their new reception area was designed to be very open and welcoming, including "door free" access since some visitors arrive in wheelchairs.

Targeted to achieve a Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) Beam Plus - Platinum Rating, the new office includes the following features, in addition to the use of low VOC construction materials and the re-use of PCFB furniture and base building ceiling tiles:

* LED lighting
* Fan coil units with timer controls
* Water saving faucets
* Energy star electrical appliances
* Dedicated recycling bins
* Smart meters to monitor energy use
* Height adjustable work-desks
* Ceiling fans
* IAQ sensors
* Green walls and interior planting

The PCFB encouraged the design of a spacious café to ensure staff well-being during working hours and to provide a relaxing environment for meetings with patients, business partners and vendors. The deliberate use of many different materials, textures and colours energises the atmosphere and suggests an optimistic future for visiting patients.

One corner of the building’s floor-plate closely resembles the shape of the PCFB 45th Anniversary logo – itself approximating human lungs - and became the obvious location for the Conference Room, where board meetings and tender interviews are held.

28/01/2025

13/09/2024

Dah Sing Bank - Chong Yip Street

Our second project for Dah Sing Bank, the Happy Valley Branch, was finished last year - and the third, on Chong Yip Street in Kwun Tong, recently celebrated its Grand Opening and is pictured here.

Although slightly larger, at 3,730 net square feet, than the main branch on Des Voeux Road, there is only one narrow frontage on Chong Yip Street. The space becomes wider as it extends through the block, however, and was easily able to accommodate a much larger SME Centre than in Central, in recognition of Kwun Tong's rising status as Hong Kong's CBD2.

Additionally, there is space for five tellers, Customer Service Officers, Meeting Rooms and a VIP Zone.

As with all branches, a similar palette of materials has been used to define the Banking Hall and the High Net Worth areas. There are some new twists in the use of wall sconces and, strikingly, in ceiling light fixtures and wall-mounted moss tile features - both of which make reference to the Dah Sing Bank logo of the character 大 defined by the colourful rectangles with round ends, above and below.

As with all Dah Sing Bank branches, environmentally friendly materials that have been recycled, are recyclable - or both - have been used wherever possible throughout the new premises.

16/08/2024

Prudential - Airside

The new Prudential Airside office at Kai Tak occupies a single floor of 40,000 square feet, and was fitted out on a fast-track Design + Build basis in early 2024.

The two major business components that make up the premises are an Agency Office for up to 500 staff, and the Front-of-House, comprising:

- A 300-seat Auditorium
- PRUVenture - for recruiting new talent
- Training Rooms
- The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Centre

This latter space is reserved for those Prudential agents who have successfully sold the most valuable policies - and for their clients - and all of the areas noted above are pictured here.

The overall feel of the new space is deliberately youthful, organic and garden-like. There are almost no straight lines in the public areas, rather, there are many references to picturesque landscapes, forests and the natural world - even the connections between spaces are made through arches rather than rectangular openings in the partitions and walls.

Wherever possible, timber or timber-grained materials have been used, wall-coverings and colours are fresh, and carpet patterns evoke paths crossing over one another, signifying the "paths not taken".

The project integrated ESG principles by utilising recycled, recyclable or otherwise sustainable materials throughout. An excellent example of this is in the PRUVenture space, where we partnered with HK Timber Bank to create a feature wall / map of Kowloon City with wood sourced solely from trees felled by typhoons. This established a prominent, IG-worthy photo backdrop that simultaneously draws attention to the significance of environmental conservation and helps raise public awareness of ecological issues.



www.rb.com.hk

18/07/2024

Shaw Creative Hub in Action

In our 2022|Q2 Newsletter, we introduced the Shaw Creative Hub, an incubation environment for film industry start-ups within the Shaw Brothers Studios in East Kowloon. Designed to provide space, support and backup technical facilities, the Hub gives inspiration to the next generation of film-makers in Hong Kong.

Two years on and we look at how students and aspiring writers, directors, production teams and actors make full use of the available space and resources.

See more: https://rb.com.hk/portfolio-item/shaw-creative-hub/

28/06/2024

Office Pin Up

Last week we held one of our regular Pin Ups so the entire staff could see what each of the other teams has been doing, what has been built and what's still on the boards - in progress. Food and beverages were brought in and it was "pencils down" at 5:00 on Friday. These few photos will give you a better idea of the event.

