A Unified Voice for Building Professionals

Chartered Association of Building Engineers set up its first overseas office in Hong Kong to further grow its largest member base out of the UK.

Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) is an international recognised professional body and a global network that gathers and supports building professionals around the world. Its members work across the life cycle of the building environment specialising across a wide range of disciplines, including architects, surveyors, engineers and construction managers.

Founded in 1925 in London as Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors, CABE expanded to Hong Kong where the largest group of members outside the UK and Ireland reside. The Hong Kong office is also its very first overseas office in its 95 years of history. “We have over 1,000 members registered in Hong Kong, which comprises our biggest membership base outside of the UK,” said Kyran Sze, Chairman, Hong Kong Chapter. “While the city has approximately 400,000 people in the building engineering workforce, there is a huge potential for us to expand and mature.”

“Our membership size has grown significantly in the past five years with notable increases in student and international members, especially in Asia Pacific regions such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. It is essential for us to set up a local office in this important market to drive membership recruitment, raising more awareness of our work locally and internationally,” he added.

Unrivalled talent pool of building engineers

Sze thinks that building engineers in Hong Kong are highly competent and experienced. “Hong Kong’s building professional are often challenged by the lack of space due to the high population, but they have unrivalled skills and ability to come up with world class buildings and infrastructure design to maximise living and working space. They are a truly valuable asset.”

Hong Kong is CABE’s Asia Pacific headquarters managing its activities in Singapore, Malaysia, Macao and Mainland China. To support its members’ career growth, the organisation regularly hosts Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events to uphold members’ standard. Moreover, CABE members can access its extensive worldwide network in the industry to share experience and exchange ideas.

“Besides providing support to our members, we will also continue to build connection with government departments, private companies and employees, with an aim to raise CABE’s reputation in the industry, and connect with allied institutes to create synergy and enhance our credibility in the field,” Sze said.

With the development of Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Sze sees a gap that building engineers can fill. “This is a great opportunity for building engineers to unleash their potential and strengthen in providing sound professional services. We also hope to encourage more young people to engage in our industry and sustain the talent pool. With Hong Kong as a base, we will strive to put more effort to cover Singapore as well as Belt and Road countries and GBA, radiating our experience in Hong Kong to these regions,” Sze concluded.