Surveys have been conducted to obtain information about the building design and energy end-use characteristics of high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. The building design characteristics data obtained include the floor areas of residential flats, the ratios of the areas of bedrooms and living and dining rooms to the total flat area, the window-to-wall area ratios, the types of fenestration, and the external-shading devices in facades of residential buildings. The energy data obtained include the household energy and electricity uses, and the type and quantity of appliances used in residential units. The saturation rates of various domestic appliances and their utilisation patterns, and the annual energy use for air-conditioning and water heating in residential units in Hong Kong have been estimated based on the collected data. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.