26/06/2024

Dah Sing Bank - Central

In the redesign of the Dah Sing Bank Central Branch, we sought to create a welcoming pavilion to stand out at the busy intersection of Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road.

It was essential to provide a warm and convivial atmosphere for customers, and to link together six banking zones in a fluid, continuous manner – as opposed to the previous hub + spoke arrangement:

• Interactive Zone
• Customer Service
• General Banking
• VIP Banking
• SME Banking
• ATM Zone

Both interactive and sit-down teller counters are provided for wheelchair users or elderly, and the Bank continues to make use of the handy lay-by on Pedder Street where VIP customers can be dropped off and picked up near the existing side entry.

Barrier Free Access (BFA) is provided for wheelchair users at the north side of Worldwide House, from where customers can reach both the ATM zone and SME entrance.

The Grand Opening was held on 19 September 2023.

www.rb.com.hk

21/03/2024

A team from Wales (more or less) met a team from Armenia (more less than more) up at the Cricket Club at Wong Nei Chung Gap on the 15th of March to battle with willow and leather. This match, played once a year, brought these two giants of cricket face to face for the 18th time. On this occasion, the Homer of Hong Kong, John Dainton, was at hand to put this epic encounter to verse. So...read on...

08/11/2023

Caine Hill Clubhouse

The Clubhouse at Caine Hill sits on the podium roof, with the residential tower immediately above. The facilities are arranged in three groupings: There is a fully enclosed indoor space; a covered section open at the sides and an outdoor space open o the skies.

The indoor spaces are mainly physical activity areas with a concentional gym, a yoga/Pilates studio and a climbing system of ropes and suspended benches.

A function room and open kitchen sit within the gazebo, also enclosed, that opens out onto the garden areas with a horizontal pivoting garage style door.

The covered areas are furnished with outdoor furniture and two co-working booths. The floor is in marine deck wood finish with planting areas for low shrubs.

The uncovered areas have a lounge area and an al fresco dining area with barbecue grill. The vertical wall flanking the neighbouring buildings is finished with a living wall in a rich variety of colour.

See more: https://rb.com.hk/lifestyle/

23/03/2023

WHITE & CASE

The new White & Case premises on 9F, 10F and 16F York House is a somewhat radical design departure from many of our other recent projects.

The reception area at the highest floor, in particular, is somewhat retro. It is modeled on an ancient Chinese temple – the vertical space limited only by the available floor-to-floor height and MEP services above the ceiling.

A number of contemporary artworks are on display here, including a Wu Guanzhong lithograph and a bespoke, six-panel landscape by Chen Ying Jie, as well as a striking Ren Zhe sculpture that greets clients and visitors with an open scroll, signifying the Legal Profession.

Paneled ceiling and concealed lighting details from the conference and meeting rooms, and Café, at the Front-of-House have been repeated at the 9F and 10F Practice Floors, in the lounges adjacent to each entry. This helped to unify the design of the new office across all three floors.

Read more: https://rb.com.hk/portfolio-item/white-case/

21/03/2023

Davis Polk & Wardwell

Having expanded to occupy almost four full floors of The Hong Kong Club Building over a period of years, Davis Polk & Wardwell required a major upgrade to their 34,000 square foot premises by late 2021.

The practice floors at Levels 17-19 were renovated, in phases, and the Client Suite – which previously occupied most, but not all, of the 8th Floor – was moved up two floors, to Level 10.

The project was carried out on a Design / Build basis over a period of twelve months – completing at end September 2022. In the process, fee-earners were provided with high-acoustic attenuation partitions to the corridors and, especially, between their offices; adjustable height desks; improved air conditioning and lighting; and on-floor cafes.

A flexible, generously proportioned multi-purpose space was also added for staff training, seminars, Town Halls and other corporate events. Located between the boardroom and reception area, it can be divided down the centre into two separate rooms, with a movable partition.

The lounge features a coffee bar with barista service and is available to the entire staff for lunch get-togethers and short breaks as well as for internal training, Town Halls and other firm-wide events.

The full size of the media wall, supplied and installed by Komstadt Systems, is visible in the view below. Composed of 200 rectangular modules, each one 150 x 338 mm, the overall dimension of the screen is nearly 1.7 meters high by 6.0 meters wide.

More: https://rb.com.hk/portfolio-item/davis-polk-wardwell/