PREMIUM SERVICES AND
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An Iconic Landmark in West Kowloon The International Commerce Centre (ICC) – a 490meter tall mega office building and the city’s tallest – has redefined super Grade-A office buildings in Hong Kong shortly after its official opening in 2011. Together, ICC and IFC Two (its counterpart in Central across the harbor) form the colossal columns of an invisible arch over Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour
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he International Commerce Centre (ICC) has a singularity that sets it apart from other upscale mega office towers in Hong Kong: it is the only one in the city which encompasses premium office spaces, a hotel, an observation deck, top-notch restaurants, shopping mall, direct access to Airport Express and MTR connections – all core elements of a proposition that resonates with today’s savvy professionals and business executives. “As a single office tower with 4 million square feet of gross floor area, ICC is an unprecedented project in Kowloon, whereas mega office towers of similar scale are concentrated on Hong Kong Island,” says KW Lo, General Manager – Leasing, Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency Ltd (a subsidiary of Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd, which is the developer of ICC). Unlike the fully developed Central CBD, the West Kowloon District is replete with possibilities and potential to become a new Hong Kong destination with remarkable diversity. The West Kowloon Cultural District will make the district a focal point of arts and culture. The Guangzhou-Hong Kong high-speed railway link will make the area a transportation hub. Accordingly, the planned premium office and retailing spaces atop the high-speed rail terminus, together with ICC and Elements’ over 1 million square feet of luxury retail space, are expected to transform the district into a competitive business hub and shopping mecca. The comprehensive facilities and amenities available at ICC and the complex where it is located complement the sophisticated lifestyle of the cosmopolitan professionals and executives working in the tower. “Beyond just convenience, ICC provides the numerous options that cater for every taste and preference,” Lo notes.
A user-oriented approach ICC represents an impeccable environment that optimizes the work-life
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balance of those working there. The tenant club known as SPACE on Level 20 is a 15,000-sq-ft fitness center exclusively for employees of tenant corporations. “SPACE has very long opening hours. Apart from state-of-the-art equipment, there are professionally-qualified personal trainers and specialists organizing classes, such as yoga and kickboxing,” Lo points out. “Chiropractors are on hand to help users and give advice. The cardio machines are arranged by the curtain wall so that users can take in the panoramic harbor views during exercise,” he adds. The lush greenery on the expansive podium garden shared by ICC and several other towers is a tranquil oasis where everyone can relax and reinvigorate in a soothing atmosphere. “SHKP drastically reduced the building density in the complex’s initial architectural design by changing it into one single tower encompassing office spaces, hotel and observation deck,” Lo says. “The outcome is the treasured open space in the city’s hub with breathtaking vista of the harbor – a green core area that is enjoyed by those working there, residents and visitors.” Together with MTR Corporation, which manages Elements, Sun Hung Kai has fine-tuned and enhanced the amenities to meet the needs and requirements of employees of tenant companies. A fine example is the mix of catering businesses in the mall, for which ICC features direct escalator access within the mega complex to Elements. “The initial mix of restaurants might not suit the preferences and needs of those working in ICC with a busy schedule,” Lo explains. “The management took these needs into account and collaborated with MTR in fine-tuning the tenant mix. Gradually we phased in more eateries for the executives working here.”
Meanwhile, the alfresco dining area on the podium has been developed at a later stage – and it features a variety of dining options and experiences offered by duplex restaurants that appeal to white-collar workers and shoppers alike.
On top of the world The Sky 100 and Sky Dining 101 are unique in Hong Kong. Sky 100 on Level 100 is an observation deck with a 360-degree view of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon Peninsula. It is accessible by a separate set of elevators from those exclusively for the offices. “Sky 100 is a popular choice for tenant businesses to entertain their guests, especially those who visit the city for the first time,” Lo says. “Featuring three upscale restaurants, Sky 101 offers appealing dining experience to tourists, employees of companies within ICC and for the companies to wine and dine with their guests. The sumptuous meals are complemented with spectacular views.”
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On top of its acclaimed restaurants, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, occupying Levels 102 to 118, features a comprehensive range of conference and meeting venues with leading-edge IT technologies for events of various scales, Lo adds. “These facilities are all under one roof and available to ICC’s tenant businesses. They represent a tremendous plus for our tenants.” The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the W Hotel, which is located in a block connected to ICC, provide luxury accommodations for overseas staff and business visitors of tenant corporations in within the complex.
