Urbanization: Shek Kip Mei Public Housing Research Analysis by ARCH2058

URBANIZATION:

SHEK KIP MEI

ARCH2058 Modern Architecture ASSIGNMENT 3: GUIDEBOOK

石硤尾

| Fall 2021

Urbanization: Public Housing in Shek Kip Mei Tam Ling Shan Susan (3035702920) Lee Sum Yu Summie (3035696925) Cheuk Ka Wing Karin (3035703534)

Looking through lenses of time and object Meeting at Shek Kip Mei, one of the oldest districts in Hong Kong, we are looking into public housing through time and development. The 6 public housing estates in this small are all began with a disastrous fire. In the 1940s, masses of refugees surged into Hong Kong from the mainland due to the Civil War. Shek Kip Mei was one of the most heavily populated districts packed with squatter huts. On Christmas night in 1953, a major fire burnt down the squatter huts and around 50000 people became homeless overnight. The British Hong Kong Government has then built emergency resettlement buildings to house the homeless in a year, and these buildings became the origins of public housing in Hong Kong. 7

By looking into architectural features and space of different scales, we would see how Shek Kip Mei has developed from squatters to buildings, and thus observe the variation between different public housing estates. In these essays, we try to examine the progress of urbanisation in Hong Kong through space and objects. Starting from Tai Hang Sai Estate built in 1965, we will then travel to the neighbouring Nam Shan Village built in 1977, then conclude with the only surviving resettling block also built in 1953, Mei Ho House, which is revitalised and now a youth hostel.

1 TAI HANG SAI ESTATE witnessing urbanisation and urban aging

After the Shek Kip Mei fire in 1953, the colonial government was concerned about danger of these crowded wooden huts. They were demolished one by one and redeveloped as new residential buildings. In the 1960s, it started to grant land at concessionary prices to privately owned companies to construct residential buildings. Therefore, unlike most other public housing estates which are managed by the Housing Authority or the Housing Society, Tai Hang Sai Estate was developed by the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation Limited.

There are a total of 8 blocks in the estate which were built in 1965 and 1977 respectively, providing 1600 units. If you pay a visit now, you would feel as if you walk back decades ago where the facades of the buildings are so rough and without any decorations. The estate currently fell under a redevelopment project proposed in the Policy Address 2020, and is expected to be demolished in the following years. Over half a century, Tai Hang Sai Estate has witnessed urbanisation and urban aging. Let’s grab the last chance to catch a glimpse of one of the oldest public housing before it vanishes.

2 NAM SHAN ESTATE careful design in urban context

Nam Shan Estate was the site for the previously demolished squatter area in 19491953. Located in between Tai Hang Sai Estate and Tai Hang Tung Estate, It was built in 1975 for rehousing the residents affected by the redevelopment of the neighbouring estate -Tai Hang Tung Estate. With 8 blocks in the estate, it houses around 7000 people. All of the buildings are in the form of New Slab. Walking into the estate from Tai Hang Sai Estate, you will soon find yourself located in the communal space surrounded by blocks of buildings on 3 sides, including the market and the playground.

The negative spaces in between the buildings in the estate are carefully designed to provide social services to the residents. The footbridge system connecting to other estates in the districts also provided pedestrian and vehicular segregation for the development of the urban context. In this Estate, we could see how the government plan their newer estate carefully to provide an urban home for people.

3 MEI HO HOUSE remains of the origin of public housing

The story of Mei Ho House begins with the tragic Christmas fire in the squatter huts area in 1953, causing about 58,000 people homeless instantly. Fortunately, the British Hong Kong Government managed to start an emergency programme to house the refugees within one year. Eight H-shaped, 6-storey resettlement blocks were built in Shek Kip Mei, marking the start of the public housing era and urbanisation in Hong Kong.

Fig. 1 Mei Ho House Revitalization (Before and After) 19

Being the only surviving resettlement block, Mei Ho House has a high historical value and cultural significance in inheriting Hong Kong housing history. The prototype design was minimal while providing sufficient facilities for thousands of tenants back in the difficult times. Its spatial arrangement has also created a unique living style of the labour class in the 1950s to 70s. Although its original appearance has vanished due to the revitalisation project of the youth hostel in 2009, we could still appreciate its H-shaped layout and other architectural features, and observe the living conditions back then through permanent displays to get a better understanding of the housing heritage, and the origin of Hong Kong public settlements.

