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HONG KONG, 30 July 2024 –Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) and Department of Health co-organized the 2nd Breastfeeding Room Design Competition to raise awareness on the needs of breastfeeding mothers. Results of the competition were announced at today’s celebration event for World Breastfeeding Week 2024.

With representatives from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects joining the judge panel, this year's competition featured the addition of a professional category, inviting experienced industry practitioners to participate and incorporate enhanced considerations for environmental protection and safety. The competition drew a wide range of submissions from the region including Macau, Shanghai and Malaysia. All nine winning entries demonstrated exceptional creativity, practicality, and inspiration in catering to the holistic needs of breastfeeding mothers.

Dr Libby Lee, JP, Under Secretary for Health, said that the Hospital Authority will establish a breastmilk bank and formulate the related mechanism for breastmilk donation in 2025 to provide breastmilk for infants and young children who cannot be breastfed by their biological mothers, with a view to benefitting the premature and severely ill babies in need. Furthermore, aiming to provide a suitable and friendly environment for breastfeeding mothers to continue breastfeeding in the community and workplace, the government has been making publicity efforts to encourage the implementation of the Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace policy and foster the establishment of "Breastfeeding Friendly Premises" in public places.

Dr Barbara Lam, JP, Council Member of UNICEF HK, remarked, “Having more breastfeeding-friendly facilities in the community will certainly support mothers to sustain breastfeeding practice. We earnestly encourage all sectors to proactively "go the extra mile" in supporting breastfeeding mothers. This can be achieved by thoughtfully repurposing existing facilities and resources to establish nursing rooms that comprehensively cater to their needs.” She also welcomed Hospital Authority’s initiative to establish Hong Kong’s first human breastmilk bank in 2025 and urged support for mothers willing to donate breast milk, which contributes to the health and development of every child.

As part of our ongoing "7,000 Days of Life" campaign for the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) that children must grow up in a protected environment, UNICEF HK is dedicated to safeguarding children’s development from the prenatal phase to adulthood. Specifically for newborns and infants, the "Say Yes To Breastfeeding" campaign launched since 2015 has received support across all sectors of the community, close to 2,300 workplaces and venues across Hong Kong have been recognized as "Breastfeeding Friendly Premises".

Ms Lavin Chan, Director, Advocacy & Community Outreach of UNICEF HK presented awards to the winners.

Corporate Category Winners:

Most Innovative Design Award Winner: Hong Kong Baptist Hospital

Design Concept Overview:

The wavy-edged countertop design in the breastfeeding room can improve the visual appeal and reduce visitors’ anxiety towards an unfamiliar space. The adjustable iPad stand allows mothers to enjoy relaxing music during breastfeeding and cherish the precious moments with their babies.

It is a baby-friendly premise with well-equipped facilities, such as a user-friendly water basin with a hot/cold water mixer, a hot water dispenser, a mini-fridge for the temporary storage of expressed milk, and a USB socket outlet for charging the self-carried milk pump or mobile device.

The room also provides a sitting area for the accompanying family members to cultivate a family-centered atmosphere.

Most Practical Design Award Winner: Nan Fung Property Management – AIRSIDE

Design Concept Overview:

There are 5 private nursing rooms equipped with automatic doors, “occupied” indicators, touchless switches and emergency intercoms, providing privacy and accessibility for breastfeeding mothers and pram-using families.

Rounded-edge diaper-changing stations with disposable changing-mats are equipped in private nursing rooms and diaper-changing area, with step-on diaper waste bins nearby. There are also amenities like distilled water dispensers, bottle sterilizers/ warmers, and UV light sanitizers, providing full support for parents. Hand-picked fragrance-free necessities, including baby lotion, hand sanitizer and disinfectant, are offered to cater for babies’ sensitive skin.

