Environment : Looking, feeling and experiencing in Austin Hong Kong by ARCH2058

ENVIRONMENT :

AUSTIN Station ARCH2058 Modern Architecture | Fall 2021 Assignment 3: Guide Book

Environment: Looking, feeling and experenicing in Austin Hong Kong

Man Wai Monique Lee 3035742475 Kwok Hoi Wing Ivan 3035820409 Chan Wing Lui Vanessa 3035740453

Introductory Text of the Walking Tour You will be Looking, Feeling, and Experiencing the Environment in Austin with this walking tour. Starting from the building cluster around Man Cheong Street, this tour introduces to you three symbolic building typologies that represent the architecture in this area in relation to the Environment. As if walking on a timeline, the three sites take you through a time tunnel, from the 1970 building cluster around Man Cheong Street to 21st-century architecture - The Austin, and the West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station. The final stop of the tour looks upon the entire Austin with the previous sites all in view in the same scenery, allowing you to revisit the sites from a bird's eye’s view.

SITE 1 : Man Wah Sun Chuen Having the longest history of private housing estate, Man Wah Sun Chuen was built in 1965 and became a signature of Hong Kong in old age. Man Wah Sun Chuen is a typical old urban site in Hong Kong, which consists of eight blocks, designed in cuboids and arranged in columns and rows. Overall, Man Wah Sun Chuen has the simplest architectural design and urban planning. One of the special features of the eight buildings is that they each have an indented rooftop which helps light and ventilation to get into both its infrastructure and the street. The distance between buildings is very short, therefore it can be actually observed that the width of the streets are quite narrow. Generally, the proportion of the height of the buildings to the width of the street is too large, which makes the housing estate become a dense area with lack of recreational and free space. In terms of programming, Man Wah Sun Chuen is not just an urban site for living, but also for communal and commercial purposes. For instance, there are restaurants and stores on the ground floor and companies inside the buildings. Moreover, another special feature of Man Wah Sun Chuen would be the multi-functions of programmes in an urban environment.

SITE 2 : The Austin Hong Kong, a city that is so densely populated, is no stranger to the building wall-effect. It is when a series of identical buildings are placed tightly adjacent to each other, creating a “wall” that is not only unpleasant to look at, but also arouses other problems such as the obstruction of light and ventilation. The Austin, on the other hand, is a residential complex that defies this phenomenon. Opened in 2014 along with adjacent complex Grand Austin, The Austin comprises four towers and a total of 576 units. Designers left two large holes in the centre of the buildings, to offer something visually different to the scene, as well as provide an entryway for light and allow for better ventilation. The irregular orientation of all four towers also helps with the equal distribution of light and ventilation to its surroundings. Facades and shapes within the complex are curvy with minimal sharp corners. Walkways are also curved. These features imitate naturalistic elements which humans are instinctively more appealed by, as opposed to straight lines and sharp corners found in more traditional buildings that appear harsh and oppressing. Communal spaces with a considerable amount of greenery are also provided within the complex to dissolve the boundary between structure and nature. As much as this feels common in today’s world, it wasn’t as much in older days, as can be seen from Man Wah Sun Chuen where there is an absence of podiums, gardens or greenery across the estate.

SITE 3 : West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station Hong Kong, a city that is so densely populated, is no stranger to the building wall-effect. It is when a series of identical buildings are placed tightly adjacent to each other, creating a “wall” that is not only unpleasant to look at, but also arouses other problems such as the obstruction of light and ventilation. The Austin, on the other hand, is a residential complex that defies this phenomenon. Opened in 2014 along with adjacent complex Grand Austin, The Austin comprises four towers and a total of 576 units. Designers left two large holes in the centre of the buildings, to offer something visually different to the scene, as well as provide an entryway for light and allow for better ventilation. The irregular orientation of all four towers also helps with the equal distribution of light and ventilation to its surroundings. Facades and shapes within the complex are curvy with minimal sharp corners. Walkways are also curved. These features imitate naturalistic elements which humans are instinctively more appealed by, as opposed to straight lines and sharp corners found in more traditional buildings that appear harsh and oppressing. Communal spaces with a considerable amount of greenery are also provided within the complex to dissolve the boundary between structure and nature. As much as this feels common in today’s world, it wasn’t as much in older days, as can be seen from Man Wah Sun Chuen where there is an absence of podiums, gardens or greenery across the estate.

Looking, Feeling and Experiencing in Austin Hong Kong: The Ever-evolving Austin Scenery by Lee Man Wai Monique

Introduction Austin is a residential district heavy of renewal and development. The implementation of many large building projects within Austin and its surrounding areas and a rise in awareness towards the benefits of green spaces have drastically changed the visual and physical experience of Austin’s residents, visitors and workers. Meanwhile, developers working on Austin land also have ambitious plans for the future that are expected to continue contributing to the ever-evolving Austin scenery.

