By Miller Tong Market Insight 0 Comments

Sales and promote by LED signage

Along the sliding of commercial retail floor rent due to various factors, one key reason causing retail rental plunging is the digitization of retailing and online sale.

In our feed before, we have pointed out the “QR code” and “sale on screen” are the tremendous trend. GBE sees that the future LED signage display should also deliver the interfacing function with the customer.

For example, the LED resolution should be good enough for popping the QR for immediately scanning. It sounds easy but full of technical know-how. Apart from the compliance to the local regulation, the entire LED system needs to work well with electricity voltage supply, structural mounting of screen, external facade, right angle of vision, traffic safety, maintenance, and the remote digital control to the screening time.

By samsontam@me.com Building Technology 0 Comments

WFH – Network Router Selection For Your Home

WFH is an acronym for “work from home” which describes work being done remotely, instead of at an office. The acronym “WFH” is used as a nickname for the concept. Many organizations transitioned their employees from the office to WFH during the Coronavirus global pandemic.

Source: https://www.walkme.com/glossary/wfh/#:~:text=WFH%20is%20an%20acronym%20for,during%20the%20Coronavirus%20global%20pandemic.

Online meeting tools become the most important tool for connectivity with colleagues, clients, and bosses for updating the work status, progress, and so on. However, a smooth video conference and clear images and presentation may involve a lot of data during the meeting. Network connectivity becomes a key issue that may need to consider in order to provide a suitable and efficient environment for WFH activities.   Most of the homes in Hong Kong nowadays use wireless networks for their network connection. Therefore, the WiFi router has played a key role in the wireless network connection between all mobile devices, computers, and also many electrical appliances with home automation control functions.

Undoubtedly the wifi data is profoundly important to all mankind worldwide. Whilst every effort is spent to develop the mobile connectivity, few have been concerned with the indoor wifi connection, particularly in reinforced concrete partitioned apartments like Hong Kong where the wifi is hard to cover the entire apartment due to the building material in Hong Kong are mainly concrete and brick wall.

Source: https://eyenetworks.no/en/wifi-signal-loss-by-material/

According to eyenetworks.no, Concrete, with and without metal reinforcement, is one of the worst building materials for wireless signals to pass through, but masonry blocks and bricks can also be serious barriers for Wi-Fi. Plywood and drywall come close to zero signal loss in tests.

Source: https://support.batrium.com/article/94-wifi-troubleshooting

The selection of the router system becomes a critical issue for most of the home users which may need to plan it carefully and understand the home condition in order to choose the best wireless network solution.

 

The above example shows what WiFi signal strength would look like with and without building walls. The red colors represent a signal strength too low for good WiFi connectivity. To achieve a good connection, WiFi has to overcome barriers and obstacles – some of which can’t be eliminated by simply purchasing a new wireless router.

Source: https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/dead-spots-slow-zones.html

Nowadays, many router manufacturer has develop their own mesh system and app for easy setup and config in order to meet the specific usage of users. Like Asus from above diagram which shows the new Ai Mesh system which can be used widely in their new router system which may able to set up easily in one entire SSID for login and config.

“AiMesh is an innovative feature that connects multiple compatible ASUS routers to create a whole-home WiFi network. It’s a flexible and scalable solution that enables you to mix different ASUS router models, so when it’s time to upgrade your network, there’s no need to get rid of your existing hardware. Whenever you need more coverage or want new functionality, just add another compatible router to your AiMesh network at any time.” -https://www.asus.com/Microsite/AiMesh/en/

Other manufacturers like Tp-link which has still developed the HomePlug system which can transfer up to 1300Mps. Homeplug network system is a good network system especially in the situation of the thick walls which may not easy to let the WiFi signal pass through. However, the HomePlug network system mainly relies on the strength of your electrical cabling system which the performance can be impacted by home power usage.

