Visit to City Gallery
On 26 July 2012, some General Council Members and I visited the City Gallery. The City Gallery, located at 3 Edinburgh Place in Central, is the first planning and infrastructure gallery in Hong Kong. It occupies five storeys with a floor area of more than 3,200 square metres. During the guided tour, we visited the interactive exhibits, which showcased the uniqueness of Hong Kong, past and future, and the city’s vision for its planning and infrastructure projects. We also saw a 17-minute main show on Hong Kong’s past development and plans for the city’s future.
The City Gallery was opened to the public on 22 August 2012 and admission is free. Members are encouraged to visit this gallery to learn more about the development of Hong Kong.
Meeting with Professor Dr Chen Guang Yan
On 23 August 2012, the Chairman of Shenzhen Cost Engineer Association, Professor Dr Chen Guang Yan (陳廣言教授), arranged a luncheon meeting with some QS Professionals in Hong Kong to discuss recent developments in Shenzhen Qianhai (深圳前海區). Senior Vice President, Sr Stephen Lai; Council Members, Sr Arthur Shia and Sr KC Tang; Sub-Committee Member, Sr Rowson Lee; and I attended the luncheon meeting. During the meeting, Professor Dr Chen also told us the good news that members of 22 professional bodies in Hong Kong, including the QS, are now qualified to practice in Qianhai. The details and procedures for practicing there are being formulated and will be announced later.
Visit to the Housing Department Quantity Surveyors’ Association
On 24 August 2012, the Quantity Surveying Divisional Council arranged a visit to the Housing Department Quantity Surveyors’ Association (HDQSA). Nine members, viz. Vice Chairman, Sr Honby Chan; Honorary Secretary, Sr KL Wong; Immediate Past Chairman, Sr Antony Man; Chairman of the Board of Professional Development, Sr Ricky Chan; Council Members, Sr CF Wong, Sr Raymond Kong, and Sr Joe Wu; Sub-Committee Member, Sr Anthony Tam; and I joined the visit. The Chairman, Sr Johnny Yung, and 17 members of the HDQSA also attended the meeting. Following my introduction of the structure of the QSD and its various committees and sub-committees, along with Sr Yung’s introduction of the structure of the HDQSA, we discussed institutional matters and the various new developments in the QS profession, such as the Building Information Modeling (BIM) development, the use of NEC in government projects, the sharing of construction cost data, and green costing. It was agreed that there should be more collaboration between the QSD and the HDQSA by arranging such meetings regularly, as well as some joint activities. We also requested more support for and participation in QSD affairs from the HDQSA.
Visit to a QS Member, Sr Kelvin Kwong
Following the visit to meet with Sr Kelvin Kwong last year, four members of the Quantity Surveying Divisional Council, viz. Chairman of the Board of Professional Development, Sr Ricky Chan, and Council Members, Sr KC Tang, Sr Patrick Yip, and I, visited Kelvin again on 25 August 2012. Kelvin suffers from a disease affecting his nerves system and is now staying at a rehabilitation Centre in Tai Wai. Kelvin cannot take care of himself and needs special care from the staff at the centre. He worked in the Housing Department before his resignation due to his illness a few years ago.
Kelvin needs to sit on a wheelchair specially designed for him. Although he can only speak simple words with great difficulty, he recognized all of us and could identify us correctly. He was very glad that we visit him regularly. I do hope that if you are a friend of Kelvin, you can pay him a visit. Please contact me at [email protected] if you would like to visit Kelvin.
