Chongqing - “China’s green development strategy has made the business climate more favorable for us,” said William Chan, the Chongqing Office leader of Arup. “When companies tend to realize the importance of decarbonization while having trouble making plans, we see opportunities.”

About Arup

Arup, established in 1946, is named after its founder, Sir Ove Arup, who is regarded as one of the greatest structural engineers of the 20th century. He was instrumental in constructing one of the world’s most recognizable buildings: the Sydney Opera House.

Now Arup, as a global sustainable development consultancy, is focused on producing safe, inclusive, resilient communities, infrastructure, and cities. It recognizes that sustainable development encompasses many different factors. So, their work prioritizes environmental regeneration, biodiversity, conservation of resources, stable economic growth, and social value. According to William, Arup’s service covers the entire lifecycle of the building, from design, and construction to operation, renovation, etc. “Our attitude is always flexible and future-facing; we gather architects, engineers, and designers with the common cause of shaping a better world.”

Why decarbonization is vital

Decarbonization means the reduction of carbon. It’s about phasing out manufactured carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, with the eventual goal of removing them. “The building-related emissions mainly include two parts: operational carbon emissions and embodied carbon emissions,” says William “the former one is about the energy used to heat, cool, and light buildings when the construction is completed, while the latter one is found in the material and construction processes across a building’s lifecycle.” For years, developers and contractors have been aware of the building’s operational carbon emissions when developing new sites. But to become carbon neutral and deliver net zero buildings, the same level of focus and investment is needed to tackle embodied carbon emissions. And Arup attaches much importance to the embodied carbon emissions in their projects.

According to William, buildings and infrastructure, accounting for approximately 40% of global CO2 emissions, are the most significant contributors to global carbon emissions. Being a sizeable industry with a substantial carbon footprint, construction cannot afford to wait. Decarbonization in this industry is essential if international governments are to achieve their green development targets.

Over a decade in Chongqing

Arup has been in Chongqing for more than a decade. William was glowing with pride and a sense of accomplishment regarding what brought him here. Arup’s story in Chongqing started with the remarkable plan of building the International Land-Sea Center, the tallest tower in the city with a total height of 458 meters. Arup has been involved in the project as an engineering consultant since the early stages of planning. It has provided multi-disciplinary services from conceptual design to project implementation. “Over the past decade, we have witnessed the entire process of the skyscraper from concept to construction and the topping out of the main tower,” said William.

Future-facing Mindset

The International Land-Sea Center is outstanding in energy saving and carbon reduction. With the efforts of Arup, the building has been awarded the Green Building Evaluation Label(China Three Star) and LEED Gold pre-certification, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership for buildings. At the beginning of the project, Arup realized that environmental sustainability and smart building design would become fundamental in the construction industry. “At a time when carbon emissions were not taken so seriously in a mainstream design, we were determined to use materials with high performance to optimize the building’s internal environment and reduce the impact on the building’s external environment,” William explained.

As the project MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) consultant, Arup’s solution to control operational carbon emissions is ahead of its time. “We recommended using the all-air system, which was not widely used in China then. The centralized arrangement of air conditioning equipment is conducive to equipment management, maintenance, and upgrades. This way, the system can provide a more comfortable, intelligent, and green environment for its users.”

Another highlight is the design of the thermally dimmable glass at the southwest canopy of the building. The glass can change its transparent state according to the outdoor sunlight and temperature, ensuring natural lighting while avoiding glare and reducing energy use.

William showed great excitement about the TOD(Transit-oriented Development) design, which means the Hualongqiao metro station will be inside the building, on the fourth floor. It will become the second through-building metro station after Liziba. “The station may also become trendy when it is open to the public,” predicted William. In fact, the Hualongqiao station was initially designed independently from the building. However, Arup found potential to develop TOD and sought technical support from global railroad experts who agreed to participate in the design. Based on the feasibility studies, Arup’s proposal to merge the metro station and the building was finally accepted after the team persuaded vital parties, including Chongqing Municipal Railway Group, design institutes, clients, and other stakeholders.

Seek more opportunities in Chongqing

“Chongqing government is very open in the course of decarbonization,” said William, “we are encouraged to participate in the local forums or seminars themed on decarbonization to share our experience. And they welcome our opinions which are helpful to make the policies more practical and effective.” William also advised that European companies in this field could attend such events to make a presence. It’s an excellent channel to make your voice heard by decision-makers and meet potential business partners. As a firm at the forefront of building a more sustainable world, Arup hopes to seek more opportunities in Chongqing to join its journey towards a greener future.