Guangzhou is the capital of the Guangdong province and is located along the Pearl River, North-Northwest of Hong Kong and North-Northeast of Macau.  the city hosts a population of 12.78 million people making it the third-largest city in China and the single largest in Southern China. The city is the main manufacturing hub of the Pearl River Delta - a dense network of nine cities including Guangzhou as well as Shenzen, Zhuhia, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing - which is one of mainland China's leading commercial and manufacturing regions. In 2013 Guangzhou's GDP reached 248 billion USD and as the economy began to grow so did the construction.

Another very unique design of theirs was the double skin curtain walls. These walls are composed of an outer layer of glass that runs along the entire facade of the building on both the front and back sides and an inner layer of glass spaced 300 mm away. this creates an air gap between the two layers that can work as insulation as well as creating a space for them to put automated blinds which themselves are equipped with photo-voltaic cells so that when the interior of the building isn't utilizing natural lighting the building can be run by the energy generated from these cells. 

Guangzhou's image of sustainability is the Pearl River Tower. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Pearl River Tower sets a new bar for innovation when it comes to sustainability techniques. The 71 story building uses a number of techniques to increase it's energy efficiency but a couple of them really jumped out at me. 

The first and most noticeable are the wind turbines incorporated into the facade. On the 24th and 53rd floor there are two wind turbines that generate electricity for the building. The building's facade mainly revolves around this feature as it was designed to assist the wind toward the turbines and the building was tilted 12.8 degrees Southeast to maximize prevailing winds. The turbines operate at wind speeds between 4.5-16 m/s. Although the turbines do produce energy for the building they only produce 1-2% of the buildings energy requirements so they decision to put them in the facade was more of a symbolic gesture to show what can be accomplished with sustainability today. Although it was most likely not the most cost effective decision they could have made, it was certainly a huge milestone for sustainability in building design and could have a huge effect on the world in the future. 

Designed by Zaha Hadid, the four year old opera house is quite the conundrum. It was rated as one of the "10 best opera houses around the world" by USA Today yet seems to be falling apart around every corner. It was designed to resemble two rocks washed by the Pearl River but it seems that some of the "Pearl River" seemed to find it's way inside, for just one year later the building had major leaks due to its complicated facade. The exterior is created of 75,000 exterior stone panels along with glass and steel framework but due to the complex design and questionable workmanship of some of the construction companies that worked on the project many of the stone slabs have caused major leaks in the building and need to be replaced. The complexity of the design not only made it difficult to construct but the ability to maintain the structure suffers as well and as a result the attempts at fixing these leaks have created many eye sores throughout the interior of the building as a number of drainage pipes have been covered up by drywall protruding from the inside of the walls. 

This building provides an excellent example of how China's construction industry has been making great strides forward but still has a large way to go. Some of the world's most sustainable and well built buildings have been constructed in China but when corner's are cut to save costs buildings can end up being complete failures.

On top of this the building isn't even able to receive a resident opera company which i assume is caused by the expectation that it will not create enough revenue due to it's location - being in the center of a business district with little to no residential areas around it - along with it's noticeably poor condition after construction. Due to this, the building has a very low level of occupancy and therefore isn't properly maintained which, on our trip there on August 1st 2014, was made evident by it's water-stained and eroding walls, dirty floors, and incomplete room signage - among other things.

One of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China, Macau lies on the west side of the Pearl River Delta and is one of the new additions to the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region. Until December of 1999 when it was transferred back to China, Macau was a Portuguese Colony and the last European colony in Asia. Similar to Hong Kong, Macau was granted a high degree of autonomy for at least fifty years after the transfer. Macau rely's on mainland China for the majority of its food, fresh water, and energy imports as well as Japan and Hong Kong for its raw materials and capital goods. Because of this arrangement, Macau can afford to utilize most of its land for profitable buildings such as hotels and casinos, and in 2002 it became one of the world's richest cities and following that - in 2006 - became the world's biggest gambling center. As the world's biggest gambling center it only makes sense that Macau is home to the world's largest casino and thanks to Barry Wilson and Moses Ling, my class was lucky enough to receive a tour of this monumental establishment.