Setting a standard ICC has reached an occupancy rate of 98 percent, with around 90 percent of its tenants in the banking and finance sectors. It is a new chapter in the history of Hong Kong’s office leasing market because companies in these sectors had almost exclusively concentrated on the island previously. The mega tower owes its popularity
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with the banking and finance industries to its fundamental premium provisions and specifications. “These aspects of the building were immaculately developed based on the specific requirements among tenants of IFC Two,” Lo says. “We further elevated the standard of IFC Two’s specifications and provisions to ICC’s existing top standard. These specifications and provisions can be further upgraded in line with tenants’ future business development needs.” ICC’s specifications and provisions have set the standard of Hong Kong’s premium office towers. The sizeable floor plate has been optimized for multinational corporations’ future developments. The tower has also obtained the BEAM Plus certification from the Hong Kong Green Building Council. Many of its green features were designed to maximize resource
recycling, energy efficiency, and grey water treatment, and the curtain wall was built with Low-E glass, Lo notes. “SHKP has worked with engineers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University to develop an optimized chiller plant operation system for best energy efficiency. Water used in the chiller plants is recycled as flushing water.” ICC’s green features are constantly enhanced to meet the latest requirements. The building has recently won the Performance Award from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban
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Facts about ICC 1. A Guinness World Record for the largest light and sound show on a single building – combining music and visual story illuminated on two facades of ICC facing the harbour 2. The curtain walls enveloping ICC can cover 10 soccer fields of FIFA’s standard or 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools 3. The amount of saved energy each year through optimization of efficiency is enough to supply 6,500 households of four for a month 4. Condensed water recycled from the air-conditioning system and used as toilet flushing water is up to 10,000 cubic meters annually or enough four Olympic-sized swimming pools
Habitat in the United States. “The award was given in recognition of ICC’s efforts in maintaining tip-top operation standards while progressively reducing energy consumption,” Lo says. As much as its total office space exceeding 2 million square feet allows for tenants’ future expansion, ICC’s specifications are highly flexible for future office reconfiguration and modification. “The raised floor has 150mm clearance for all types of cables. The height from the raised floor to the false ceilings is 2.85 meters in offices in the lower half of ICC and the height reaches 3.15 meters in the levels of the upper half,” Lo points out. “Apart from an airy feel, the high ceilings allow tenants who need to raise the floor further to install additional cables underneath. The ceiling design also allows for easy installation of partition walls,” he says. Furthermore, ICC’s high degree of flexibility in office design is exemplified by the possibility
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for tenants leasing multiple floors to build internal staircases connecting the different levels.
The landmark in a new destination Originally conceived as an office tower on top of the Airport Express Kowloon Station, ICC has diversified into a popular shopping and dining destination, and the hotels located in the mega complex have won numerous international accolades. Together with the nearby residential developments, ICC is now a central part of the West Kowloon district and a unique business and residential hub. West Kowloon is poised to redefine Hong Kong’s multifaceted focal point – one that will feature a business hub, venues for performing arts and art exhibitions, extensive open green space and residential zones. Lo believes that ICC’s premium office spaces atop Kowloon Station
have won market plaudits for their great potential, and is optimistic about the future of increased availability of office spaces in West Kowloon with the completion of office towers on top of the high-speed railway terminus. “Provided that economic growth remains steady, the pie will just be getting bigger,” he says. “Any new shopping mall will also provide fresh experience for shoppers. Professionals working in ICC will take full advantage of the additional Hong Kong-Mainland railway connection option once the high-speed railway is in service.” “ICC’s vision is to play an active role in Hong Kong’s economic development. We aim to provide useroriented services of consistently top quality,” Lo says. “As a complex with such diversity, we aim to maintain our competitiveness and continue to offer a superb working environment for tenants. We will constantly look at further enhancement of our facilities and amenities.”
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On Guard to Keep Clients Safe From bodyguards for high-profile figures to delivering surveillance and other security services to residential or corporate clients, private security is a growing industry in which an integrated, customized solution is mission-critical. Douglas Renwick, Country President of Securitas Security Services, one of the world’s most prominent agencies for security solutions, discusses the market demand for a service guarding against potential threats
By Nan-Hie In
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here is a demand for various types of protection against potential adversaries. The most physically visible are of course the burly types who closely guard high-profile figures. In contrast, there are security officers who simply blend in with the crowd to protect important subjects more subtly, as seen at hotels or other public venues attired in dark suits to match the uniform of hospitality staff. Civilians may often cross paths with security personnel from private agencies on a day-to-day basis because it is a service in great demand. Douglas Renwick, Country President of Securitas Security Services, says security officers have a wide range of duties: guarding cash or precious assets in transit and for delivery, installing an infrastructure of CCTVs and monitoring sophisticated alert systems at residential or corporate properties, providing a safe pathway for millions of passengers at airports and much more. “There’s quite a large police force in Hong Kong at 28,000 but there are nearly 100,000 people working in the
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security industry in Hong Kong on a daily basis,” Renwick reveals. “It’s quite a large industry, yet currently there is no representation at LegCo – which is interesting when other industries that are relatively smaller compared to ours [are represented in the city’s legislature].”
