The Institute takes great honour and pleasure to announce that Prof. Patrick Lau Sau Shing is awarded with the HKIA Gold Medal 2021. The Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony will take place at the First Quarterly General Meeting scheduled for 10 March 2022, 7:00pm.
Jury statement from the 7-member Jury Panel
Prof. Lau has led the profession with all-rounded contribution which is instrumental to the advancement of the profession and even the society. He is the first-ever architect in Hong Kong as an outstanding practitioner, educator, and LEGCO member advocating architecture in parallel with sustained success at the same time.
Prof. Lau is an outstanding architect displaying profound knowledge and professional excellence. He designed a series of award-winning campuses and social facilities which demonstrated his design philosophy, placing emphasis in harmonizing climate, geography and community needs in building designs, and laying the foundation of adopting sustainability, cultural heritage, user-oriented considerations, etc.. His projects and talents are greatly renowned in both local and international arenas.
Prof. Lau is devoted to nurturing new generation over the years. He is an inspiring educator earning solid reputation from generations of students of architectural school/department of The University of Hong Kong, for his generous sharing of architectural knowledge, as well as his insightful guidance on students’ planning for architecture as a life-time career. His retirement does not stop him from passing his valuable wisdom to others, and he always finds ways in different capacities to inspire the young ones and support them to pursue their dreams.
Prof. Lau is well-known for being pioneer of heritage conservation, green architecture and bringing architecture to community. His effort in 1970s to research on rural villages in the New Territories urged the setting up of Antiquities Advisory Board, which is an important organization for heritage conservation in Hong Kong. During his HKIA Presidency in 2001-2002, he initiated the establishment of Professional Green Building Council (PGBC) by 5 allied professional institutes to promote green architecture in Hong Kong. Prof. Lau also saw the importance to introduce architecture to the general public for appreciation, thus founded the Hong Kong Architecture Centre in 2005, which organizes various activities including study trips, workshops, exhibitions to bring architecture closer to the community. During 2004-2012, Prof. Lau represented the functional constituency of Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape as a member of the Legislative Council. During his tenure, he voiced out for the professions and addressed grievance for betterment of the professions. He also contributed in multiple organizations on various public affairs, such as serving as Member of the HKSAR Working Group on Reunification Monument and Government Housing Renaming, Member of the Town Planning Board, Member of the Architects Registration Board, Member of the Hong Kong Housing Authority as well as Chairman of its Tender Committee, Member of its Strategic Planning Committee and its Building Committee, and HKIA Representative to serve the Appeal Tribunal Panel (Buildings), etc.. All of his services and professional assistance outreached to all stakeholders of the community with resounding success.
We take this opportunity to thank the Gold Medal Organising Committee and Jury Panel, as listed below
Jurors
Mr. Donald Choi, HKIA President
Mr. James Kinoshita, HKIA Gold Medal 2020 recipient
Ms. Ada Fung, HKIA Past President
Mr. Benny Chan, Architects Registration Board Chairman
Ms. Winnie Ho, Director of Architectural Services
Prof. Edward Ng, Yao Ling Sun Professor of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Prof. Eric Yim, Hong Kong Design Centre Chairman
Organising Committee
Mr. Thomas Cheung, Vice President, Organising Committee Chair
Mrs. Sylvia Lam, HKIA Fellow
Ms. Corrin Chan, HKIA Member
Mr. Billy Chan, Board of External Affairs Chair
Mr. Derek Lau, Board of Internal Affairs Chair
