Faculty of Architecture, HKU

07/09/2026

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘅: 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱–𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Yadian Wang
PhD Candidate, Division of Landscape Architecture
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁:
Sarah Yang
PhD Candidate, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲:
Date: 10-Sep-2025 (Thursday)
Time: 13:00-14:15
Venue: KB719, 7/F., Knowles Building, The University of Hong Kong,
𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
As climate change and global warming intensify wildfire activity, the Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) is becoming an increasingly critical landscape for understanding wildfire risk. The WUI is where human settlements and combustible vegetation converge, creating conditions where ignitions can rapidly develop into damaging wildfires. Yet existing WUI classifications largely rely on a simple distinction between interface and intermix conditions, describing the spatial arrangement of buildings and vegetation without fully accounting for how fire may transmit through different configurations.
This research proposes a process-based WUI typology that links ignition potential, fuel configuration, and fire transmission. It first considers the likelihood of human-caused ignition where people and flammable vegetation converge. Following ignition, horizontal fuel connectivity shapes potential pathways of surface fire spread, while vertical fuel coupling, particularly ladder fuels, can facilitate fire escalation into the canopy. By linking these processes, the framework moves beyond the conventional interface–intermix classification to distinguish WUI configurations according to their potential fire-transmission mechanisms and wildfire development.
Using California as a case study, the research develops a spatial methodology to map and characterize these WUI types. The resulting typology provides a more nuanced understanding of how wildfire may develop differently across WUI configurations, and offers a framework that can support wildfire risk assessment, urban planning, and landscape design by identifying critical relationships between population, built form, and vegetation fuels.
𝗕𝗶𝗼
Yadian Wang is a PhD Candidate from the HKU FUSE Lab and an Exchange PhD Student at Stanford University. She holds an MLA and MPhil in Earth Science from HKU and a BLA from BFU. Yadian’s research focuses on human–environment interactions and hazard mitigation. She is an IFLA 2026 reviewer and an ASLA California member.

07/09/2026

𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀
𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟭𝟯:𝟬𝟬 – 𝟭𝟰:𝟭𝟱
𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: 𝗞𝗕𝟳𝟭𝟵, 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝟭𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗽 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀)
Beyond Interface and Intermix: A Process-Based Typology of Wildland–Urban Interfaces
Yadian Wang, PhD Candidate, Division of Landscape Architecture
Discussant: Sarah Yang, PhD Candidate, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

𝟭𝟳 𝗦𝗲𝗽 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀)
Back to the Drawing Board: Reviving Euro Disney’s Postmodern Narratives
Maxime Coq, PhD Candidate, University of Liège / University of Melbourne
Discussant: Professor Ying Zhou, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture

𝟮𝟵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀)
The Myths On “One Axis, Two Cities”: Datong’s Urban Design (2008-2014) & the Emotional Heritage of the “Liang-Chen Proposal”
Fei Deng, PhD Candidate, Department of Architecture
Discussant: Yuchu Cui, PhD Candidate, Department of Architecture

𝟭𝟵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀)
The Architecture of Absence: Infrastructural Erasure, Development, and Territorial Dispossession in Sri Lanka's Mahaweli Programme
Wellage Chandima Silva, PhD Candidate, Division of Landscape Architecture
Discussant: Dr. Putrikinasih Ririh Santoso, Senior Research Assistant, Department of Architecture

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All interested are welcome.
Enquiry: [email protected]

02/09/2026

𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀: 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀
The Department of Urban Planning and Design is pleased to invite you to a public lecture that will be held on 10 September 2026 (Thursday) from 09:30 to 10:45 at KB820, 8/F., Knowles Building, HKU.

*Pre-registration required. [Deadline: 09 September 2026 (Wednesday) 4:00pm (HKT)]Registration: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=109320