The Venetian is equipped with its own separate kitchen just for employees. There are 63 chefs cooking at any one time to feed up to 6,000 Venetian employees during any one shift which, after 3 8-hour shifts, can be up to 15,000 employees a day. In order to do their job all of these employees need uniforms. Each employee is given four uniforms and is assigned to a door where they can swipe their identification card and a conveyor belt will bring their uniform to the door where they can pick it up to change. The Venetian's uniform storage room holds over 200,000 pieces of clothing and launders 8,000 uniforms a day to a cleaning company that is hired specifically by The Venetian so that none of the uniforms are ruined. In order to return the uniforms to their proper placement after they are laundered, 24 employees - any one of which can handle up to 2,000 uniforms a day - work around the clock in the wardrobe room matching the uniforms to their correct places on one of four conveyor belts all by reading a code that is sewn into each piece of clothing with its owner and placement information on it. In order to ensure that none of the four conveyor belts that hold all of these uniforms breaks down they are maintained daily. 

The Venetian also has its own Maintenance Dispatch Center which answers calls for The Venetian as well as Sands and Sands Cotai Central. This central maintenance center answers dispatch calls for any of the three casinos and then notifies the respective maintenance center depending on what hotel it's for. The center receives approximately 500 phone calls a day as well as 1300 maintenance related requests. Maintenance calls for the gaming center are responded to in 15 minutes while other maintenance concerns are responded to in 30 minutes. In order to increase maintenance speed and efficiency there are 86 different technical teams that respond to specific tasks on the property. 

To maintain a comfortable temperature across the entire property 6 pairs of chillers are operated totaling 48000 tons of cooling and a monthly utility bill of $20 million.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_River_Delta_Economic_Zone
3. http://www.scmp.com/article/517442/nine-plus-two-might-make-crowd
4. http://www.som.com/projects/pearl_river_tower__sustainable_design
5. http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/06/pearl-river-tower-most-energy-efficient.html
6. http://www.newyork-architects.com/en/som/projects-3/pearl_river_tower-43402
7. http://gzdjy.org/intro.aspx
8. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8620759/Guangzhou-Opera-House-falling-apart.html9. 
9. http://www.archdaily.com/115949/guangzhou-opera-house-zaha-hadid-architects/
10. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/arts/design/guangzhou-opera-house-designed-by-zaha-hadid-review.html?pagewanted=all
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau
12. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/business/international/macau-rides-high-on-new-round-of-casino-construction.html
13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venetian_Macao
14. http://twistedsifter.com/2010/07/worlds-largest-casino-venetian-macao/
15. http://www.economist.com/node/9726642
16. http://www.macauca.com/seminar/pdf/VenetianParcel.pdf
17. http://english.people.com.cn/102775/208085/8365808.html

1. http://www.slcss.edu.hk/subjects/geog/PanPRD_e.gif
2. http://www.chinahighlights.com/image/guangzhou/guangzhou-location-map.jpg
3. http://megaconstrucciones.net/images/rascacielos/foto/pearl-river-tower-3.jpg
4. http://www.som.com/FILE/17902/pearlriver_sustainable_700x800_som_07.jpg?h=800&s=17
5. http://www.som.com/FILE/17810/pearlriver_mep_700x800_som_05.jpg?h=800&s=17
6. Brianna Castellanos
7. Brianna Castellanos
8. Brianna Castellanos
9. http://www.operationworld.org/files/ow/maps/lgmap/chnm-MMAP-md.png
10. http://www.helloholidays.com.my/media/2014/03/macau.jpg
11. https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6095/6333368181_4847447e9e_z.jpg
12. Matt Farrell
13. Matt Farrell

Running along the eastern shore of Lamma Island, Sok Kwu Wan mostly consists of seafood restaurants but is also home to the largest fish farming site in Hong Kong. Just a short Ferry ride from Central - Lo Shing beach offers a wonderful place to relax and have a picnic which makes it rather self-explanatory why it received that nickname Picnic Bay. 

