Rachel Chong, an Associate at Woods Bagot Hong Kong Studio, joined the panel at the Innovation Summit Hong Kong 2023. The event, themed “Smart Homes and Smart Offices: From Convenience to Necessity – The Impact of Technology on the Future of Home Living” was organized by BCI Central in partnership with Schneider Electric.

Chong was joined by esteemed speakers from various backgrounds, including Wesley Liu and CM Jao from Hong Kong Interior Design Association (HKIDA) and Bernald Kwok from Schneider Electric. Together, they explored the advancements and implications of smart home living and intelligent offices, as well as potential risks and challenges associated with smart homes & offices, and how they can be mitigated, and whether smart homes can be used to promote energy efficiency and sustainability.

Rachel noted that future interior design practices could leverage smart office measures to enhance spatial planning. By using smart office tracking data, such as the occupancy analysis, businesses can improve space usage and identify underutilized areas. This data-driven approach will enable interior designers to make corresponding adjustments, thereby improving planning efficiency.

Smart living systems, through their ability to manage energy by adjusting lighting, heating and cooling based on occupancy, time of day and weather conditions, not only reduce energy waste but also enhance overall efficiency. This change affects not just interior design practices but also the way clients perceive energy-saving measures.

Rachel shares, “the pandemic has really sped up how we use digital tools in our work. Companies are now seeing that going digital isn’t just about convenience – it’s a necessity for staying adaptable and sustainable. And with more of us working from home or in flexible situations, smart solutions aren’t just ‘nice-to-haves’ anymore – they’re the new normal for how we manage our work. For interior designers, we’re not just creating spaces, we’re crafting solutions for a rapidly evolving work culture.”

The Innovation Summit Hong Kong 2023 is a platform for industry leaders and partners to discuss the transformation and futureproofing of enterprises by adopting more intelligent sustainability solutions.

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Shirley Hao
Content and Communications Leader (China)