The Evolving Look Structures Between 1933-1971, Austin consisted of Jordan Road Ferry Pier, Bus Terminus, and a range of residential buildings that were mainly low-rise except for Man Wah Sun Chuen, a private housing estate consisting of forty-eight identical set-back buildings positioned regularly within a rectangular space.1 In 1971, the area was greeted with the construction of Canton Road Government Offices.2

The scenery provided for users of Austin is not limited to what is located within this area, but also noticeable buildings from its surrounding locations. Reclamation of West Kowloon land beyond Austin commenced in the 1990s and completed in mid 2003s. 3 Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, modern high-class residential complexes such as Sorrento and The Arch

To satisfy the light and ventilation requirements, on an urban scale, some buildings are built with stepped height, ensuring adequate light and ventilation around the community7. On the building scale, some buildings are built with stepbacks, to ensure sufficient sunlight and airflow adjacent to the building8.

Using the stepback building cluster and The Austin as examples, this essay will discuss the relationship between building typologies and light and ventilation in modernist residential architecture in Austin, Hong Kong. The subsequent discussion provides further insights and implications on possibilities for urban planning and future developments in Hong Kong in regards to light and ventilation.

Origin of the Stepback Building Typology In the 1960s, overcrowded inhabitation conditions have placed immoderate pressure on the city’s infrastructure and have led to inadequate sanitary conditions in living environments9. The lack of infrastructure and meagre provision of natural light and ventilation gave rise to multiple health catastrophes10. Through the government’s enforcement of Public Health and Building Ordinances in an attempt to satisfy ventilation and light requirements, building designs with elements such as stepbacks and indentations were introduced to cheek-by-jowl buildings to comply with the regulations11.

Buildings under the Ordinance - Stepback Building Typology Motivated by concerns over health and sanitary conditions from the frequent epidemic outbreaks in the mid-1900s, daylight stepback angles were enforced above certain heights to permit taller

buildings whilst meeting light and ventilation requirements. The Building Ordinance (s.51) was enacted in 1935 with its contents transferred from The English Public Health Act of 1875, setting the 63.5-degree light-angle rule for regulating building heights to allow sunlight to filter through between buildings and reach the streets12. Years later, the new 1969 Building (Planning) Regulations (s.16) permitted considerably higher building heights, as long as it obliged the 76-degree rule, a more vertical angle for the stepback13. With this enactment, buildings could be built three to seven stories higher14. These moulded the resulting sloping-profile stepback building forms we see nowadays. These volumetric constraints were dependent on the site context, including the widths of adjoining streets. Generally, wider streets permitted taller buildings15.

Despite the high costs of construction of the stepbacks due to the irregular structural framing, it was nonetheless favoured by landlords as they were able to maximise their profits by selling the increased floor spaces in the additional levels, even if this meant there were decreasing areas for each of the stepback floors16. The eight buildings around Man Cheong Street have stepbacks for five levels each. The stepbacks are apparent on both sides of every building, with the side facing south on Man Cheong Street being the exception. Stepbacks were unnecessary for this façade, as it was at the corner of a major road junction and sunlight and wind could reach the streets without immediate obstructions.

The Resulting Unintended Consequences to Building Typologies Under the Building Ordinance

The Building Ordinance led to disastrous unintended consequences of legislation and regulation17. The street shadow regulations under the Building Ordinance of 1935 were primarily implemented for the anticipated effects of ensuring the minimum provision of natural sunlight and air ventilation onto street level18. Absurdly, the result was a discomforting “canyon effect” for pedestrians that obstructed daylight and airflow19. Moreover, lighting was the foremost concern of the legislation. The importance of ventilation was to a certain extent neglected. The regulations were set according to street shadow area calculations - completely mathematical and without a comprehensive consideration of the actual orientation of the sun and ventilation20. Informal additional constructions in the form of illegal or ad-hoc structures further worsened the public health situation due to the lack of effective measures to combat them21.

21st Century Urban Design Guidelines With the more relaxed building guidelines in recent years, the Hong Kong Government has developed “Urban Design Guidelines” that accentuates light and ventilation recommendations and requirements for the dense, hot-humid city of Hong Kong22. These guidelines have a stronger urban-scale focus compared to the previous Building Ordinances, highlighting the importance of strategic design and planning in order to assist wind flow. An example is aligning air paths with prevailing wind directions to allow effective air movements into the urban area to remove heat and to improve the micro-climate of the environment23.

21st Building Typology to address Light and Ventilation – The Austin The Austin comprise various features that are designed specifically to address the issues of light and ventilation. A podium-free design is employed at The Austin, as opposed to the dominant

tower and podium typology in Hong Kong high-class residential buildings. This typology allows airflow to penetrate and enhances air ventilation24, allowing most of the downwash wind to reach the street level, as opposed to the typical compact podium structures with large ground coverages that hinder air circulation25. With new technologies of construction, high thermal performance insulated glass panels are utilized for The Austin, reducing solar heat gain whilst maximising natural light penetration into the buildings26. Moreover, the 43m high by 10m wide urban windows at each individual building, seen as the voids in the façades facing the prevailing wind directions, permit natural breezeways and enhance air permeability, and provide entryways for light27. The windows at common corridors also promote ventilation28, controlling the micro-climate and ensuring a healthy environmental quality within the estate which is crucial for wellbeing29. The presence of balconies at all flats are beneficial to indoor environmental quality, including indoor air quality, along with thermal and acoustic comfort30.

