Dr Roy Denoon explains why Hong Kong's expertise in skyscraper design is in demand around the world

Scottish-born Dr Roy Denoon is Hong Kong's "wind man" - a wind engineer consulting with construction giant Ove Arup to ensure that Hong Kong's tallest buildings will be safe in the event of typhoons. His expertise is now being exported to various skyscraper projects around the world, among them the giant CCTV Tower in Beijing.

"Height is Hong Kong's most potent architectural currency. Limited land availability means there will always be a need for both residential and commercial tall buildings, and this has resulted in Hong Kong developing the technology and some of the best understanding for designing and constructing tall buildings.

The challenge for engineers is to design more efficiently and economically, particularly while meeting ever higher expectations of quality and safety.  Fortunately for me, wind engineering plays a big role in this process. There is a real thrill in seeing people working and enjoying their leisure time in the tall buildings that I have worked on.

Hong Kong's architectural and engineering firms have developed a reputation for expertise in very tall structures - whether these be commercial office buildings, corporate headquarters, hotels or mixed-use facilities. Hong Kong's advancement in construction techniques enables it to provide one-stop tall building solutions, from financing to project completion. Of course, this includes the knowledge and technical capabilities to deal with the wind management of buildings.

These skills learnt in Hong Kong are definitely exportable.  A large number of Hong Kong construction companies participate in major infrastructure projects in the Chinese mainland; they understand the requirements of different provinces and cities and have hands-on experience working in the mainland. We are currently partnering with Chinese design groups on a number of major projects in mainland China, such as the new CCTV headquarters and the Beijing National Stadium.

Expertise in demand worldwide

Our experience in Hong Kong allows us to bring a new set of specialist skills to construction projects across Asia and worldwide. For example, I am currently working on projects in China, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Iran, the UK and Switzerland.  Another example of the exportability of tall building skills is that one of our leading structural engineers in Arup Hong Kong, Craig Gibbons, had a leading role in the Institution of Structural Engineers investigations and review of design practices in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy.

Since the collapse of New York's World Trade Centre towers, structural engineers and their profession have received a great deal of public attention. However, Hong Kong's buildings are very safe. Many of Kong Kong's tallest buildings have been designed by world famous architects such as I.M. Pei, (Bank of China) Lord Norman Foster (HSBC Bank Tower) and Cesar Pelli, (the 88-storey Two IFC Tower, which was recently declared by to be among the world's safest buildings).

The trick to designing tall buildings in windy places such as Hong Kong is to minimise structural material usage for economy and sustainability, but retain enough stiffness so that the people working on the upper floors don't know the building is moving in the wind. To ensure this happens when an architect suggests a new shape, we perform wind tunnel studies to optimise the shape of the building and make sure it's safe. We are fortunate in Hong Kong that The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has state-of-the-art equipment and expertise to carry out these tests.

I worked on the Sydney Olympic stadium and carried out wind tests during the Olympic Games. While this was a huge buzz, it doesn't compare with looking at Hong Kong's dramatic skyline, studded with some of the most impressive buildings in the world."

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Ove Arup