Garden of kNOw Carbon House

Built in 1913, the building that now houses kNOw Carbon House (formerly the Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre) originally served as the Wan Chai Post Office. It is the oldest surviving post office building in Hong Kong and was declared a monument in 1990.

In this project, we transformed the monument’s courtyard from an aging garden into a small communal space designed for flexible use. Sustainability was adopted as the core design principle: reclaimed wood from felled trees was used as the primary material throughout the garden. Most landscape elements — including the terrace, planted feature wall, resin benches, and decking — were fabricated locally using wood that was collected and processed in Hong Kong. The selected timber also showcases common tree species found in the city, such as Acacia confusa, Bombax ceiba, Celtis sinensis, Ficus microcarpa, Melia azedarach, and Leucaena leucocephala.

Through this approach, the garden becomes not only a communal space but also a living exhibit of how Hong Kong’s natural resources can return to serve in new forms.