The towers are oriented at different angles on plan and the heights vary on elevation, breaking the wall-effect of the buildings and giving rise to the four visual corridors which stimulate natural airflow to maximise air penetration31. Gaps are designed to be at the face perpendicular to the prevailing winds between building blocks to further enhance air permeability32. The varying tower heights adopt a stepped height profile33, with descending heights towards the direction of the prevailing wind. This promotes airflow from the neighbouring Victoria Harbour and ensures reasonable visual permeability to the ridgelines34. The gradation of building heights promotes wind deflection and avoids air stagnation35. The stepping height profile optimises the wind-capturing potential of buildings and can divert winds to lower and pedestrian levels36.

Moreover, the stepping building heights minimise adverse visual impact to surrounding residents37.

The Austin is rather short in height as compared to other residential buildings built in the 21 st century in Hong Kong38. Stepping down the buildings’ height is done in respect of integrating with the low-rise buildings in the neighbouring areas39. This height control may not be the most favourable for profit-making but it is certainly beneficial to the environment of the urban area, ensuring sufficient light and ventilation.

Evaluation of Building Typologies for Light and Ventilation - Future Implications Austin provides a retrospect into how building typologies have changed throughout the years, particularly in regards to light and ventilation. With many ongoing neighbouring constructions, future additions to this area shall complement the existing similar to how Austin has done so – respecting the neighbouring buildings’ height and light and ventilation regulations even with the more forbearing building guidelines.

According to the parameters set by the Hong Kong Energy Efficient Office of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, The Austin can be classified as a highly energy-efficient building, particularly in terms of light and ventilation40, suggesting this building typology is worthy of reference for future development in both Austin and in other districts. On the other hand, the unintended consequences of inadequate planning of the setback building cluster suggest that with the technology we have nowadays, the setback building typology is no longer up-to-the-minute, hence less-worthy of touching upon for future residential developments.

With the pandemic in place, everyone in society is paying increased attention to the importance of ventilation and natural lighting in regards to health and hygiene, comparable with how frequent epidemics shaped Building Ordinances in post-war years. It is crucial for architecture to be designed for functionality in regards to the environment, on top of its aesthetic needs. The ever-continually improving building guidelines in Hong Kong should ideally meet its present-day needs yet also plan ahead for a sustainable and environmentally-sound future in architecture, on both a micro and macro scale. It is pivotal to optimize urban designs for increased wind penetration, particularly in the public domain, for long-term improvement to Hong Kong's wind environment, providing thermal comfort in the built environment41.

As suggested by the Planning Department of the Hong Kong government, the direction of urban design in Hong Kong should focus on the basics of urban design, striving for both a high quality built environment and high quality of life42. Thus, strategic urban planning with foresight and with a holistic consideration of multiple aspects is crucial for an effective and sustainable long-term urban development. This prevents the reoccurrence of past problems in future generations and aims for adequate natural light and ventilation for all urban areas.

Notes

1. “Hong Kong Population Density 1950-2021” accessed December 22, 2021, https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/HKG/hong-kong/population-density. 2. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 3-4, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 3. Steven N. S. Cheung, “Rent Control and Housing Reconstruction: The Postwar Experience of Prewar Premises in Hong Kong,” The Journal of Law & Economics 22, no. 1 (1979): 34, http://www.jstor.org/stable/725212. 4. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 6-7, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 5. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 1, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 6. “Urban Design Guidelines for Hong Kong,” RMJM Hong Kong Limited; Planning Department, Hong Kong SAR Government (November 2002), 6. 7. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 42, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf.

8. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 4, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 9. Barrie Shelton, Justyna Karakiewicz, and Thomas Kvan, “Massing and Rising: The Post-War Decades,” in The Making of Hong Kong From Vertical to Volumetric, 2013, 72. 10. Barrie Shelton, Justyna Karakiewicz, and Thomas Kvan, “Massing and Rising: The Post-War Decades,” in The Making of Hong Kong From Vertical to Volumetric, 2013, 72-73. 11. Barrie Shelton, Justyna Karakiewicz, and Thomas Kvan, “Massing and Rising: The Post-War Decades,” in The Making of Hong Kong From Vertical to Volumetric, 2013, 77-79. 12. Hendrik Tieben et al., “Environmental Urban Design and Planning Rules and Their Impact on Street Spaces in Hong Kong and Macau,” in Proceedings of 8th Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU) (8th Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU), Incheon, Korea: MDPI, 2015), 586, https://doi.org/10.3390/ifou-D016. 13. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 4, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 14. Steven N. S. Cheung, “Rent Control and Housing Reconstruction: The Postwar Experience of Prewar Premises in Hong Kong,” The Journal of Law & Economics 22, no. 1 (1979): 48, http://www.jstor.org/stable/725212.

15. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 4, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 16. Steven N. S. Cheung, “Rent Control and Housing Reconstruction: The Postwar Experience of Prewar Premises in Hong Kong,” The Journal of Law & Economics 22, no. 1 (1979): 48, http://www.jstor.org/stable/725212. 17. YC Richard, Wong, “Building Codes and Postwar Reconstruction in Hong Kong,” accessed December 19, 2021, http://wangyujian.hku.hk/?p=6100&lang=en. 18. Hendrik Tieben et al., “Environmental Urban Design and Planning Rules and Their Impact on Street Spaces in Hong Kong and Macau,” in Proceedings of 8th Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU) (8th Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU), Incheon, Korea: MDPI, 2015), 586, https://doi.org/10.3390/ifou-D016. 19. Francisco García Moro, “The Death and Life of Hong Kong’s Illegal Façades,” ARENA Journal of Architectural Research 5, no. 1 (July 20, 2020): 7, https://doi.org/10.5334/ajar.231. 20. Wah Sang Wong, “Effects of the Building Code on Construction and Design of Hong Kong Residential Buildings in the Colony,” ed. A.J. Arumugham et al., MATEC Web of Conferences 68 (2016): 5, https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166813006. 21. Francisco García Moro, “The Death and Life of Hong Kong’s Illegal Façades,” ARENA Journal of Architectural Research 5, no. 1 (July 20, 2020): 9, https://doi.org/10.5334/ajar.231.

22. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 30, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 23. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 33-34, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 24. “The Austin and Grand Austin - BEAM Plus Online Exhibition,” accessed December 19, 2021, https://greenbuilding.hkgbc.org.hk/projects/view/99. 25. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 41, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 26. “The Austin and Grand Austin - BEAM Plus Online Exhibition,” accessed December 19, 2021, https://greenbuilding.hkgbc.org.hk/projects/view/99. 27. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 41, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 28. “The Austin and Grand Austin - BEAM Plus Online Exhibition,” accessed December 19, 2021, https://greenbuilding.hkgbc.org.hk/projects/view/99.

29. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 46-47, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 30. Hao Qin, “Natural Ventilation of High-Rise High-Density Residential Buildings of Hong Kong,” 2015, 31, https://doi.org/10.5353/th_b5689243. 31. “The Austin & Grand Austin, Austin Station, Hong Kong, 2015,” Wong Ouyang, accessed December 19, 2021, https://www.wongouyang.com/projects/the-austin-grand-austin/. 32. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 40, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 33. “The Austin & Grand Austin, Austin Station, Hong Kong, 2015,” Wong Ouyang, accessed December 19, 2021, https://www.wongouyang.com/projects/the-austin-grand-austin/. 34. “Urban Design Guidelines for Hong Kong,” RMJM Hong Kong Limited; Planning Department, Hong Kong SAR Government, November 2002, 5. 35. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 36-37, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf.

36. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 41, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 37. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 47, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 38. Ivy Q Blackman, David H Picken, and Chunlu Liu, “Height and Construction Costs of Residential Buildings in Hong Kong and Shanghai,” November 21, 2008, 15. 39. “Urban Design Guidelines for Hong Kong,” RMJM Hong Kong Limited; Planning Department, Hong Kong SAR Government (November 2002), 6. 40. “Energy Efficient Building” (EMSD Hong Kong, December 2018), 4. 41. “Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 11: Urban Design Guidelines” (Planning Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, August 2021), 30, https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/pdf/ch11.pdf. 42. “Urban Design Guidelines for Hong Kong,” RMJM Hong Kong Limited; Planning Department, Hong Kong SAR Government (November 2002), 4.

Looking, Feeling and Experiencing in Austin Hong Kong: The Ever-evolving Austin Scenery by Chan Wai Lui Vanessa

eventually emerged in the scene. Later came Austin station that opened in 2009 and built in the original site of Jordan Road Ferry Pier after the facility and Canton Road Government Offices were subsequently demolished. ICC, completed construction in 2010, also added to the scenery as the tallest building of Hong Kong.4 The Austin and Grand Austin were constructed in 2014 on top of Austin station, covering the original site of the Canton Road Government Offices. 5

In 2018, the Hong Kong West Kowloon Terminus (WKT) opened after a six year delay. 6 Tall structures within the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) including the Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority head office tower and M+ Museum are the latest additions to the Austin scenery.

Among the current scene that consists majorly of high rise modern private housing complexes, Man Wah Sun Chuen is one of the oldest in Hong Kong to still stand today.7

Future Projects Austin overlooks WKCD which has been under construction since September 2013. The finished Cultural District is anticipated to include seventeen venues.8 Moreover, Sun Hung Kai Properties was commissioned to construct two 122m and 148m tall buildings above WKT. These are designated for commercial use and will consist of hotels, offices and retail space.9

Outdoor Communal Space All recently built residential complexes in the area have podiums, gardens or parks with greenery due to planning regulations set up by the government. Hong Kong’s current Planning Standards

and Guidelines was re-edited in 1990 and occasionally updated.10 Modern residential complexes started appearing in the area around ten years after the implementation of regulations, securing a specific amount of green and communal spaces within Austin. The chapter on “Recreation, Open Space and Greening” in development projects was refined in October 201511 , leading to the addition of even more greenery and public open spaces.

After the introduction of WKT, a Sky Corridor on top of the terminus and a spacious artificial topography surrounding the main structure has significantly increased the amount of greenery and communal space within Austin. There are placement of bushes, trees and patches of green throughout its artificial topography as well as along the curved line structures of the main terminus.

Curvy Architecture There is an emerging preference for curvy lines and forms in latest architectural designs. The WKT takes an overall curvy dome shape constructed with a series of lines drawing from the ground and reaching across the landscape.12 The architectural piece resembles an organic structure situated on the landscape, contrasting with the high-rise residential buildings in its surroundings. Additionally, almost all elements of the project incorporate curves. Furniture including benches and light poles13 , green patches, the Sky Corridor and manmade topography have minimal sharp corners.14 Nonlinear structures are also found in Austin’s residential buildings, such as curved walkways and irregularly shaped and oriented towers of The Austin and Grand Austin.