Demand for security Political crises and other current affairs tend to affect this particular industry and market, here and around the world. The September 11 attacks irrevocably shifted the industry that now includes heightened passenger screenings and other security policies at airports globally. Securitas was impacted by this event because it also served as a security provider for airport screenings at that time. Renwick says that terrorism of such scale had previously been considered unperceivable but has become a potential credible threat, which in turn has affected security practices on all levels. For instance, across countries and borders today, security
in airports is now a high priority, and processes are approved and upgraded more quickly than in the past when decisions were generally reached at a slower pace. Hong Kong is no different when it comes to security solutions. Recent development in the city has led to a surge in demand for extra vigilance. The current “Occupy Central” movement – with large numbers of demonstrators across Central, Admiralty and other areas – has prompted much demand for Securitas’ services as many firms remained concerned about access control to commercial buildings near occupied sites. As a result, Securitas has deployed additional manpower and stringent measures for the protection of clients’ properties.
An 80-year history In the 80 years of history of Securitas, not all of the company’s assignments have been as dramatic or potentially dangerous. In fact, its duties during the early period appeared to be milder in comparison.
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The story of the security services company began in 1934 in Helsingbord, Sweden, when Erik Philip Sörensen who was formerly a security guard himself founded a small company with three initial security personnel. “At the time in Europe, a lot of government services were outsourced, and our company started off quite small in Sweden,” Renwick says. “Some of those duties were to light the old gas lamps in the streets and then to turn them off on a routine.” The organization grew over the years – and it diversified to include security alarms and installations by
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1949 and more modern monitoring systems in later years in tandem with the leaps and bounds in technology. Eventually, the organization expanded internationally, especially since going public in 1991. Major acquisitions around the world included a landmark takeover of major protection firms including Pinkerton in 1999. Today, Securitas is a mammoth operation, with offices in 52 countries and around 320,000 personnel. During its expansion in Asia, an office was set up in 2008 in Hong Kong, among other cities across the region. The security sector in Hong
Kong has been regulated since 1996, and anyone who wishes to enter the profession must undergo two days of official training to earn a valid security personnel permit, Renwick points out. “At Securitas we do additional on-the-job training such as conflict resolution, first aid certification and fire services certification,” he adds, noting a diversity of security specialists ranging from young tech-savvy graduates to those who were formerly with the British, Indian or Nepali army, plus specialized guards trained with executive protection.”
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Advanced technology
Executive protection
Advances in technology have played an important role in Securitas’ portfolio of integrated solutions. Currently, it can be a mixture of the traditional form of security relying on manpower, a remote monitoring system that includes a 24-hour Care Centre (which manages everything from high-tech surveillance to organizing security specialists to response to incidents), and mobile patrols of security staff around clients’ sites at various times of the day. The company offers a fast-response alarm service for the premises of clients installed with its alarm systems. For instance, if the alarm is triggered, Securitas is alerted to take action for which staff stationed at its care center is to notify the nearest mobile patrol unit to take necessary measure to safeguard against any risks. However, it is important to note that no single security system is 100 percent foolproof. “A security system can’t do everything, and guarding can’t do everything, either; but, together they provide a solution,” Renwick stresses. In the meantime, there is more to all other aspects of the company than just guarding and security systems. The company, for instance, is also an expert on other safety-related protocols such as proper procedures to ensure against the loss of life and property in buildings during emergency situations. In Hong Kong, this is a particularly useful in situations like typhoons because of a large number of high-rise skyscrapers. “Crime rates are low in Hong Kong, but high-rise buildings with multiple tenants such as the many tall buildings in commercial districts could pose risks if there is a fire,” Renwick says, adding that certain types of firefighting equipment can only reach to a certain level outside of an ultra tall building. It is an emergency scenario for which Securitas can share its expertise in effective evacuation procedures and help to prepare for the unexpected through training.