Located on the northern tip of Lamma island, several decades ago Yung Shue Wan was the center of the plastics industry. Now - although it remains the most populated of the villages - the factories have been replaced by seafood restaurants, Hung Shing Yeh Beach and three different power sources operated by Hong Kong Electric, that supply all of the electricity used by Hong Kong and Lamma Island. 

Originally built in 1982, Lamma Power Station produces 3,736 MW of electricity to power all of Hong Kong and Lamma Island. The power station was entirely fueled by coal up until 2006 when a massive extension was added to incorporate natural gas. The extension was added on a 22 hectare site of reclaimed land just south of the original power station and five percent of the reclaimed land was created from recycled coal ash. The extension was designed to be a step towards green energy for Hong Kong. The extension brought six gas-fired combined cycle units which now has the power station utilizing natural gas as well as coal. The new units achieve a 55 percent overall efficiency by combining a gas turbine system with a steam turbine system, hence the name combined cycle. Rubble-mound seawalls on the south and west edges of the extension enhance colonization of marine organisms, the extension also collects rainwater from its rooftops for gardening and cleaning purposes. Another environmentally friendly step HK Electric is taking is not utilizing on-site storage. Since the gas is delivered to the island in its fully developed state, HK Electric is just using the pipeline as a tap and taking the gas as it's needed. The entire extension provides an extra generating capacity of 1800 MW which was part of the inspiration for HK Electric's next advancement to renewable and sustainable energy - Lamma Winds

The system comprises 5,500 amorphous silicon and 3,162 amorphous/microcrystalline silicon tandem junction modules. It is expected to generate 1,100,000 untis of electricity annually. The use of this solar energy in place of the coal-fire generation method previously used is estimated to reduce 915 tons of carbon dioxide emission every year. Site selection was one constraint that HK Electric had to face with the implementation of this method. A lot of flat non-shaded space was needed, so to fulfill this requirement the panels were placed on the rooftops of the Main Station Building as well as the Boiler House, the Lamma Power Station Extension, and other plant buildings on the island. All of the panels were set facing South with an incline of 22 degrees to maximize the light input from the sun.

In addition to using a more environmentally friendly means of creating electricity HK Electric goes one step further, by using amorphous silicon thin film cell. These thin film cells HK Electric reduces their carbon footprint by using approximately one percent of the silicon needed for a conventional crystalline silicon cell.

In 2010 Hong Kong Electric commisioned a solar power system as an addition to it's electricity production systems. The original system generated 550 kW of electricity which was the largest of its kind in Hong Kong as well as the first large scale project to apply the amorphous silicon thin film photovoltaic. In 2011 the system was expanded to have a capacity of 1 MW due to the original system's outstanding performance and in March 2013 the expansion was completed. 

Lamma Island is slowly becoming another one of Hong Kong's monumental steps to building a more sustainable city. 

1. http://www.hkkf.com.hk/index.php?op=show&page=travel_lamma&
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamma_Island
3. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/aboutus/index_en.htm
4. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/Generation/Index_en.htm
5. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/DistributionPlanning/Index_en.htm
6. http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/wp&g_supplies.pdf
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamma_Power_Station
8. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/LammaExtension/index_en.htm
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamma_Winds
10. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/RenewableEnergy/Index_en.htm
11. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/RenewableEnergy/ExhibitionCentre/Index_en.htm
12. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/RenewableEnergy/Construction/Index_en.htm
13. http://www.hkelectric.com/web/AboutUs/SolarPowerSystem/Index_en.htm

1. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/1_lamma_island_panorama_2011.jpg
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3. http://media.expedia.com/media/content/shared/images/travelguides/destination/12150/Lamma-Island-44465.jpg
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11. http://www.hkie.org.hk/prodImage/dtl/06103116,13,22.JPG
12. http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/images/see-do/great-outdoors/large/1.5.1.2.5-Lamma-Winds_03.jpg
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Spanning nearly 4000 miles, The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure on earth. It's construction began in 200 B.C. under the rule of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang and has been continuously rebuilt and maintained throughout the years. Today the Great Wall provides an immaculate tourist location where anyone can come and experience the incredible structure and ponder how such a thing could even have been built, while also taking in an amazing view of valleys and mountain ranges. To me, there was nothing more mind blowing than first looking down over the edge of the wall and realizing how insanely tall and large it was, and then looking out and watching the wall run along the mountain ranges so far that it was completely out of sight. Coming from a construction background it made me question so many things. How could it even have be done? Were the stones carved at the bottom and then brought to the top of the range, or did they carve them on site? How did they even get them up? Donkeys? Pure man-power? How ever they did it, it was certainly remarkable and i'm sure it came at a cost.  

My class spent two days and one night at the Great Wall. The first day we took the normal tourist path up to the wall and walked along the well-maintained sections, which was fun, but not too much of a challenge. The second day we went a little off the map. We took a dirt path behind some old farm houses and went up the ridge. A little more of a challenge but when we made it up to the top, it all became worth it. Waiting for us at the top of the ridge was the "Wild Wall" a section of the Great Wall that was no longer maintained and left to deteriorate piece by piece. If you like adventures and are up for a rewarding challenge, I highly recommend it. This was by far one of the greatest experiences I've had to date. Although the wall was falling apart around every corner it was still standing somewhat strong for the number of years it was left to rot. 

1. http://www.stoneforestatmutianyu.com/index.html
2. http://www.brickyardatmutianyu.com/rooms.html
3. http://www.theschoolhouseatmutianyu.com/artglass.php

1. http://tripideas.org/assets/img/189691525_750_mutianyu---great-wall-of-china.jpg
2. Matt Farrell
3. Matt Farrell
4. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VKAtSAnv1yU/TK1ezAh8lJI/AAAAAAAAEx0/2aCYgneBKMI/s1600/blogger157.JPG
5. http://sparksheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Schoolhouse-at-Mutianyu.jpg
6. http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/9d/fd/7e/filename-dsc02078-jpg.jpg
7. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/attachement/jpg/site1/20080626/0013729e4a9d09cd25332b.jpg
8. http://www.easytourchina.com/images/Photo/stay-overnight-at-the-foot-of-mutianyu-great-wall/p920_d20130408161707.jpg
9. http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/d2/ee/dc/brickyard-eco-retreat.jpg10. http://www.stoneforestatmutianyu.com/gallery.html#
11. http://www.stoneforestatmutianyu.com/gallery.html#
12. Matt Farrell
13. Matt Farrell

To me, One of the most symbolic structures in the Palace was the Tower of Buddhist Incense. Built on the hillside facing southward to Kunming lake it stands 41 meters tall with a 21 meter foundation and is one of the most visible structures there. The building has three rather tall floors which i assume was chosen for Feng Shui purposes as the number three seems to be popular in China when constructing things with good energy and each level has a beautifully decorated eave that protrudes from the building. Inside the first floor stands a five meter tall, five ton statue of thousand-handed Kwan-yin Buddha which i assume was not the favorite god of whoever had to carry the statue up the massive staircase to the tower. Still, one of the most remarkable aspects of the tower, which is the same for the entire Palace, is the attention to detail. Not only were all of its structural and architectural members connected using mortise and tenon joints but seemingly ever single piece was decorated by hand with detail that looked as if it would have taken someone an entire day to do and there were sections where many of the pieces were painted with individual artwork that appeared to be nothing like any of the other members. This pattern is consistent through the entire palace, there are sections of covered walkways where you can walk the entire thing without finding a beam with the same artwork as another and it is truly mesmerizing.

 Another interesting aspect of the tower is its drainage. The Chinese seem to be very fond of walled-in courtyards but with any walled-in design drainage systems for rain water must be implemented and they always seem to find an aesthetically appealing way to go about it. First the rain water falls of the beautifully decorated eaves of the tower, then to the main walkway around the base of the tower where it flows through weep holes in the edge of the railings and then spills out into the courtyard. From there the water goes through the main courtyard and travels again through strategically placed weep holes that send the water outside of the walls where it runs along a drainage path created to take it to the lake. Not an ugly gutter or floor-drain in sight. 

