Sustainable refurbishment solutions for high-rise residential buildings in subtropical areas

Building maintenance and refurbishment has become a particular concern in developed economies, as there are many old buildings in urban areas. While various refurbishment methods have been developed for the purpose of sustainable development, these refurbishment approaches are designed for specific climatic condition and building characteristic. Until now, there is not much suggestion on which sustainable refurbishment methods are more suitable for subtropical areas like Hong Kong. This paper aims to bridge this gap by developing a set of sustainable refurbishment methods applicable to high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. The research begins by a comprehensive literature review of the existing sustainable refurbishment methods. The results of literature review form the basis of a preliminary screening according to the local climate and buildings feature. Interviews with experienced industry experts are conducted in order to confirm the applicability of the proposed methods. Through the above studies, a list of sustainable refurbishment methods for subtropical regions as well as a set of principles for selecting refurbishment methods are identified. The results of this study should help owners and design team members identify sustainable refurbishment to maximise the chance of success.