Curves are generally felt to be more beautiful and less harsh due to its better resemblance of nature. It has been long since psychologists looked into the idea that we respond to curves more positively than clear straight lines,15 yet advancement of building technology in recent years has made it more possible to implement irregularity into architectural projects.16

User Experience

Tourists The WKCD project is said to promote art and culture, but the ultimate aim of the project is to attract tourism. The WKT also allows for mainland visitors to gain easier access to Hong Kong. 17 The design of these areas are hence largely driven by the goal to attract tourists and boost the city’s economy.

WKT provides fresh architectural sceneries for visitors to explore. Large green recreational spaces around and above the terminus as well as at WKCD, being within walkable distance from Austin station, could arouse pleasant feelings from viewing and making use of these spaces that also provide shopping and dining options. Recreational spaces incorporate greenery. Along with the curvy terminus structure, these elements are fresh and pleasant to look at. Overall, Austin is an intriguing place for tourists who come to seek leisure.

Residents

There are a large variety of residential choices around Austin and the adjacent Kowloon station. The area may be a good choice for the middle to high class population who can afford the relatively high and increasing rent18, 19 and living expenses.They themselves could also enjoy the newly developed spaces with very high accessibility.

Older residential buildings such as Man Wah Sun Chuen remain on the opposite side of Jordan Road. While increased tourist activity may be disturbing for residents in general, it may be more so in older buildings that are less soundproof and not as strong in security. New addition of high rise buildings have also largely blocked the view of the harbour from these old buildings.1, 20 Moreover, construction for the many projects around the area are a major disadvantage for long-term users of Austin, forcing them to be exposed to high levels of air and noise pollution.

For Work There are numerous small local businesses scattered around older regions of Austin and a series of commercial buildings beyond Canton Road towards Jordan station. With the opening of Austin station, accessibility to these buildings have increased. Moreover, the area is much less busy compared to other commercial areas such as Central or Kwun Tong, yet construction similarly affects workers in the area. The expectation of two large commercial towers on top of WKT will possibly bring a larger working population to the area. Working in these buildings are likely to be a pleasant considering the developer’s vision to create prestigious commercial spaces.9

Consequences of Development Plan vs Outcome Large scale projects face uncountable encounters that are inconsistent with the original plan and require decisions that may lead to development paths away from the original. Examples from Austin and its surroundings have demonstrated that proposed plans usually have space for negotiation. In 2014, the original gross floor area and fifty and seventy meter height restrictions22 of WKCD were relaxed by seven to fourteen meters23 upon an application to “optimize the development potential” of the site.24 The two 122m and 148m buildings approved for construction on top of WKT exceeds the original 100m height restriction by almost half. 21

In a dynamic city, regulations are generally created based on an overarching view of the overall situation. For example, some height regulations are set to minimize the blocking of views, light and ventilation for older projects. Yet when looking specifically at the development of each project, it is usually tempting to consider benefits for the individual or pressures to maintain relationships with involved organisations, thus negotiations tend to easily lack consideration for existing structures or the environment.

Never-ending Construction It seems as though the only permanent feature in the scenery of Austin are construction sites for proposed projects. The ambitious endeavour for development follows with the extensive time required for construction, particularly for projects in this area that tend to be very large in scale. For example, WKCD is planned to take forty-six years to complete17 while the construction of WKT took a total of seven years after the delay.6 The high amounts of air, noise pollution and

killing of scenery can be physically demanding on everyone in the space particularly its long-term users.

Constantly being in the process of development may tame to the initial excitement towards the anticipation of a new site. While families witness the process of construction, it is not guaranteed how much the finished outcome is, if at all, beneficial to them. The possibility of anticipating a tall building that would ruin the view may further cast a negative impression on these projects. Projects are always advertised to be attractive but the process of development is very gradual. The long wait for the final outcome, possibly succeeded with the start of another construction project, seems as though Austin’s scenery can never actually reach its optimal state as a living, leisure and commercial space.

Conclusion Austin has witnessed, and continues to see many bold moves of urban development. The abundance of building projects proceeding one after another contributes to the rapidly and dramatically evolving scenery of Austin. While development brings monetary benefits and keeps the city exciting with fresh spaces to explore, too much and constant change, on the other hand, may be problematic. Keeping modifications to just the right amount can instead end up in more user satisfaction, which is the key to maximise business potential of development projects.

Notes

1. “Jordan Ferry Pier, and Man Wah Sun Chuen in Yau Ma Tei under Construction.” Drainage Services Department. Accessed December 22, 2021. https://www.dsd.gov.hk/30A_monograph/eng/images/page3/27.jpg. 2. Chong, Fat. “HK Canton Road Government Offices.” Wikimedia, January 14, 2018. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/HK_CantonRoadGovernment Offices.JPG. 3.

Civil Engineering and Development Department, HKSAR, Provision of Land and Infrastructure: Regional Development. “S1 West Kowloon Reclamation,” 2020. https://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about-us/achievements/land/regional-development/s1-w est-kowloon-reclamation/index.html.