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰:
Report: The Innovation Journals: Serving Global Researchers
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Dr. Ke Chen
Executive Editor-in-Chief of The Innovation
𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲:
Date: 10 September 2026
Time: 09:30am - 10:45am
Venue: KB820, 8/F, Knowles Building, HKU
𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
The Innovation is a comprehensive English-language academic journal co-founded in 2020 by young scientists and Cell Press. It aims to present inspiring interdisciplinary discoveries to the scientific community and encourage researchers to focus on the essence of science and the original aspiration of free exploration. Its authors come from 84 countries worldwide; the journal has been cited by authors from 175 countries; and for each issue, 1/5 to 1/3 of the corresponding authors are from overseas. The editorial board currently consists of 200 members from 22 countries, with 50% of the board members from outside China (including 39 academicians from various countries), covering all fields of natural sciences. The Innovation has been indexed in databases such as DOAJ, ADS, Scopus, PubMed, ESCI, INSPEC, EI, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Journal Ranking (Q1, TOP), and OARL. In 2025. its Cite Score is 32.6. and its Impact Factor is 39.5 (5-Year Impact Factor: 46). From June 25 to 28, 2023, four sister journals-The Innovation Life, The Innovation Geoscience, The Innovation Materials, and The Innovation Medicine-were jointly launched; on February 26, 2024 the fifth sister journal, The Innovation Energy, published its inaugural issue. These five sister journals have been indexed in databases such as Google Scholar, CAS, Scopus, DOAJ, and OARL. On November 10, 2025, the sixth sister journal, The Innovation Informatics, published its inaugural issue. In April 2026, three sister journals-The Innovation Drug Discovery, The Innovation Oncology, and The Innovation Nutrition-were launched. On November 10, 2025, The Innovation Informatics was launched. Notably, three sister journals, The Innovation Drug Discovery, The Innovation Oncology, and The Innovation Nutrition have been officially launched on April 16, 27, 28 in 2026. And The Innovation Neurology, The Innovation Water, The Innovation Physics, The Innovation Insights, The Innovation Reviews will launch in 2026. Adhering to the philosophy of “publish great papers and promote it widely,” The Innovation promotes authors articles across various platforms both domestically and internationally. We look forward to The Innovation journal family providing scientists with a better article publishing experience.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Dr. Ke Chen obtained his Ph.D. from Peking University, after which he joined the Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In 2017, he was honored with title of “Outstanding Member” of the Youth Cancer Centre in the United States. He is one of the founders of The Innovation, a journal published in partnership with Cell Press. His research primarily focuses on oncology. He has led two projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and has published 15 SCI-indexed papers.

~~ ALL INTERESTED ARE WELCOME ~~
Enquiries: email at [email protected] or by phone at 3917 2721
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN
THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

28/08/2026

𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗢𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗣𝟯: 𝗚𝘂𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻
https://www.arch.hku.hk/event_/architalks-edu-ep-3/
—
In this episode of ARCHITALKS: On Architectural Education, Guy Nordenson, Professor of Architecture and Engineering at Princeton University School of Architecture, and partner of Guy Nordenson and Associates, a New York-based structural engineering practice, speaks about building technology and the collaborative practice of the architect-engineer. We discuss how the education of architects and engineers can be brought together in the education of designers for the future.
—
Image 2-3/5:
Day's End, 2017–2021
• Location: New York NY
• Created by Catherine Seavitt, in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art
• Client: Whitney Museum of American Art
• Artist: David Hammons
• Engineer :Guy Nordenson and Associates

Image 4-5/5:
National Museum of African American History and Culture, 2009–2016
• Location: Washington DC, USA
• Client: The Smithsonian
• Architect: Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup
• Structural Engineer of Record, Superstructure: Guy Nordenson and Associates
• Structural Engineer of Record, Substructure: Silman

27/08/2026

How can AI build a better future? Watch this RTHK programme featuring Professor Wilson Lu and Professor Junjie Chen of iLab, as they explore how AI, blockchain, and IoT technologies are transforming construction logistics and addressing Hong Kong's unique urban challenges. HKU Department of Real Estate and Construction

世界正處於一個時代的轉折點：由校園到辦公室，由生活日常到科研突破，AI正悄然走進每一個角落，改寫著我們的生活。 《香港故事：由AI開始》以香港為舞台，記錄這座城市在AI浪潮中的當下與未來。鏡頭跟隨一班平凡的香.....

18/08/2026

Welcome to the Faculty of Architecture, UG Class of 2026! 🎉

We were delighted to meet our new undergraduate students at the UG Induction Talk 2026. The session was filled with energy, interaction and excitement as students connected with the Faculty, took part in a fun mini game and received a special Faculty gift bag.

A warm welcome to all our new students — we look forward to seeing you learn, grow and innovate with us in the years ahead! 💚

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HKU Department of Real Estate and Construction
HKU Department of Urban Planning and Design
HKU Division of Landscape Architecture

15/08/2026

Watch this recent documentary about our Dean Yung Ho Chang:

欢迎购买 WeTV APP 会员, 抢先观看《十三邀 第九季》会员集数, 享受高清无广告完整版！👉https://u.wetv.vi...

14/08/2026

𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗢𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗣𝟮: 𝗔𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗱
https://www.arch.hku.hk/event_/architalks-edu-ep-2/
—
In this episode of 𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦: 𝗢𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, Adrian Lahoud, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and Dean of the School of Architecture at Royal College of Art London, speaks about the first Sharjah architecture Triennial in the United Arab Emirates in 2019, how the climate crisis has reshaped architectural education, particularly the shift from discourses around sustainability to discourses on ecology.

