We are proud to announce that the District Court at Caroline Hill Road has won the Grand Award in the Hong Kong openBIM/openGIS Awards 2024! Farrells’ Director Rachel Chow and Project Director Crystal Cheung attended the award ceremony held on 18 June.

Commissioned by the Architectural Services Department, Farrells, as the architectural designer, is collaborating with the design and build contractor Hip Hing Engineering Company Ltd., to deliver the new District Court Building (DCB) relocated from Wan Chai to Causeway Bay.

The project well demonstrated the benefits of an “open” approach, which facilitates better connections between people, processes, and technology. The use of BIM collaboration tools and open formats led to improved collaborative synergy with the neighbouring ongoing project and enhanced MiC coordination efficiency. Additionally, integrating ArcGIS with proprietary platforms provided a clearer understanding of on-site activities and enabled better, data-driven decisions. The interoperable format also facilitated cross-platform simulations that contributed to sustainable and community-friendly design. As a result, the project has achieved an HKGBC BEAM Plus Provisional Platinum rating, aiming to become a model of green civic architecture in Hong Kong.

The new DCB will also accommodate the relocated Family Court and the Lands Tribunal, with 70 courtrooms in total and a net operational floor area of around 30,160 m² – about 80% larger than the current space for the three courts combined. With convenient public transport access for various court users, the new DCB will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and a human-centric design that balances functionality and aesthetics to meet future court service needs and promote innovative initiatives. Construction is expected to be completed in 2026.

Farrells has always been at the forefront of integrating advanced building technologies into various projects across different markets. We are dedicated to embracing and leveraging transformative advancements to propel the built industry into a new era.

Organised by HKABAEIMA and the Hong Kong Chapter of buildingSMART International, the Hong Kong openBIM/openGIS Awards aims to honour the best practices in demonstrations and innovations of openBIM/openGIS in project delivery, lifecycle asset management and research in the built asset industry.