Design Build Network, Projects. “International Commerce Centre (Union Square Phase 7).” Accessed December 22, 2021. https://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/mass_transit/.

5. “The Austin Overview,” July 23, 2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/The_Austin_Overview_20160 7.jpg. 6. Lee, Ada, and Kang-chung Ng. “Hong Kong to Guangzhou Express Rail Link Facing Delay of up to 2 Years, Says MTR.” South China Morning Post, April 15, 2014. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1482898/hong-kong-guangzhou-expr ess-rail-link-facing-delay-2-years-says-mtr.

Lam, Janice. “Hidden Hong Kong: A History of Tong Lau, the Colourful Tenement Building in Hong Kong.” Localiiz, October 26, 2021. https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-history-tong-lau-tenement-building-hong-kong.

“West Kowloon Cultural District - Verdict Designbuild.” Accessed December 22, 2021. https://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/west-kowloon-cultural-district/.

“Broad Development Parameters of the Applied Use/Development in Respect of Application No. A/K20/133 (Review under Section 17).” Town Planning Board, May 31, 2021. https://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/tc/plan_application/Attachment/20210611/s17s16fi_A_K 20_133_1_gist.pdf.

10. Planning Department, HKSAR, Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. “List of Key Amendments in Reverse Chronological Order,” July 2021. https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/full/hkpsg_amend.htm. 11. Refer to for details on recreation, open space and greenery regulations: “Planning Standards and Guidelines, Chapter 4: Recreation, Open Space and Greening.” Planning Department, HKSAR, Hong Kong, 2015. https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/hkpsg/sum/pdf/sum_ch4_en.pdf. 12. “Hong Kong West Kowloon Station,” October 2018. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Hong_Kong_West_Kowloon_ Station_view_201810.jpg. 13. Chan, Vanessa. “Curves at West Kowloon Terminus.Jpg.” Accessed December 22, 2021.

https://drive.google.com/file/u/4/d/1qCiku-pNXsyOsT-gh0H9q1BmDVf4DM9p/view ?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook. 14. Tsang, Denise, and Alvin Lum. “Mainland China Will Only Be Charged HK$1,000 per Year for Hong Kong High-Speed Rail Terminus.” South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Economy. Accessed December 22, 2021. https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/methode/ 2021/01/19/bb80899a-5a53-11eb-a99a-beae699a1a1d_image_hires_213213.jpeg?itok =4CtFfAh8&v=1611063142. 15.Lee, William Adams. “Do These Buildings Turn You on? The Strange Psychology of Curvy Architecture.” CNN. Accessed December 22, 2021. http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/26/world/do-these-buildings-turn-you-on/index.html. 16. West Kowloon Terminus as an example of how modern techniques are applied to construct and engineer an irregular structure: Chong, Alecs, Mike Tapley, Mathieu Bessodes, and C. Hau. “Construction and Engineering of the Iconic West Kowloon Station Roof in Hong Kong,” 2018. 17. “Economic Impact of Developing the West Kowloon Cultural District Executive Summary.” Economic Analysis Division, Economic Analysis and Business Facilitation Unit, May 2007. https://web.westkowloon.hk/filemanager/en/share/doc/report/WKCD_EIA_eng.pdf. 18. Refer to price trend graph for The Waterfront average unit price: Centraline Property, Estates, Kowloon: Kowloon Station. “The Waterfront,” November 2021. https://hk.centanet.com/estate/en/The%20Waterfront/3-ESPPWPPJPS.

19. Refer to price trend graph for Grand Austin average unit price: “Grand Austin” Accessed December 22, 2021. https://hk.centanet.com/estate/en/Grand%20Austin/2-ESPPWWPAWD. 20. New Austin and West Kowloon area in comparison to old Austin in source 1: TBH Consultancy, Hong Kong. “West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD).” Accessed December 22, 2021. https://tbhconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/150362-%E2%80%93-WKC DA-West-Kowloon-Cultural-District-scaled.jpg. 21. Cole, Michael. “Sun Hung Kai Proposes Two Tower Scheme in West Kowloon.” Mingtiandi, September 20, 2020. https://www.mingtiandi.com/real-estate/design-and-construction/sun-hung-kai-propos es-two-tower-scheme-in-west-kowloon/. 22. “West Kowloon Cultural District Proposed Development Plan Draft,” December 2011. 23. “Town Planning Board Report: West Kowloon Cultural District Development, Chapter 3: Other Major Work,” December 2014. https://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/about_us/Annual_Report/2012_2014/pdf/TPB_Repor t_2012-14_3-3.pdf. 24. “Minor Relaxation of the Development Intensity of the West Kowloon Cultural District Site, Yau Tsim Mong Council, Paper No. 12 / 2014,” 2014. https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/ytm/doc/2012_2015/en/dc_meetings_doc/356/YT M_DC_12_2014_E.pdf.

Looking, feeling and experiencing in Austin Hong Kong: Walkability In Relation To the Environment by Kwok Hoi Wing Ivan

Introduction As decades pass by, Hong Kong has been experiencing a significant change in urban areas and architectural design. We bring architecture to a new era in which modernism has been greatly advocated. We see architecture not only as facades and spaces for human beings to live in, but also the fact that how it actually relates to the urban nature itself and prioritizes the consideration of the surrounding environment. Walkability is one of the most critical factors when it comes to designing buildings in a specific urban area. Through understanding an urban environment, it is always important to delve into investigating the spatial experience and quality, hence how the neighboring architecture helps improve to benefit human beings.