11/08/2026

The Centre of Urban Studies and Urban Planning is pleased to invite you to the CUSUP Research Seminar that will be held on 22 August 2026 (Saturday) from 16:00 to 18:00 at KB820, 8/F., Knowles Building, HKU.
*Pre-registration required. [Deadline: 21 August 2026 (Friday) 12:00 noon (HKT)]
Registration: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=108698
Language: Putonghua

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 1:
Intercity Exchange of City Leaders, Policy Transplantation, and Water Pollution
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Prof. Canfei He
Professor,
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences,
Peking University
𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲:
Date: 22 August 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 16:00pm to 18:00pm
Venue: KB820 8/F, Knowles Building, HKU
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Prof. Canfei He is a Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University and former Dean of the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University. He is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, a Chang Jiang Scholars Program Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education (2016), an expert receiving the State Council Special Allowance, a Fellow of the Regional Studies Association (FeRSA), a DFG Mercator Fellow (2021), and an LSE Miguel Dols Fellow (2026). He currently serves as Chair of the Teaching Steering Committee for Geography under the Ministry of Education, Vice President of the Geographical Society of China, Vice President of the National Economic Geography Research Association, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Regional Economics, Vice President of the China Regional Science Association, and Chair of the Economic Geography Committee of the Geographical Society of China, among other positions.
His research focuses on economic geography, with a series of innovative contributions in industrial geography, evolutionary economic geography, and environmental economic geography. He serves as Associate Editor of Journal of Geographical Sciences (the English edition of Acta Geographica Sinica), Geographical Research, and Scientia Geographica Sinica; Co-Editor of Growth and Change; and International Corresponding Editor of Urban Studies. He is also a member of the editorial boards of more than ten English-language journals, including Economic Geography and Progress in Economic Geography. He has published more than 150 papers in SSCI-indexed journals such as Nature Cities, Nature Climate Change, Economic Geography, and Journal of Economic Geography, and has authored textbooks and books including Advanced Economic Geography, Economic Geography of China, and Industrial Geography in Contemporary China.
He has received the RSA Distinguished Service Award, the Second Prize of the Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement Award in Higher Education from the Ministry of Education in both the sixth and tenth editions, the Beijing Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Ninth National Youth Award for Geographic Science and Technology, among others. His research achievements were selected as among the Top Ten Research Advances in Chinese Geographical Science by the Geographical Society of China in 2021 and 2025. He has been included for several consecutive years in Elsevier’s list of “Highly Cited Chinese Researchers” and has also been listed in Stanford University’s rankings of the “World’s Top 2% Scientists” for both career-long impact and single-year impact.

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 2:
Reflections and Practices on the Development of Geography in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Prof. Zhenhong Du
Professor,
School of Earth sciences,
Zhejiang University
𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲:
Date: 22 August 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 16:00pm to 18:00pm
Venue: KB820 8/F, Knowles Building, HKU
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿:
Du Zhenhong is a professor, doctoral supervisor, recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and Qiushi Distinguished Professor at Zhejiang University. He serves as Dean of the School of Earth Sciences at Zhejiang University and Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Systems. He concurrently serves as Vice Chair of the GIS Theory and Methods Working Committee of the China Association for Geographic Information Industry, member of the Data-Driven Geoscience Development Committee of the Geological Society of China, standing committee member of the Artificial Intelligence Oceanography Committee of the Chinese Society for Oceanography, Vice President of the Geographical Society of Zhejiang Province, and Chair of the 17th Chinese Working Committee on Theories and Methods of Geographic Information Science.

He has long been engaged in teaching and research in Earth big data and spatial intelligence, remote sensing and geographic information systems, and ocean and Earth systems. Over the past five years, he has led more than ten projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program of China, and national major science and technology projects. He has published more than 170 research papers and two monographs. He has received the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award as the third contributor among ten awardees, and, as the lead contributor, has won five industry-level and provincial/ministerial science and technology awards, including the Special Prize of the China Geographic Information Science and Technology Progress Award.
He was invited to serve as Chief Commander for the major platform development of the Deep-time Digital Earth International Big Science Program from 2019 to 2024 and has served as a member of its General Expert Group since 2024. The spatiotemporal big data platform “Fuxi-1,” which he developed, has been widely applied in fields such as oceanography, geology, and atmospheric science.
~~ ALL INTERESTED ARE WELCOME ~~
Enquiries: email at [email protected] or by phone at 3917 2721
CENTRE OF URBAN STUDIES AND URBAN PLANNING
THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

08/08/2026

On 27 June 2026, more than 400 alumni, students, colleagues, partners, and friends gathered at the historic Loke Yew Hall for the Faculty of Architecture’s 75th Anniversary Reception. Together, we celebrated 75 years of architectural education, as well as the countless friendships, collaborations, and shared memories that have shaped our community across generations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auvEfqE1BeI