Among the various security missions delivered by the company, executive protection for major local and international figures is another one of its core services. Securitas can dispatch private security detail for a high net-worth individual who wishes to make a public appearance or deliver a speech before a crowd, or supply personal bodyguards to steer a VIP from event to event amid a swarm of aggressive fans, overzealous paparazzi and the like. When basketball legend Michael Jordan was in town in 2004, he hired an entire floor of The Peninsula hotel during his stay. Securitas was on site 24/7 to provide protection for the six-time NBA champion. Likewise, it did the same for another sports icon. “With Yao Ming, it was memorable as [we had to get] the tallest security officer of our company for the assignment,” Renwick recalls. “At six feet tall, our officer was still no match for the seven-foot-something Yao Ming.” Other past assignments have also included safeguarding for royalty, dignitaries and more, including former US Vice President Al Gore when he was in town to promote his book An Inconvenient Truth. But, there are also occasions that Securitas turns down protection requests when there is no genuine exposure to risks. “Unfortunately, some will want to have security for other reasons rather than security,” explains Renwick. Additionally, Securitas delivers protection for senior corporate leaders including CEOs and executives in the business community visiting Hong Kong to attend a major convention. Renwick says corporate clients often seek protection with discretion. “They want [our security guards] in the background so that they are not too intrusive. The executives
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want to get on with their daily business,” he explains. “We are very strategic in advising the driver and the team where they can or cannot go.” Whether the individual in question is someone seeking protection on residential premises or a VIP looking for guards to shield against unwanted attention, Securitas delivers security based three core values: integrity, vigilance and helpfulness, Renwick points out. “Our company stands on these values which are driven down to every guard and personnel who is part of the team,” he says. Most of all, such efforts like its high-tech security systems and specialized guards, are to make sure things don’t go wrong, to avoid or neutralize a potential risk or incident. “And when nothing happens, then we’ve done a good job.”
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The Multilingual Advantage As the Victoria Educational Organisation celebrates its 50th year alongside its sister institution Victoria Shanghai Academy’s 10th anniversary, Chief Principal Dr Maggie Koong shares how its schools prepare young learners for future academic success with a strong sense of international perspective. The key? Bilingual or trilingual education as a foundation to promote personal excellence
By Nan-Hie In
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been trained at Columbia in the latest teaching techniques, including a program that allows students to effectively improve their reading and writing skills in a uniquely designed arrangement. A literacy coach is present to assess the learning needs of each child so that each student can focus on areas in need of further improvement. It could be things as simple as learning to edit their own work or using capital letters correctly. The progress of these young children in their learning is monitored in detail, which is an important step that helps develop a strategy on how each child can reach his or her full potential.
Preparing children for the world
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peaking at Victoria Kindergarten in North Point, Dr Maggie Koong, Chief Principal of the Victoria Educational Organisation (VEO) and Head of Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA), elaborates on the rich history of an education institution and its mission in providing a stimulating learning environment that is essential in early childhood education. VEO has come a long way since its humble beginning back in 1965 when its first campus opened in Causeway Bay. Today, as it commemorates its 50th year, it is a sprawling institution that includes nine nursery and kindergarten campuses throughout the city, providing International Baccalaureate programs in its schools in Causeway Bay, Kennedy Town and Homantin for students aged from three to 18 years. “I remember when the school started in 1965, we were the first
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kindergarten to have native Englishspeaking teachers in the classroom,” Dr Koong says, adding that VEO was a pioneer of bilingual education in Hong Kong. Since then, VEO has expanded to include the Victoria Shanghai Academy in Aberdeen, which offers primary and secondary International Baccalaureate education, and other campuses in Mainland China, including Shenzhen. The reputation of VEO and VSA collectively as a leading education provider is evidenced by how competitive it has become for parents to find placements for their children at any one of the school campuses. “The reason is because we not only have a history but also a track record of students getting very good college placements and improving Diploma Program results,” Dr Koong notes, emphasizing the school’s multilanguage education and various
programs among other features that have been integrated for a total learning experience.
