New student accommodation at HKUST slated to reduce traffic congestion in Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay

^{The new Zaha Hadid-designed HKUST student residence Photo: HKUST}

The opening of new student accommodation at Hong University of Science and Technology will yield local community benefits by allowing all freshmen to live on campus, which is projected to significantly ease commuter traffic congestion in the surrounding Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O districts, a university spokesperson stated at the official opening of the project yesterday (11/5).

HKUST received a donation of over HK$203 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust to build the “Jockey Club Innovation Student Village” on its Clear Water Bay campus. The project aims to provide students with a high-quality accommodation environment that integrates living and learning, enriching their personal development and learning experience. It also aims to enhance the international atmosphere of the campus, promote diverse exchanges within the student community, and support Hong Kong’s long-term goal of developing into an international education hub, in line with the “Study in Hong Kong” brand promotion.

The Jockey Club Innovation Student Village comprises four student residence towers, providing 1,551 places for both local and non-local undergraduate students. Built into the hillside, the residences are cleverly integrated into a steep slope with a 25-metre elevation difference. Rooftop walkways and shaded outdoor spaces provide students and staff with places to relax and socialize, fostering interaction and strengthening the cross-campus cultural atmosphere. The rooftop walkways also create new connections between the academic areas of the northern campus and the main southern residence areas, eliminating the need for students and staff to traverse the hillside.

The dormitories are arranged in a hexagonal layout, forming four terraces on a steep slope. The approximately 35,500 square metres of dormitory facilities encompass diverse shared spaces for living, studying, entertainment, and leisure, with all rooms facing open views. The courtyard is designed as a tranquil resting space; the surrounding hillsides will be reforested to prevent soil erosion and planned as activity areas for both sports and socializing. The dormitories are divided into three different types of groups, consisting of varying numbers of single or double rooms, each apartment accommodating 18 to 36 students, forming a relatively independent “home” to foster a sense of belonging and increase cohesion. The Y-shaped apartments include a study area, lounge, and kitchen, accommodating 27 students; the V-shaped apartments are split-level apartments, accommodating 36 students, with two floors of shared living space, and a communal staircase connecting the quieter upper-level study area to the lower-level dining and kitchen area; the linear apartments accommodate 18 students, featuring an open-plan living space with a kitchen, and can be further subdivided as needed.

The dormitory’s environmental protection system operates in conjunction with the university’s central network, combining a freshwater central cooler with a district cooling system to significantly reduce energy consumption. The central intelligent system can predict and balance the daytime energy needs of academic buildings and the night-time energy needs of residential facilities. As an important loop route on campus, the dormitory roofs are equipped with highly efficient thermal and sound insulation; unused roof areas are also fitted with solar panels to collect renewable energy, aligning with the university’s vision of making Clearwater Bay Campus a carbon-neutral campus.