1.http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summe
r/buddhist.htm
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mer.htm
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summer-palace
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buddhist-incense-at-summer-palace-not-to-be-missed/
5. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summ
er/boat.htm

1.http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/daodao/photo-s/03/fd/04/9c/caption.jpg
2. http://blogs.baylor.edu/artsandsciences/files/2013/06/Palace-corridor-ceiling-Unknown-2-1vvzm4a.jpeg
3. Matt Farrell
4. Matt Farrell
5. Matt Farrell
6.http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GpZOZRPNXro/T5kHQfgRGrI/AAAAAAAAr7M/HcDM1msPcaQ/s0/kunming%252520lake.jpg
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Energizing Kowloon East Office is a government office that was assigned the task of bringing Kowloon to life and retrofitting it to become a satellite business district. Here we learned about CBD2 or Central Business District 2 which is being created by EKEO as a satellite business district for Hong Kong's central business district. CBD2 is broken down into three major parts: Kai Tak waterfront development, Kowloon business area, and Kwun Tong business area. Kowloon east can provide 7.1 million square meters of land for the new CBD2; 1.7 million from Kai Tak development, 3.5 million from Kowloon bay and Kwun Tong development, and 1.9 million from existing developed areas. But EKEO is not simply interested in just turning this old manufacturing district into a new business district, their vision goes far beyond that. EKEO is a pioneer in place making. What is place making you ask? Place making is creating an environment where people want to work, play, walk, relax, and live. They want to create an enjoyable urban area, and that's exactly what they're going to do. Their plan for CBD2 consists of four major elements: Connectivity, Branding , Design, and Diversity.  Enhancing the connectivity of the area is a huge part of their design, they want people to be connected to the city and not just live in it. In doing this many parks and play areas will be brought into the city, streets will be turned into "green boulevards" by lining them with trees, and environmentally friendly linkage systems will be implemented throughout the city for pedestrians to be able to access every wonderful part of this phenomenon. Another major goal is to give the area somewhat of a brand name, give it some recognition that everyone will realize as the new Kowloon. An international ideas competition is going to be launched to find the best proposal for the water body between the old airport runway and Kwun Tong Waterfront. One interesting idea that was given was a water park wonderland right on the water, pretty out there for a central business district, i thought, but certainly an attention grabber. If you're interested in a taste you can visit the Kwun Tong promenade which is located right along the bay near the EKEO office and see a section of one of their place-making sites finished for use, it's quite impressive. All in all a very interesting approach that really leaves you on the edge of your seat to see more.

Enterprise Square Five is a 1.6 million square foot office/retail landmark located in Kowloon and designed by Kerry Properties. It is comprised of two 15-story office buildings and Megabox, a 19-story shopping center. Although its two office buildings are certainly no eye-sore, Megabox is by far the main focus of property. with all of it's 1.1 million square feet, making it the largest shopping mall in Eastern Kowloon, there is no one that this megamall won't surprise. The mall contains the first ever commercial IMAX theatre in Hong Kong as well as having the only ice rink in Hong Kong to meet international standards. It's riddled with high-speed escalators and its exciting design makes sure that there is always something to look at. Not to mention you'll never leave hungry as there's something for everyone when it comes to dining. Although this mall seems to have everything, it does have its downfalls. Although it provides a 1000 car parking garage, it you're coming by train you may be in for a disappointment as the nearest subway station is  a 15 minute shuttle ride away and even though it is a free service it is not always the most reliable. 

