Woodside Biodiversity Education Centre

This is a restoration and conversation project for the Woodside residence, originally built as one of the staff quarters for Butterfield & Swire. The building silently stands at the hill slope overlooking Quarry Bay and is the only remaining block of its group. Surrounded by a lush natural landscape, the building survived the war occupation and underwent several ownership transactions before landing into the list of government properties. The project converts the residence into a Biodiversity Education Centre managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The verandahs as a key architectural feature are re-constructed, and considerable efforts are exerted to re-build the external fabric using modular bricks that are no longer available in Hong Kong. Inside the timber staircase and structure are strengthened but the character preserved, and a new lift tower is added to facilitate universal access. A new skylight is added at the heart of the building that introduces quality daylight into the interior space. Finishing materials are preserved and new materials are carefully selected to re-create the storyline of Woodside.