To solve the city’s deep-rooted housing supply issue and improve people’s housing situations, NWD founded New World Build for Good (Build for Good), a not-for-profit social housing enterprise that invited industry experts in land planning, housing, economic development, social welfare and livelihood concerns to explore new and sustainable housing models. It aims to conduct research in multiple directions and lead future pilot programmes to seek short to medium-term solutions, as well as long-term strategies that will help alleviate Hong Kong’s housing problems.

In early December 2021, Build for Good announced plans for Hong Kong’s first-ever subsidised private housing project, namely “New World Subsidised Housing”. The project targets to help young families tackle the challenges of a lack of capital for down payments and difficulty in making initial mortgage payments by offering new and high-quality flats at affordable prices. We are looking to donate a plot of land in the New Territories West to create approximately 300 flats for the younger generation to purchase at cost and exploring a special “progressive payment” mortgage arrangement to assist them in home ownership.

Our recent work through New World Build for Good builds upon social housing initiatives from the last several years. We announced in 2019 that the Group would set aside farmland reserves for NGOs and/or the Hong Kong SAR Government for the development of transitional homes for the underprivileged. Four transitional housing projects with sites lent by New World are located in Fan Kam Road, San Tin, Lau Fau Shan, and Tin Shui Wai, and are operated by Lutheran Church – Hong Kong Synod, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and Light Be. The four projects are expected to create close to 3,000 units benefitting over 10,000 individuals.

The State Theatre in North Point represents NWD’s first acquisition of a Grade I historic building in Hong Kong, highlighting our commitment to cultural preservation and revitalisation. We have assembled a team of multidisciplinary experts to contribute to our efforts in heritage conservation. This work includes conducting oral history interviews, salvaging artefacts, and undertaking extensive research to revitalise its cultural essence.
We have been continuously working on our stakeholder and community engagement programmes through a variety of immersive events and site tours, allowing stakeholders to identify emerging concerns and provide constructive advices. Our team of experts conducts regular reviews of local stakeholders’ perceptions to ensure that all concerns and areas for improvement are addressed. This ongoing dialogue has not only deepened our understanding but has also reinforced our commitment to cultural preservation.
Stakeholder and Community Engagement programmes highlights:
• A dedicated team focused on conserving heritage, culture and history, and formulating a comprehensive plan for conservation and development
• Over 100 oral history interviews with stakeholders such as historians, industry leaders and members of the local community
• More than 200 on-site tours involving local stakeholders, including the Government, media representatives, professional associations, and cultural-related organisations
• Two UNSDG Achievement Awards Hong Kong in 2024

Employees, contractors, tenants and customers are our valued stakeholders. In addition to the adoption of H&S management systems (including ISO 14001 and ISO 450001 under our construction subsidiaries), we have established a Health and Safety Policy which sets out our commitment to minimise health and safety risks. During the planning and construction stages of our projects, we implement the Supplier Code of Conduct to ensure suppliers are fulfilling safety requirements and delivering quality products and services. Health and safety awareness is enhanced by providing operational guidelines and conducting regular training for employees and contractors.

In FY2021, we launched a new Employee Assistance Programme, offering a counselling service provided by the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society to all employees. The service covers all aspects of mental well-being, from family relationships to financial management, parental stress, and more. Additionally, we launched our “WeCare Health Talks” series to disseminate wellness tips on improving sleep quality, managing stress, stretching and meditation.

We consider health and wellness as a centrepiece of our building designs and actively curate built environments to promote well-being and sustainable lifestyles. One of our more recent urban office redevelopment projects, K11 ATELIER King’s Road, is a WELL Certified™ Platinum healthy building located in Hong Kong’s Island East. The project showcases how we incorporate wellness to reinvent the modern workspace for tenants and users through a unique blend of architectural design and holistic tenant support. The rooftop garden boasts an extensive harbour view and a communal space that is complemented by a jogging path for users. Meanwhile, the extensive greenery and building setback from the pedestrian enhances comfort and provides a pleasing visual. In addition to enhanced indoor air quality and thermal comfort design, K11 ATELIER King’s Road functions as a healthy lifestyle hub. Through K11 ATELIER ACADEMY, we provide tenants and office users exclusive access to group fitness and mindfulness workshops to support the adoption of a green and healthy way of living.