Across from legendary Megabox shopping mall lies a beautiful green area with the revolutionary Zero Carbon Building. The Zero Carbon Building utilizes many different techniques to ensure that it is self-sufficient when it comes to energy usage. Its main methods to do this are its passive design, active systems, and use of renewable energy. 
Passive design is the use of natural elements in the design of the building. ZCB utilizes this in thirteen different ways. Its main techniques are using wind and the earth to cool down air used in the ventilation systems as well as using a number of different glazing and shading techniques to block out heat from the sun and using "light pipes" to reflect sun light from domes on the roof into the rooms of the building for natural lighting. 
Active systems are systems such as electrical and mechanical systems that in the ZCB are created to be extremely energy efficient to save power. Some of ZCB's active systems are high-volume-low-speed fans and a high temperature cooling system, which works more efficiently to cool the building instead of using up extra energy. It also utilizes natural light to cut back on electricity, a regenerative lift that saves energy, and a bio-diesel tri-generation system that combines heating, cooling, and power generation as well as using biofuel made from waste cooking oil which makes it 75% energy efficient compared to 40% for most conventional power plants.
Finally ZCB has two main sources of renewable energy: biofuel, which was already mentioned, and photovoltaic panels. ZCB has three different types of photovoltaic panels which can generate up to 87MWh of electricity per year. All of this together is what makes ZCB Hong Kong's first completely energy self sufficient building and is a huge step forward in Hong Kong's transition to a low carbon economy.

Telford Gardens is an excellent example of one of Hong Kong's self-sufficient communities. It includes 41 residential blocks that were built in 1980 as well as two plazas with a wide variety of amenities. The complex has restaurants, banks, shops, department stores, a kindergarten, community center, music and dace centers, clinics, and part of the City University of Hong Kong. Telford Gardens even has its own clubhouse that includes swimming pools, tennis courts, and a fitness center. The clubhouse was originally open to the public but as of 2006 is members only. The area utilizes overhangs that connect most of the entire area and it is even connected to a very nearby MTR station making it easy to acquire whatever you may need regardless of the weather. Telford Gardens shows how simple and convenient life in Hong Kong can truly be.

What is now the Kowloon Walled City Park occupies one of the most historical sites in the area. First fortified in 1668 the importance of the area wasn't appreciated by China until the British occupation of Hong Kong island in 1841. In 1846 a walled garrison city was constructed as a fort used by the Chinese to help defend themselves from the British. In 1898 the New Territories were handed over to the British for a 99 year term and in 1899 British troops were sent to take over the city and the Qing officials and soldiers were expelled from the city. This led to the deterioration of the city and eventually caused it to become a somewhat lawless area. During the Japanese occupation of 1941-45 the walls of the city were torn down to build the nearby Kai Tak airport. Once the Japanese left, highly illegal and poorly constructed high-rise tenements were built back to back and the area became riddled with drug dealers, criminals, and unlicensed "professionals" of many varieties. In 1987 the decision was made to clean up the area, rid it of its illegal structures, and build a park and in 1994 demolition was finally completed. Now a beautiful 31,000 square meter park with eight individual scenic zones stands in its place becoming just another example of the immaculate things that Hong Kong can accomplish.

The Wong Tai Sin Temple is home to three different religions: Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. It is named after the famous Wong Chuping who began following Taoism when he was fifteen and achieved enlightenment forty years later, becoming immortal. Many people from all around the world visit the temple to have their fortunes told. They light joss sticks, kneel down in front of the main altar, make a wish, and then shake a cylinder full of "fortune sticks" until one falls out. The fortune stick is then taken to a fortune teller and exchanged for a piece of paper bearing the same number as the stick, their fortune is told to them based off of the number they received. The temple has many worshippers in Hong Kong and is therefore very busy all year long, especially around the Chinese Lunar New Year and Wong Tai Sin's birthday which is the twenty-third day of the eighth lunar month.

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7. http://www.timeout.com.hk/media/fck/images/154/kwc-main-977x635.jpg
8. http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/48/cb/91/kowloon-walled-city-park.jpg
9.http://static.asiawebdirect.com/m/phuket/portals/hong-kong-hotels-ws/homepage/attractions/wong-tai-sin-temple/allParagraphs/04/image/wong-tai-sin-temple-02.jpg