The Shouson Hills Residential Complex in Hong Kong, SAR is a 24-unit residential complex that serves as a place of respite for diplomatic staff at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong who have just finished tours in hardship locations around the world. The complex is consistently impacted by heavy rains, sometimes called “black rains” at their most extreme, which are familiar occurrences on Hong Kong Island. Despite this, typical construction does not acknowledge the technical precision required to create an effective and secure building envelope. Designing effective solutions to the current water problems -- as well as creating an open, welcoming, and peaceful place -- were the driving goals of the project.

The central design problem was to develop a high-performance cladding system aimed at eliminating recurring water infiltration. BNIM’s holistic design approach includes a new roofing and rainscreen cladding system, site stormwater management, and landscape improvements, all of which support integrated water management.

The team designed a ventilated rainscreen to clad the buildings. This wall assembly includes a fluid applied membrane air barrier and exterior insulation that sheds water and mitigates interior condensation. In contrast to the previous cladding design, a calmer palette of granite was developed, with lighter stone on the vertical surfaces, emphasizing the punched window fenestrations and softening the edges of the complex geometry. Darker granite was selected for the base of the buildings and the horizontal surfaces in the courtyards and side patios. The composition and finishes of the building façade work in tandem with the landscape design to create an integrated, high-performance, and welcoming environment for the residents.