Some organizations like airports or shopping malls, they install the “AP” access point for widening the coverage but the wifi speed is doubtful and diminishing. GBE sees these issues and enhances our tenancy experience by enriching the wifi coverage INSIDE the apartment with the latest technology like mesh WiFi system and HomePlug network system which sounds common but tricky to utilize. This does demand some local and in-field commissioning and testing for gearing toward most satisfaction coverage to each corner like bathroom, walk-in closet, powder room, and the most important is to cover the maid room too.

By John Lam Asset Enhancement • Building Law • • • 0 Comments

Senior Citizen Housing display away the stranded podium retail asset

Senior Citizenship house is now calling for de-densitified 

Why the World’s Highest Virus Death Rate Is in Europe’s Capital

Senior Citizen becomes the upset topic of today C -19 prevalence. Many asset managers are looking the way to improve the stranded property for post c-19. GBE noticed the demand for de-densitified the habitation has triggered the call for more Senior Citizenship habitation houses.

In the metropolitan like Hong Kong, the aged population also faces the strong need for sleeping accommodation. The podium floors which are worst hit by declining retails business, is now hot for turning into elderly center. GBE shares with you that the technical constraint in premises for elderly houssuch window provision, headroom, DMC restriction, town planning ,street level entrance for emergency , catering and sanitary provision, supporting facilities, and operation needs. The licensing authority is Social Welfare Department while the law is Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance.

By Man On Li Design • Market Insight • Real Estate • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

The Case for Building Better Residential

Residential properties in mega metropolitan cities are often short of satisfaction for occupiers. Many may find their flat small, inefficient, and developers trying to cram in all kinds of features with the hope of justifying its price. This is a result of residential units built to prioritize developer’s profit over end user’s satisfaction. With WFH becoming a well adopted trend due to Covid-19, tenants and occupiers are now reexamining their homes, and demanding higher quality space that is compatible with the current environment, and less so on the building’s location or proximity to the CBD.

Taking the Kennedy Terrace project as an example, a building that was designed with the end user is the priority. With a peerless 3700 sqft for its 3 en-suite standard simplex, it sits comfortably on the top of luxury residential tenants’ shortlist. As a direct consequence of not building 1800 sqft flats, competing with the surrendering offerings, Kennedy Terrace achieved approximately double that of neighboring apartment buildings when compared on a per sqft basis. The ample ceiling height, efficient layout of the unit, and the centralization of the apartment’s electrical system make the flat the ultimate blank canvas for its occupiers to personalize the unit to their heart’s content. 

Increasingly, landlords and developers of luxury residential sites are now faced with a dichotomy, whether to prioritize the volume of units available, or catering to the undeserved demand for larger space such as Kennedy Terrace. While the decision to provide truly spacious flats at the expense of a number of units may seem counterproductive at the beginning, filling the glaring disconnect between developer and end user’s may be as rewarding, if not more. 

By samsontam@me.com Asset Enhancement 0 Comments

Electrical Riser Replacement for Chiller System – Commercial Building

Electrical riser replacement is one of the critical repairing items for buildings. Lack of planning and design may lead to serious issues such as power supply failure, equipment failure, and so on.  The Chiller system is one of the important facilities which can affect the owners and tenants during the summer period especially the summer temperature become higher and higher compare to ten years before.  The maintenance schedule may also be affected due to such weather change and shorten the period of time for repairing and maintenance. Therefore, the replacement and repairing works can only be scheduled during December to March. Planning for temporary electricity supply is one of the most critical issues which will affect tenant and daily operation. Weekend and night time will be the best options for such replacement in order to minimize the affection to tenants and owners.  Phase by phase schedule has to be well planned for continuous air conditioning supply is also important to prevent sudden power or equipment failure. Preserve enough time for a test run is also important for preventing any kind of accident in the daytime. Planning and design carefully is always the most important part of project management.