Urban design qualities Introduction to Perception Perception is subjective and personal. Although it is subtle to define what is a positive feeling when walking on a street, it is still a convincing element of achieving a decent urban experience because it has a strong correlation between the physical features of an urban street environment and the walking behavior of pedestrians. Research by Reid Ewing & Susan Handy has suggested that to define walkability, we should first divide it into three main factors: physical features, urban design qualities and individual reactions.1 They are actually correlated with each other which eventually result in the overall walkability of an urban street. In contrast to the

aforementioned, urban design qualities are the most crucial one among those three factors because it affects the other two factors to a large extent which consequently determine how walkable an urban environment is. In my opinion, I think there are three urban design qualities that are suitable for Hong Kong urban areas, namely imageability, enclosure and transparency.

Imageability, Enclosure and Transparency To elaborate more on the perceptual quality, firstly, imageability is actually defined as the quality of an environment which has a high chance of invoking a strong image in random observers in terms of physical condition. To determine how “strong” the “image” of a physical environment is, the shape, the color and arrangement of an architecture do really matter.2 Followed by enclosure, it refers to the open spaces that are bounded by the vertical buildings. It has the most powerful identity with the surrounding environments because it interprets the idea of existence of an outdoor space.3 It also suggests that the scale of the buildings should suit the urban environment such that when people walk by they at least will not feel uncomfortable. For instance, the height of buildings should have a proper scale to the width of the street, say 1:2, or 3:2 the highest.4 Last but not least, transparency is subject to the concept of materiality. Obviously, it allows sunlight or air to penetrate to the building which sort of allows the architecture to be more connected to the urban nature. An ideal transparency concept of an architecture is that when the activities performed inside are exteriorized and “extracted” to the open area.5 Psychologically, it creates more opening space and a pleasant atmosphere for people. Of all the perceptual qualities, I would say imageability is the determining factor of the walkability of an area because it actually has a strong connection with other urban design qualities.

Introducing curve lines to architecture Deeping into the structure of an architecture itself, as an architecture student we keep thinking of different methodologies to achieve a well architecture. In this modern society, we see facades not just only bounded by straight lines, but also curved lines. You may ask: Why is curvature necessary in buildings? When we are walking, we intend to move in straight lines, but we don’t. We might try to move our bodies in different ways… but eventually we discovered that our motions are mostly in curves other than straight lines.6 Therefore, we should allow architecture into us. We should let architecture interpret our lives. Not only does it relate to humanities, but also does it physically create extra open space. Curved pathways and facades might also advance the experience of moving between spaces. For instance, there is a circular courtyard right next to the West Kowloon station and sky garden on top of it (Site 3). There are lots of circular pathways in the courtyard in which the curvatures strongly relate to the curvy facades of the West Kowloon station. Likewise, the vertically curved stairs with the sky garden perfectly fit on the convex rooftop of the West Kowloon station. Due to the uneven levels of the convex rooftop, it instead creates multi-layering of ground levels which gives a sense of complexities to the sky garden.

Environmental condition of old urban sites in Hong Kong A Brief looking in urban sites during 1970s In the 1970s, the Royal Town Planning Institute examined the planning of Hong Kong urban areas.7 The investigation has resulted in a negative conclusion, that a complete modern planning system with several regulations and stated policies was not actually established in Hong Kong. It gradually became a feature of Hong Kong's urban landscape. Chaotic, noise and air pollution

were everywhere, claustrophobic atmosphere, streets were full of obstacles which narrowed the width of them, confusing transportation systems in a high dense population area made it even more confusing.

Comparison between Man Wah Sun Chuen and the West Kowloon Station Comparing Man Wah Sun Chuen(Site 1) with the West Kowloon Station (Site 3), they have an obvious difference in terms of the urban environment and building structure. In terms of the surroundings, Man Wah Sun Chuen presents an enclosed feeling when passing by streets. The reason would be that the distance between each building is too short, which means the width of the street is too narrow for pedestrians to walk through. In addition to the scale, the buildings are comparatively too high, which therefore causes an inappropriate scale of the height of the buildings to the width of the street.8 This phenomenon responds to one of the perceptual qualities I have mentioned previously: enclosure. Similarly, regarding the shapes of the buildings, they were just cubes and cuboids standing in the urban area. Although they have indented rooftop designs which helps light and ventilation, they generally aren’t really responsive to the urban site. When we are talking about human circulation, it is all about the public movement and how walls of the buildings enhance the experience of walking.

On the contrary, West Kowloon Station introduces a good example of a high walkability area. Starting from its architectural design, the curvy exterior structure allows us to move more freely between spaces of the neighbouring courtyard. Instead of developing the West Kowloon Station vertically which prevents it from getting too tall, the architect rather designs the architecture in a flattened way, in order to ensure a more pleasant perception of enclosure. Zooming out, the West

Kowloon Station utilizes its concave facades and convex rooftops to construct a circular courtyard and a sky garden next to and on top of it respectively. It is a common method to increase walkability because the architect makes good use of the empty spaces to build recreational facilities which attracts people to walk around.9 Furthermore, greeneries are added to enhance imageability.

