News

BRE Connected - June 2025

BRE Connected - June 2025 The latest edition of our newsletter, BRE Connected, is out now! Discover fresh updates on our research, teaching and partnerships. This edition features several notable achievements.  Our collective efforts have been recognised globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.  Also, we highlight the successful inauguration of the Centre for Infrastructure Delivery (CeIDE) and the election of the new Executive Committee of the Building and Real Estate Departmental Alumni Association (BREDAA).  Please click here for the full version.    

Prof. LI Heng Ranked Nation’s Top Scientist in Engineering and Technology by Research.com

Research.com Congratulations! Prof. LI Heng, Chair Professor of Construction Informatics and Associate Director of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), has been ranked 1st in China and 21st worldwide in Engineering and Technology in the 2025 Best Scientists Rankings by Research.com.   This international recognition, based on the D-index (Discipline H-index) metric that measures scholarly impact through discipline-specific publications and citations, highlights Prof. Li's outstanding contributions to engineering and technology, alongside the significant societal impact of his research.   Prof. Li has led numerous funded research projects on the innovative application and transfer of construction information technologies. His research interests span digital construction, smart construction, ergonomics, and robotics. With a research career of over twenty years, Prof. Li has guided the development of a wide array of products, including computer-aided drawing systems, construction planning and management tools, and advanced intelligent safety systems. In recent years, his work has increasingly focused on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.   More about Prof Li: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/.../academic-staff/prof-heng-li/ Wen Wei Po coverage: https://polyu.me/4mVG3ct

A Big Applause to All Participants at the BRE Reception

  The BRE Reception was a memorable highlight of our academic calendar on 27 June. As a signature event with over 25 years of tradition, it brings together BRE students, academics, mentors, WIE organizations, donors, alumni, departmental advisors, industry partners and supporters, serving as an ideal platform to foster lasting connections across our community.   Following the welcome speech of Prof. Michael YAM, Head of BRE, we were honoured to have Sr Hon Tony TSE Wai Chuen, BBS, JP, Member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, recipient of The Outstanding BRE Alumni Award 2020 and the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award 2021, share his words of wisdom during the evening.   Also, the gracious presence of Prof. LING Kar Kan, SBS, Interim Vice President (Campus Development and Facilities) and Director of the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation of PolyU, further highlighted the significance of the event.   In addition, Mr Matthew YAU, the Outstanding BRE Student proposed a vote of thanks while Ir Phyllis CHEN, President of the Building and Real Estate Departmental Alumni Association, was invited to introduce its new executive committee and coming activities on the stage.   The strong presence and great support from industry professionals underscored the importance of collaboration in shaping our future leaders. The evening was made even more vibrant by lively student performances and games, adding extra excitement to the celebration.   The BRE Reception also provided a wonderful occasion to celebrate the achievements of our graduating students. Congratulations to them on completing their degrees! Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this event such a memorable success! More pictures will be available on our website soon.   More pictures are available on our online photo gallery. (https://polyu.hk/jUCgY )

Visit by Nanjing University

We were delighted to welcome a group of students from Nanjing University to our Department last week. As part of our ongoing efforts to showcase our latest developments, the students explored our Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) System and Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies. Through hands-on VR experiences, they gained valuable insights into how these tools are transforming the construction industry. The visit also included tours of our sister departments, giving the students a comprehensive understanding of the Faculty of Construction and Environment’s innovative work. We look forward to more inspiring exchanges in the near future!

BRE Seminar ‘Borderless Community’

On 23 June, Ar Michelle YE 米笑, National First-class Registered Architect of China, shared her insights on the ‘Borderless’ philosophy at the BRE Seminar, inspiring participants to rethink the relationship between architecture, nature, and daily life. Drawing from Lingnan garden traditions and tropical modernism, she highlighted how innovative facades and spatial design can dissolve boundaries and enrich communities. Thank you, Ar Michelle YE, for your inspiring presentation, and to all students, academics and industry professionals who joined us for this seminar!

