Meet Anthony Wong, Associate, Hong Kong

14 September 2019

14 September 2021

Hi Anthony, please tell us a little about your role at EOC.
Hi, I’m an Associate in the Hong Kong office of EOC, leading the facade engineering projects in Asia. We work with many aspirational clients and architects in the region and I would say my main role is finding ways to enable their architectural visions from the conceptual design stage, doing the technical analysis and detailing, and through to working with contractors to fabricate, test and install the final products. I work on all kinds of facades, from minimalist all-glass constructions to highly modular curtain walls on high rise buildings, and everything in-between.

How did you get into facade engineering?
During university I had a summer placement at a small technical engineering firm in London working on niche residential and art projects that involved a wide variety of materials. As I was studying for a Masters in Civil Engineering at the time, this really piqued my interest in facades as it was more diverse than the conventional steel and concrete structures. I was also motivated in seeing how components were designed and put together to create a building skin, approaching the process like a kit of parts. After graduating from Imperial College in 2008, I then joined the facade team of a multinational engineering firm and have been working on facade projects around the world since.

What is the most interesting project you are currently working on?
I’m currently working on the rooftop banquet hall on top of a new skyscraper in Central Hong Kong with Zaha Hadid Architects. It’s a really challenging project, not just because we require a technical solution for a highly transparent all-glass enclosure with huge panels under high wind loading, but since it is on a high-rise roof top the logistics of installing and maintaining it are also very complicated.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hong Kong is a city surrounded by nature trails so you will probably find me out hiking. Either that or out walking my dog, a rather spritely Bichon Frise!

What advice would you give to somebody that’s thinking about getting into facade engineering?
Facade engineering is a really broad subject that involves a team with a wide range of skills and knowledge to arrive at the final product attached to a building. I would advise newcomers to develop an interest in a few of these areas early on to become knowledge leaders in particular aspects within their team. For example, it could be in using digital design software, structural analysis methods, thermal assessments or even freehand sketching to communicate ideas more clearly to collaborators. For me, I enjoy the practical aspect the most – understanding how facade components are made and put together to achieve millimetre tolerances on site to deliver a really well detailed building envelope.