UK-China urban regeneration at the 8th WCIFIT
The 8th Western China International Investment and Trade Fair (WCIFIT) was held in Chongqing from 21 – 24 May, bringing together global industry leaders, government representatives and businesses to explore opportunities in trade, investment and sustainable urban development. As the guest country of honour, the UK led a series of high-level economic, trade and professional exchange activities focused on strengthening UK-China collaboration.
Emi Wang, Business Director of Benoy China, attended the UK-China (Chongqing) Existing Building Urban Regeneration Joint Seminar on behalf of Benoy. During the event, she participated in panel discussions and business exchange activities, sharing Benoy’s expertise in sustainable regeneration and green infrastructure development.
Hosted by the British Consulate-General in Chongqing, the UK-China Seminar on Urban Regeneration of Existing Buildings convened leading experts from the UK and China’s construction and infrastructure sectors to discuss strategies for the sustainable revitalisation of existing buildings.
During the panel discussion on design strategies for the renovation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings, Emi Wang highlighted Benoy’s approach when translating sustainability ambitions into practical, measurable design outcomes.
She referenced the 18 Cross regeneration project in Singapore and commented:
“Low-carbon renewal should be based on building fundamentals and local climates, focusing on retaining original structures and adopting passive energy-saving and bioclimatic adaptation strategies. Natural ventilation can be enhanced via façade optimisation, sun shading systems, atriums and cooling corridors. Vertical greenery shields buildings from direct sunlight, maximising natural cooling effects and translating sustainability concepts into quantifiable and assessable design solutions. These are the strategies we employed in the 18 Cross regeneration project in Singapore, which attained Green Mark Gold Plus and WELL Platinum certifications.”
The discussion session was moderated by Umi Lv, Lead for China and Asia Development at RIBA, and brought together architects, developers and sustainability specialists from both countries to exchange perspectives on the future of urban regeneration.
Alongside the seminar, Emi Wang also participated in one-to-one business meetings, the UK-China (Chongqing) Growth Forum and the Guest Country Reception Dinner.
