From Shelter to Home

From the enhancement of building efficiency, reduction of production costs, accurate prediction of the interplay between works and the environment, improvement of the work environment, to the protection of construction workers’ safety, the assistance of technology plays an indispensable part.

The Housing Department team has begun studying and applying the Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS) since early 2000. After many years of trial and modification, they have evolved into the new Project Information Management and Analytics Platform launched in 2023. With the assistance of digital information technology, project teams can easily grasp the site conditions, monitor the construction progress and prevent accidents. To reduce the chance of construction site workers working at heights or in dangerous environments, automatic robots, drones, etc. have become important ancillary tools.
In addition, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) introduced the use of Modular Integrated Construction (MIC) in works for the first time in 2023, whereby the contractor produces large prefabricated modules in a factory and then transport them to the construction site for installation. “Factory assembly follow...

Building homes while being people-oriented has always been the concept of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA). Therefore, during the development process, the team of architects would not just focus on buildings. Great importance is also attached to the respect for natural ecology, the protection of traditional culture, as well as the care for neighbourhood community. “Symbiosis and co-existence” has become an important motto in the development blueprint for public housing.

In recent years, many public housing estates have been constructed in the New Territories. It is not too difficult to find many environmental protection facilities in the housing estates. From waste reduction, material recycling, energy saving to greening and other aspects, the Housing Department team duly retains natural materials and incorporates them into the design of the housing estates, so as to create a healthy and comfortable living space that is in harmony with the countryside environment.

Furthermore, the HA devotes much effort to preserve and pass on the historical and cultural legacies surrounding the development areas. Through cooperation with artists as well as communication and coordination with different stakeholders in the community, the architects have incorporated considerations for heritage conservation and humanity during the design process. Building a new community does not mean that the old traditional culture...

At present, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) manages a total of 193 public housing estates with over 810 000 public rental housing (PRH) flats, serving 2.1 million Hong Kong people. Since the 1980s, HA has implemented the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme involving the large-scale demolition and redevelopment of old PRH blocks between 1987 and 2012. To this day, with social development and the increased aspiration for better living environment, public housing redevelopment projects remain to be implemented in a timely and orderly manner. Among the ten redevelopment projects being planned and implemented at present, the largest project is Wah Fu Estate, which was built over 50 years ago in the Southern District on Hong Kong Island. In this redevelopment project, 9 200 flats of Wah Fu Estate will be demolished in three phases and the residents will be rehoused in situ in five newly-built reception estates nearby. It is anticipated that 12 200 PRH flats can be provided upon the completion of the whole project.

With such a large redevelopment and rehousing project, how do the staff of the Housing Department communicate with the residents of the district to facilitate their understanding of the rehousing arrangement and principles behind, and to formulate a “people-oriented” redevelopment and rehousing strategy that invites the participation of residents in designing community facilities, so as to take into full account their views and needs? How can the original style of Wah Fu Estate, with rich architectural characteristics and historical significance, be preserved in the new building cluster? On the other hand, in an era where the society increasingly emphasises environmental protection and conservation, the Administration, apart from considering “redevelopment”, also has to keep environmental protection and conservation principles in mind, and pursue the principle of “more conservation and less demolition” as far as possible. The Housing Department has implemented the “Total Maintenance Scheme” (“TMS”) since 2006 to proactively provide on-site inspection and repair services for PRH flats to improve the living environment, lengthen the lifespan of public housing estates and enhance economic efficiency by preempting problems. In recent years, the TMS model has been extended to cover the “Responsive In-flat Maintenance Services” with simplified maintenance procedur...