BRE Retreat

Last week, we successfully convened our annual BRE Retreat, providing colleagues with an exceptional platform to share updates, reflect on, and discuss important issues in teaching, research, and partnership. The Retreat was well packed with a range of insightful presentations and productive discussions, in alignment with the University’s goals. A heartfelt thank you to every colleague who contributed to the success of the BRE Retreat!

Congratulations to Ar Prof. Donald CHOI

Please join us in congratulating Ar Prof. Donald CHOI, our Adjunct Professor, on his upcoming role as the Managing Director of the Urban Renewal Authority, commencing 15 June 2025. We wish Ar Prof. Choi great success as he embarks on this exciting new journey! Mr Choi is an architect by profession. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Chinachem Group from 2018 until his retirement in August 2024. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director of the Nan Fung Development Limited and a Director at Foster + Partners. He also held the positions of President of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design. Mr Choi holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of British Columbia in Canada and professional degrees in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Arts in Comparative and Public History from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. *Biography information is courtesy of the Government of the HKSAR’s press release.

PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2025 (BRE Session)

Last Saturday marked the success of ‘PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2025’. A heartfelt thank you to all the JUPAS candidates and parents who joined us for this enriching event! Through our consultations, admission talk and guided tour, we hope you gained a clear picture of the latest admission updates, our programmes and campus life as you prepare for your next academic chapter. If you have any unanswered questions, please contact our admissions team. We look forward to welcoming you to our campus! (Please click here for video)

BRE Research Team Honoured with Best Paper Award at CIB World Building Congress 2025

Well done to Mr Sulemana Fatoama ABDULAI, Mr Abdul-Mugis YUSSIF, Dr Ridwan TAIWO, Mr Mohamed ELRIFAEE and Dr Muhammad MUDDASSIR for receiving the Best Paper Award at the CIB World Building Congress 2025! Under the supervision of Prof. Tarek ZAYED, Professor of BRE, the team’s award-winning paper, ‘Automated Detection for Alignment of Modular Integrated Construction Modules Using YOLOv9’ was honoured in the ‘Offsite Construction’ category at the Congress in May. This accolade is a fitting recognition of the team’s efforts and dedication to advancing innovation in the construction field. Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) enhances efficiency through off-site manufacturing, but precise module alignment remains challenging. This study develops an automated detection system using a modified YOLOv9 architecture to improve alignment precision and efficiency. Through a three-stage methodology involving literature analysis, acquisition of 5,000 laboratory images, and model development on a GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, the study achieved exceptional results: a mean Average Precision (mAP50) score of 0.995 and real-time processing capabilities of 3.1 ms per frame. The findings demonstrate the technology's potential to enhance installation precision and reduce human error in MiC practices, contributing significantly to construction automation advancement.

Ms Lichini Nikesha Kumari WEERASINGHE, Dr Amos DARKO and Prof. Albert CHAN Received Best Paper Award at CIB World Building Congress 2025

Congratulations to Ms Lichini Nikesha Kumari WEERASINGHE, a BRE PhD Student, Dr Amos DARKO, Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, and Prof. Albert CHAN, MH, BRE Distinguished Research Professor! They were recognised with the Best Paper Award in the category ‘Net Zero Carbon Building Design and Construction Practices’ at the CIB World Building Congress in May. The award-winning paper is entitled ‘Renewable Energy or Energy Efficiency? Building Occupant Preferences toward Net Zero Carbon Retrofit Measures’. Net zero carbon retrofitting offers a timely solution to reduce carbon emissions from existing buildings, addressing climate change. This study examines the preferences of Hong Kong building occupants regarding NZC retrofits for residential buildings. Data was gathered via a questionnaire survey, analyzed using mean score ranking. Findings reveal that most occupants favor renewable energy upgrades over building envelope and energy system (energy efficiency) improvements. This preference is unexpected, as global NZC standards typically prioritize energy efficiency. The study also delves into occupant preferences for specific retrofit measures within renewable energy and building envelope changes. These insights can aid in developing a zero-carbon built environment, aligning retrofit strategies with occupant preferences.