Analysis on circulation problems in relation to population and walkability So far, we have covered a brief introduction of elements in defining walkability and some comparisons made between urban sites. However, here comes a question after our analysis on these sites: Theoretically, the population density would be higher if the walkability of that place is high, because it usually attracts people to walk through and is sensuously more convenient and comfortable. Therefore, we have constructed an experiment of investigating the population density of each site throughout three days at noon. Results have indicated that the Man Wah Sun Chuen (Site 1) is the most populated area among those three sites, followed by Site 3 then Site 2 accordingly. So, why is this phenomenon happening?

Analysing the experimental result We eventually have found out that population density does not just only correlate with the walkability of a place, but also the programme of that specific site. As an example, the old urban sites in Austin are multi-functional areas. That is, it is not just only used as a residential area, but also for commercial use such as companies, restaurants and stores. Spontaneously, the diversity of programmes in the old urban areas in Austin becomes one of the reasons why it is highly populated. Contrastingly, Site 2 is a residential area while Site 3 is for transportation and

recreational purposes. Although they are more modernised and newer compared to Site 1, their functional purposes are not as broad as it. Provided that old urban areas are highly populated, why don’t we actually re-develop those old urban areas?

Urban Renewal Advantages Urban renewal is actually the most effective method to gain walkability in a high dense population area. It enhances the environment and living quality of the residents, improves imageability and reduces transportation problems due to short distances from living areas to the major transport system and places of work.10

Difficulties Urban renewal isn’t that easy. Firstly, most of the buildings are usually possessed by companies and individuals. Therefore, it is a challenge to persuade those owners to sell their properties at a considerable amount of money to promote the plan of urban renewal.11 Secondly, policies of resettlement of the original residents should be carried out. It was another challenging task to exhort the tenants to move into new buildings.12 After that, a more important consideration is that destruction of old buildings should be performed in an acceptable method which will not affect the normal operation of the neighbourhood.13 Most importantly, to perform these measures it requires huge support and backing from the Government and influential corporations.

Conclusion Having discussed the difficulties of implementing urban renewal projects, it is now understandable why there is a certain amount of existing old urban sites with high dense population but low walkability. Moreover, our main goal is to implement redevelopment in old urban areas in order to achieve a high walkability in a populated area. Architecture aims to benefit humanities and enhance experiences of movement between spaces. I am confident that if the Government and housing corporations pay more attention to the rebuilding of old urban areas, Hong Kong will become a more united and walkable city.

NOTES 1. Ewing, R., & Handy, S. (2009). Measuring the Unmeasurable: Urban Design Qualities Related to Walkability. Journal of Urban Design, 14(1), 67. 2. Lynch, K., & Joint Center for Urban Studies. (1960). The image of the city. Cambridge, Mass.: M.I.T. Press, 9. 3. Jacobs, A. (1993) Great Streets (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press). 4. Cullen, G. (1961) The Concise Townscape (London: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing). 5. Llewelyn-Davies (2000) Urban Design Compendium (London: English Partnerships/The Housing Corporation). 6. Unwin, S. (2019). Curve : Possibilities and problems with deviating from the straight in architecture (Analysing architecture notebooks). Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group. 7. University of Hong Kong. Appointments Service. (1983). Architecture, building, urban design and urban planning in Hong Kong : A collection of articles constituting the special report 1983 of the Appointments Board, University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: The Board, p.13. (Refer to the local situation in 1970s) 8. Ewing, R., & Handy, S. (2009). Measuring the Unmeasurable: Urban Design Qualities Related to Walkability. Journal of Urban Design, 14(1), 73. (Related back to the perceptual qualities of enclosure) 9. Aedas, A. B. at. (2019, July 5). West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong - Andrew Bromberg at Aedas. The Plan. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from

https://www.theplan.it/eng/architecture/west-kowloon-station-in-hong-kong-by-andrew-b romberg-at-aedas 10. University of Hong Kong. Appointments Service. (1983). Architecture, building, urban design and urban planning in Hong Kong : A collection of articles constituting the special report 1983 of the Appointments Board, University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: The Board. (Refer to the pros of urban renewal) 11. Bellush, J., & Hausknecht, M. (1967). Urban Renewal: People, Politics and Planning, Anchor Books, 1967. 12. Blair, T. L., “Rehabilitation - The Social Aspects”, Official Architecture and Planning, 33(2), pp. 126-130, 1970. 13. Lock, D., “Urban Policy and the New Towns”, Town and Country Planning, Nov. 1980, pp. 344-345.

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The Modern Architecture Guidebook

Hong Kong’s built environment represents a unique site of inquiry in the global history of the Modern Movement. The Modern Architecture guidebook series draw from an inter-disciplinary toolkit if knowledge, references, and field studies to understand the processes at work in the built environment. Each walking tour in the series begins with one of the 98 MTR stations in Hong Kong as the meeting point. First opened in 1979, this modernist infrastructure has produced a city rationalized around transport-oriented development. Organized around key themes (industrialization, colonization, environment, internationalization, migration, decolonization, counterculture, and globalization), the guidebooks present a critical yet open perspective towards the implications of large-scale modernist schemes on the environment and community.