The Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE) actively engaged students in the PolyU Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) Build a Smart City Competition 2026, supporting the theme “Build a Smart & Sustainable North.” The competition is designed to equip future designers, architects, urban planners and engineers with the knowledge and skills needed to create sustainable, functional and future-ready built environments.
Under the “Greening the Northern Metropolis” initiative, participants were encouraged to develop innovative proposals that emphasise energy efficiency, carbon reduction and integration of natural elements. The project also aimed to inspire students to advocate for green building and sustainable urban design, while balancing economic and social development with environmental protection.
A key challenge of the competition required students to design a new campus building for university lectures and offices in the Northern Metropolitan region. Teams were tasked with optimising land use, incorporating smart technologies and proposing practical solutions that would harmonise the building with its surroundings while fulfilling its intended functions.
The 2-day workshop provided participants with a rich blend of academic sharing, hands-on activities and field exposure. On Day 1, the programme began with a project orientation and Q&A session led by Professor Jiang Liming, followed by a mini-lecture titled “Steering the Solar Photons for Building Energy Transition” by Ir Professor Lu Lin Vivien. After lunch, students took part in two interactive workshops: “Applied solar energy in buildings” by Dr Gong Quan and “Carbon neutrality” by Dr ZHAO Jingxian.
On Day 2, participants attended “Future Campus: Smart, Sustainable and Human-Centric Design” delivered by Dr Tsang Tsz Wun, Hayley, followed by laboratory activities led by the BEEE technical team. These hands-on sessions covered daylighting analysis, thermal comfort assessment, energy efficiency analysis, indoor air quality assessment, and a smart home technology demonstration. The workshop concluded with lunch, registration and transportation arrangements for a site visit to the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas Community Liaison Centre, where students gained first-hand insights into the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis.
Through this meaningful initiative, BEEE demonstrated its strong commitment to smart city development, sustainability education and experiential learning, while encouraging students to apply their professional knowledge to real-world urban challenges.
The photo gallery can be found here : Day 1 and Day 2.