 

 

By John Lam Uncategorized 0 Comments

Technical Consideration to Residential units in UK

Real estate development in UK Great Britain.We have recently received a lot of inquiries regarding the UK residential market. Putting aside valuation and rental income for a moment, there are many technical considerations involved when dealing in the UK residential market. On a high level, the HK and UK residential market can be quite similar, such as residential unit layout, headroom, room size, window provision, bathroom design, and apartment provision. Nevertheless, there are many material differences between the two markets that demand caution. For example, the concept of “area” can be confusing from the various ways it is presented, the concept of “Air Rights” similar to that in New York City, the prevalence of historical external facades that are maintained at the owner’s expense, or lifts that may not reach your floor. One interesting thing is that the elevator may not reach your preferred floor. Also , remember the judge leading the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has ruled that the cladding installed on the tower did not comply with building regulations, finding that the polyethylene-cored panels were the “primary cause” of the rapid spread of flames. It can end your building apartment life immediately

One popular way to get into the market is via pre-sale. While pre-sale activities are increasingly common, there is little to no regulation that governs these activities. Some apartments on the market for sale may not even have “planning permission”. Hence, project delivery risks are often underestimated. Meanwhile, some projects are developed in special districts, such as “Business Regeneration Zone”, which may not be well understood by most potential buyers. Moreover, agency activities involving sales of UK property in Hong Kong may not be regulated under the HK legislative framework. Overseas buyers and investors should tread carefully and with guidance from experts.

 

By Miller Tong Building Technology 0 Comments

Pre-construction survey to MTR tunnel

We mange the construction risk and comply with MTR requirement before sub-structure works commencement.

We carried our pre-construction survey and monitoring proposal to record existing defect and initial record of MTR property including the wall, track rail inside the tunnels.

By John Lam Building Technology 0 Comments

Underground Pipe Inspection – Tree Roots Issue

Underground drainage inspection can always help you to prevent blockage issues which may cause flooding in the future. Tree roots blockage is one of the common issues which may find easily near the plantation area. Regular inspection is necessary to prevent damage to the underground drainage system.

Here is one example which shows how tree roots can block the stormwater piping system.

 

By John Lam Asset Enhancement • Building Technology • Uncategorized 0 Comments

Maintenance problem from wrong “water to cement ratio” of concrete cover mix

Concrete cover is the outer concrete layer serves to protect the rebar in RC structure. Its thickness and density dictates both the protection performance and fire – resisting ability.  The extract from the research paper by Albert K.H. Kwan in Department of Civil Engineering, University of Hong Kong , the concrete cover will become much permeability to water once the “water to cement ratio” exceeds 0.4. Adversely does the high water to cement ratio happen in many concreting process in Hong Kong. To account the reason behind , it is the slump of the concrete or the workability of the concrete affects the entire concreting process. The drawback from high permeability is very obvious . The concrete cover becomes lesser defensive against the water nor air penetration . The alkaline environment around the rebar is diminished along with the carbonation due from the air pollution

 

 

By Man On Li Building Technology • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Transformation through Technology

While many are discovering how much they can achieve in the confines of their own home, residential properties have their inherent constraints, i.e. space, ceiling heights, loading, electricity capacity. Other constraints may be the scale of economy of certain services or ownership of equipment. It is still much easier for one to visit an imaging clinic than to purchase and operate a MRI machine at home or have the space and equipment for a soccer game at most home (at least not yet). While the above examples are driven by certain necessities, real estates involving discretionary spending such as retailers and leisure facilities face a much steeper uphill battle.

Some malls understood the attractiveness of online social media platforms, and were able to boost traffic with installations aiming at Instagram users, or rare Pokemon in their premises with correlation with Pokemon Go, the immensely popular AR mobile game. Others have even taken that idea to the full extent, namely the Ice Cream Museum, a source of many viral pictures and videos. Interestingly, these particular businesses require large floor plates and generous ceiling heights in heavy footfall locations, which are the kind of premises that retail tenants are divesting from due to poor profitability despite their marketing potential as flagship stores. Although many of these tech integration were successful, their repeatability is questionable and unable to bridge the online offline chasm exposed by Covid-19. With the onset of 5G technology, there shall be many ways and new directions where real estate can further its connectivity and technological integration. Landlords and tenants alike will need to explore ways to complement the technological trend to ensure commercial real estate will continue to be indispensable.