Guided Walk: HKU Main Campus with Landscape Architect Gavin Coates

Date :
Saturday, 2 December 2023
Time :
10:30 - 12:30
Venue :
Meet at Sun Yat-sen Place outside G/F, Knowles Building
Cost :
$200 Member; $250 Non-member; Free for HKU student with valid ID
Limit :
20
Enquiries :
Winnie Tang at [email protected] / 9471-2673 or Patricia Lee at [email protected] / 2241-5507
Note :
Optional lunch with speaker afterwards on share-cost basis

The Main Campus of the University of Hong Kong covers about 14 hectares in the Bonham Road and Pokfulam area of Hong Kong Island. The hilly terrain makes for a unique landscape and variety of vegetation types. As the oldest tertiary education institution in Hong Kong, the buildings represent a diversity of architectural styles, but that is not all! The spaces between the buildings are home to a wide range of interesting trees and other flora. We are privileged to organize a guided tour with Mr. Gavin Coates, Senior Lecturer of Landscape Architecture at HKU, to get acquainted with some of the notable trees and plants, and the intriguing stories they have to tell.

The route is hilly but not rough. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water, hat and sunglasses. Mosquitos should not be out in force at this time of year but do bring mosquito repellent if you’re susceptible to their attentions.

Speaker
Gavin Coates is a Senior Lecturer at HKU’s Division of Landscape Architecture teaching Planting Design and Ecology, Landscape Technology including topography, and Landscape representation including hand drawing. He is a Registered Landscape Architect in Hong Kong, Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects, Chartered Member of The Landscape Institute (UK) and a Member of the Chartered Society of Designers (UK).

After graduating in 1980 he joined leading British landscape consultancy, Brian Clouston and Partners in London, transferring in 1982 to the Hong Kong office BCP Hong Kong (now ACLA Limited). He participated in several key Projects for the Hong Kong Government including Tseung Kwan O New Town infrastructure, various public housing estates, Yuen Long Town Park and the design of the waterfall area of Hong Kong Park.

From 2004 to 2015, Mr. Coates served as Principal Landscape Architect at ACLA Limited in Hong Kong, primarily involved with the design and site supervision of the Greening Master Plan programme instigated by the Civil Engineering and Development Department of the HKSAR Government, projects requiring a range of skills from city-wide urban planning, through streetscape improvement and waterfront promenade design, to detailed practical planting design and participation in public street tree planting events.

Mr. Coates is also well known as an illustrator and author of environmental children’s books.

 

Photo credit:
https://www.digarb.hku.hk/