Sustainable Environmental Design graduate Allen Kwun Pui Lai has been awarded second place in the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s 2020 Design Competition for his MArch dissertation project. The project, titled ‘Breathable Density’ came second in the 9th annual iteration of the design competition, which had 250 entries.

Allen’s work focuses on Hong Kong, where population growth and urban densification have undermined the potential of natural ventilation as a passive solution to the uncomfortable climate. ‘As Hong Kong gets hotter each year, urban inhabitants rely more and more on mechanical cooling to stay in comfort. Therefore, a new approach is needed to create more open and breathable habitats that not only benefit occupants, but also the urban environment in the future.’

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