PROJECT DETAILS
Client:
Space is Ltd.
Date:
2015
Location:
Hong Kong
SLEEEP is a Hong Kong innovative company that addresses the problem with sleep deprivation for urban professionals. The first SLEEEP capsule hotel was open in 2017 in Sheung Wan, a major business district on Hong Kong island. AEE served as a LEED consultant for the project. SLEEEP became:
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- The first LEED v4 Gold project in Hong Kong and
- The world’s first project to ever achieve LEED Gold using the LEED v4 ID+C: Hospitality rating system
The concept behind SLEEEP is pioneering for Hong Kong, providing short-term facilities for naps during the busy day of Hong Kong urban professionals. The space in Sheung Wan features capsule beds, minimalistic interior design and numerous energy conservation measures.
Project Introduction
The project is located in a aged residential building in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district. The location posed significant challenges in front of the design team which were consequently converted into opportunities for indoor environment and energy use optimizations. Since the space is focused on sleep and recreation, the daylight and views aspects are not material for the occupants and the project could focus on minimizing the heat gains through constructions instead. Since the base building did not provide any mechanical systems for the tenant, the mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning systems were installed by the project team which allowed high performance and efficiency.
Scope of Works
AEE provided a full range of sustainability design and certification services focused on LEED Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) v4 compliance including LEED project management, commissioning authority, energy modelling, ASHRAE code compliance calculations, and site measurements among others. As part of the project, the sustainability and building physics teams achieved:
- Water Efficiency – 59.7% reduction of annual potable water use
- Energy Efficiency – 22.6% reduction of annual energy use
- Mechanical Ventilation with Indoor Air Quality Control
- Locally manufactured furniture from FSC-certified timber
Some of the key energy efficiency measures included minimalistic design, dim lighting environment, optimized domestic hot water energy use, efficient air-conditioning equipment, heat recovery between HVAC condenser side and domestic hot water loops. AEE also provided comprehensive testing and commissioning services as Commissioning Authority (CxA) in order to verify all MEP optimizations are implemented as designed.
Further Information
SLEEEP addresses an important, yet underestimated, issue – sleep deprivation and poor quality of sleep in major urban centres. The SLEEEP capsules and capsule hotels provide urban oases in the business districts that allow professionals to have midday quality sleep.
The National Institute of Health reports a University of Pennsylvania study demonstrating that 4 to 6 hours of sleep for 14 consecutive days equal 3 consecutive days entirely without sleep. At the same time, the subjects “reported feeling only slightly sleepy and were unaware of how impaired they were.” Further studies show that sleep deprivation to have effects comparable to legal drunkenness.
To aggravate matters, overworking reduces time for sleeping, cultivating interpersonal relationships and recreation as well as reduces productivity, creativity, and quality of life.
