AIA offers welcoming, campus-inspired workplace

The insurance group’s headquarters in Hong Kong has an indoor track, gym and sports hall.

Visitors to AIA Group’s headquarters in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai District could not help but feel warm and cosy as they are surrounded by off-white walls and high ceilings with a slick shine, and an atrium staircase.

They are greeted by giant red letters on a glass pane with the words “HEALTHIER, LONGER, BETTER LIVES” as they enter the lobby, whose walls have rectangular recessed patches of green jungle.

But AIA is not a campus. It’s a finance corporation, the third-largest insurance group in the Asia-Pacific region by market capitalisation, based on S&P Global.

AIA Group is trying to promote a healthy lifestyle among its employees by equipping its Hong Kong headquarters with amenities that one would normally see in a first-rate hotel or sports club, not in a regular insurance office.

The company’s revamped headquarters, which opened in May, include a 200-metre indoor, air-conditioned running track, a gym with see-through walls, and a multi-purpose sports hall with a motorised basketball hoop system, all designed to enhance employee well-being.

​

The 22-storey building can house 1,800 employees — 50% more than the capacity of the original building that was built there in1969.

“Witnessing our colleagues enjoying the new facilities, such as the multi-purpose hall and the indoor running track, has been immensely rewarding,” Parkes Lee, head of Real Estate Investment at the AIA Group, told Hong Kong Business.

“Our gym boasts a 98% satisfaction level, reflecting a strong positive impact on our employees’ health and wellbeing,” he said.

“The multi-purpose hall has also received great feedback for its versatility, hosting everything from corporate events to employee-led fitness activities such as badminton, pickleball, and Movement Mondays,” he added.

​

Lee said the running track is the first of its kind for corporate headquarters in Hong Kong. 

The building also boasts a unique feature for any building in Hong Kong — a continuous 80-metre atrium staircase connecting the lobby on the ground floor all the way to the top.

Model example

The AIA building secured pre-certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), which is awarded to properties that support occupant well-being.

The pre-certification extends beyond WELL — it is also pre-certified for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and BEAM (Building Environmental Assessment Method) Plus Platinum, which are globally recognised green building certification systems.

The building earned its pre-certifications thanks to features such as solar panels, a biodiesel generator for self-produced power, an organic food garden, and electric vehicle charging stations.

Natural daylight enters the headquarters through its glass exterior, with a three-metre floor-to-ceiling height, while giving employees views of the city. The building also features a rainwater capture and storage system that supplies water to the gardens.

​

Lee said these features reflect the AIA Group's commitment to its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, which include achieving net zero by 2050. The group’s ESG philosophy also shaped the design and architecture of its headquarters.

“The design and architecture of our headquarters is inspired by a visionary urban campus concept, emphasising elements of collaboration, connection, health and sustainability,” he said. “It reflects our dedication to creating a workplace that nurtures our employees both professionally and personally, while also being environmentally conscious.”

Lee said the AIA Group believes that the features and sustainable design of its headquarters in Hong Kong would “provide a model example for the future of workplaces in the city and other markets.” 

The AIA Group headquarters in Wan Chai was the first high-rise commercial building outside Central Hong Kong, paving the way for the central business district's expansion eastward. 

Lee said the AIA Group retained its historic and “ancestral” property, whilst providing a modern platform for the company’s continued growth. “The AIA Group’s redeveloped headquarters is a testament to our enduring heritage and commitment to Hong Kong, as well as our full confidence in AIA’s bright future.”