Most Inspirational Design Award Winner: ELEMENTS

Design Concept Overview:

The baby care rooms on the first floor (water area) and second floor (fire area) are both fully equipped and both of them have separate private breastfeeding rooms, allowing mothers to breastfeed their babies with peace of mind. The baby care rooms also provide distilled cold and hot water, comfortable diaper changing pads, and hand sanitizer. To ensure the hygiene standards of the baby care rooms, the mall will regularly conduct cleaning and disinfection. Accompanying family members can also rest on the comfortable sofas and prepare for their next exciting journey.

Professional Category Winners:

Most Innovative Design Award Winner: Ng Kei Yiu Alex

Design Concept Overview:

This design seamlessly merges functionality and aesthetics, creating a comfortable and visually appealing environment that fosters a deep sense of well-being and connection between mothers and babies. The design emphasizes natural lighting and ventilation, using a one-way mirror glass wall and skylights to introduce natural light while also preserving privacy. The six interconnected cubicles adopt the shape of embryos, evoking the close bond between mothers and their babies.

Most Practical Design Award Winner: Chan Ka Man Sally

Design Concept Overview:

The breastfeeding room fully utilizes artificial intelligence technology. When the mother steps into the room, the AI sensors will control different settings, such as lighting, temperature, humidity, and background music accordingly to ensure a comfortable environment for mothers and babies. By collecting user feedback and usage data, the AI can forecast the usage demand of the breastfeeding room at different times of the day to avoid queuing and determine the time slots for sanitization. Additionally, the breastfeeding room has an information screen that provides breastfeeding guidance and support for nursing mothers.

Most Inspirational Design Award Winner: Lam Wing Tung Esther

Design Concept Overview:

Mothers may wish to enjoy the beautiful sceneries of various locations together with their babies. However, there are many constraints in taking infants to places with extreme weather conditions. Therefore, this design utilizes a 3D dome projection system to transport mothers and babies virtually to stunning natural settings, such as polar with aurora, cherry blossom groves, snowy landscapes, and even underwater. The carefully crafted form of the breastfeeding room, with its dome-like shape, can enhance the sense of immersion and safety for the mothers and babies. Through this seamless fusion of art and technology, mothers and babies can easily enjoy extraordinary immersive breastfeeding experiences.

Individual Category Winners：

Most Innovative Design Award Winner: 陳棓琛

Design Concept Overview:

This breastfeeding room also serves as a baby care suite, enabling mothers to complete various caregiving tasks, including breastfeeding, collecting and storing breast milk, diaper changing, bottle warming and cleaning, all within an arm’s reach and with minimal steps. The space is utilized highly efficiently, not only saving the nursing mothers’ time and effort, but also making it suitable for installation in a variety of settings due to its compact footprint. Many of the facilities within the space feature touchless designs, further catering to the cleanliness needs of infants.

Most Practical Design Award Winner: 陳毓堅

Design Concept Overview:

This is a mobile breastfeeding pod design, prioritizing the effective utilization of limited space, flexible functionality, and accessibility. By addressing common challenges around space constraints, it aims to encourage the wider provision of comfortable breastfeeding facilities in public settings. The modular, mobile design can be combined or used individually as needed, allowing for easy deployment in diverse settings including but not limited to streets, shopping malls, and the countryside, further catering to varying requirements and budgets.

Most Inspirational Design Award Winner: Tan Chee Sing

Design Concept Overview:

This breastfeeding space has a joyful theme. Smiley faces are placed all over the room, creating warm and cozy experiences for mothers and children. Importantly, this design caters to the needs of families with multiple children, as nursing mothers may bring their toddlers into breastfeeding rooms but may not have the time or attention to care for them. Therefore, the design includes entertainment facilities and safety features for toddlers. For example, the wash basin area utilizes a sliding partition to create a separate, safe zone for young children, preventing them from getting too close and potential safety risks.

Congratulations again to the winners of the 2nd Breastfeeding Room Design Competition! Your creativity and practical solutions have made a positive contribution to promoting breastfeeding. We call on all corporations and citizens in Hong Kong to continue their unwavering support to ‘Say Yes To Breastfeeding’ campaign and work together to create breastfeeding-friendly spaces and society.