Shaping inquisitive young minds At VEO, its enquiry-based curriculum is to nurture and nourish students’ intrinsic motivation to learn. “It’s about learning to learn,” Dr Koong says. “In terms of enquirybased studying, starting from a young age, they are encouraged to ask questions and carry out research to gain knowledge and find out facts, then they can discuss it in small groups.” It is a thinking process well documented on the walls of a classroom – a step-by-step process that begins from forming an enquiry and doing research, to reaching a conclusion. In the process, students are given the opportunity to present their findings in
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a presentation to their peers and parents and share what they learn in an interactive way, Dr Koong points out. Students engage in a wide range of topics for their projects, including the examination of current affairs and other issues such as environmental protection. In one of the projects, a group of primary school students focused on the wealth gap in Hong Kong and through their research showcased the plight of povertystricken inhabitants of the city. And, Dr Koong was stunned to learn how fifth graders became familiar with academic concepts such as the Geni Co-efficient, an indicator of income disparity. Through collaborations with top institutions such as Harvard University and Columbia University, new programs have also been put in place to enhance students’ literacy skills. For instance, teachers within the VEO faculty have
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One of the core values across VEO’s educational offerings is to prepare youngsters for academic success in a world of many different languages and cultures, and the idea is to raise a generation of global thinkers, Dr Koong says. Children enrolled in the school are taught to be aware of the many different cultures and the importance of diversity in the classroom. By the time they reach primary and secondary school, their international learning experience is intensified for a broad understanding of different perspectives of people from different cultures as well as a global view as citizens of the world. Students are exposed to knowledge of various types from many opportunities in and outside the classroom and are not confined to the textbook. VEO’s institutions, including its IB-authorized schools, host an array of events and functions to afford students to see the world on many different platforms, such as a recent
international drama festival where 20 schools from the Asia Pacific region participated while reputed British playwright Mark Wheeller was present. One of the key elements of a wellrounded educational curriculum is that pupils have opportunities to explore the world through field trips – and it forms an essential part of a stimulating learning environment at the VEO schools. In fact, some 800 students are scheduled to embark on a trip in November to one of over 20 destinations, including Fiji, Mauritius, Korea and Germany – all to develop a strong sense of cultural awareness among young students. Dr. Koong says each of students’ trips to visit a particular destination serves a certain purpose to broaden their experience and make it an educational experience that is meaningful. When previously some children made a study trip to Indonesia, they spent time at homes in a village that was deficient of basic amenities such as bathing and shower facilities. The school at the same time is planning a trip to Xi’an, a Chinese city rich in history, where students can learn about Chinese heritage as part of an exposure to world history. Such exposure helps prepare students not only for academic success in the future, but also to become more worldly as individuals, Dr Koong says. “Kids have to be equipped with global competency and knowledge,” she adds. “When you write your college essay or when you’re interviewed by other people, they won’t just ask about Hong Kong topics and they will ask about what’s going on around the world. So, a global-mindedness is very important.”
Bi- and trilingual programs Having earned her doctorate degree in bilingual education, Dr Koong is well aware of the benefits of acquiring more than one language during early childhood. Much scientific evidence shows that children can learn and become
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proficient in a language more effectively through human interactions than other techniques such as listening to recorded lessons on tapes, she points out. “It’s the people that help facilitate kids to learn a language, and it’s important to have that expert teacher to facilitate such interactions,” she says. Young learners are constantly immersed in an environment of multiple languages at VEO schools, Dr Koong notes. “Our philosophy is one teacher, one language. If there are three languages being taught in the classroom, we have three teachers for each of those languages there.” It is an approach that highly encourages a natural and spontaneous setting for acquiring a foreign language among students in a classroom, she says. At VEO, kids as young as two years old begin in a bilingual stream, in which Mandarin and English are taught from
kindergarten to primary. The trilingual stream is available in the organization’s secondary school at VSA, where in addition to English as a mandatory subject students can choose to learn a combination of languages including Chinese, Spanish and French. Advanced tools are also available to help learners practice pronunciation of a chosen language, including a book for early learners featuring an electronic pen that acts as a reading aid. It is a device allowing a learner to connect a pen to the designated area of a page that alerts the device to dictate the text in that publication. It serves as an interactive way for children, including those who may want further practice at home, to master a language other than their own. The ambition for the institution in the years ahead is to be a top education provider in Hong Kong and a benchmark
for English and Chinese language competency for students, Dr Koong reveals. “We hope that in terms with our IB students, the majority will achieve a bilingual diploma – our target is 80 percent of our students.” The educator says students awarded with such certification are still a minority. There is also a cultural element behind the mission, she adds. That is to help students connect to and learn much more about the Chinese language, culture and heritage, combined with a strong sense of international perspectives. “I always think bilingual kids have a cognitive advantage, because they are training their brain to be more adaptable, flexible and sociable as they go through different stages of development,” Dr Koong says. “A number of research has told us that bilingualism is advantageous.”
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