Altering existing buildings can provide benefits that outweigh rebuilding, architect says
Architect Chow Wai-lee is an advocate of an overlooked approach towards property development in Hong Kong -- adding to and altering existing structures for new uses
Chow Wai-lee, the founder of WDA Group, has nearly 30 years of local and international experience in the construction industry, having worked on projects in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and other countries.
She graduated from the Oxford Institute of Architecture and completed her Master of Architecture degree at the University of Washington in the United States.
Chow was born in Hong Kong and her devotion to architecture is inseparable from her family and upbringing. Her father, Chow Yei-ching, is the chairman and managing director of Chevalier International Holdings, which has businesses ranging from property and hotel management, engineering and construction, to food and beverages. He was a passionate supporter of multiculturalism.
What made you enter the industry?
When I was a kid, my father always brought me to his office on Saturday. Every time I saw his staff drawing buildings and floor plans, I was very excited and copied them. I also have a strong sense of space in architecture and I enjoy the process of holding hands with clients to solve problems.
Why is additions and alterations (A&A) building works so important?