RESEARCH ESSAY Together in three essays, you would get a more in-depth understanding to the public housing history and urbanization in the 1950s through look into three architectural features of different scales from the innermost volume to the outermost space. Starting from the ventilation bricks to the corridor and courtyard lastly, you would see how housing evolves through time.

A Glimpse of Urbanisation and Public Housing Through the Lens of Ventilation Bricks Ling Shan, Tam

Walking around the three public housing estates in Shek Kip Mei, you might notice one interesting architectural feature they have in common –– the ventilation bricks on the façade. These bricks of different geometries are stacked up vertically to construct porous walls in unique patterns. Not only do they functionally allow breeze between buildings, but also give the blocks a distinctive appearance. Yet, the story behind ventilation bricks is far more than it being simply a construction element. They embedded the local housing history and the ever-changing living style of urban city during different times. Furthermore, the historical value and inspirations it inherits to the modern city are also worthy to be discussed. Ventilation bricks The ventilation bricks (in Chinese: 通花磚), also known as breeze blocks, screen blocks, grilled blocks or many other names, are made of concrete. The invention of reinforced concrete in the mid19th century has made massive manufacture of ventilation bricks possible1. Particularly in tropical regions with a hot and wet climate like Hong Kong, these blocks are significantly useful in allowing 25

natural air flow between buildings and screening sunlight for the interior, providing residents with thermal comfort. They are installed in communal spaces like stairs and lobbies where ventilation is prominent. In addition to the playful geometry they create, it is very much an expression of functional aesthetics in modern architecture. Very often people wonder why architects do not make full openings in buildings but install these bricks for ventilation instead. The function of the bricks might be underrated by its modest appearance. In fact, these bricks could compress air when it passes through the small openings on the large façade, thus increasing its velocity to achieve a greater cooling effect2.

Fig. 1 View of ventilaion bricks facade of Tai Hang Sai Estate from the staircase 26

Ventilation bricks and urbanisation Speaking of housing history, the ventilation bricks incidentally reflect urbanisation and economic development in Hong Kong through different decades. Examing the case of Shek Kip Mei, the story begins with squatter huts along the hillside during the post-war period. Sudden influx of population from the mainland has caused serious housing shortage, where it started the trend of building squatters using wood and other cheap materials. As a result, dense squatters were formed, and insidious threats like health hazard and fire risks arose. Resolving the overcrowding and insanitary housing problem was alarmingly urgent, but the British Hong Kong government hardly made a dent and tragedy finally happened, causing a large-scale fire in the area3. After the Shek Kip Mei fire in 1953, resettlement of refuges was the top on priority list. To provide shelter for over 50000 fire victims was an unprecedentedly difficult job, especially in terms of the expanses it required the colonial 27

government to make. Resettlement had to be constructed with minimum budget while at the same time accommodate the maximum number of people4. The first resettlement programme was carried out shortly after one year and urbanisation began. With the low cost, the prototype of the resettlement blocks was sub-standard. There were 6 in one block with 64 units on one floor, housing almost two thousand people. One family had to share a 120-suqare-feet unit. In other words, the average living area per person was only 24 square feet, violating the requirement of minimum 35 square feet at that time5. Still, the over-crowding condition did not improve from the squatters to resettlement blocks, and potential risks remained. As seen from the case, urbanisation in the post-war period often came along with over-crowdedness. Thus, ventilation is of paramount importance in prevention of fire and diseases, as well as providing basic climate comfort, implying the economic and social background back in the 50s. With limited capital, the materiality of ventilation bricks has reflected the low cost attributing to 28

the prefabrication of concrete blocks as a cheap hygiene and climate control method, making them the product of tropical modernism and urbanisation. Ventilation bricks and public housing Ventilation bricks are mostly, though not exclusively, seen on the façades of public housing. Traces of them could also be found in some older private residential apartments, yet the iconic bricks have always been associated with public housing as a unique feature because of the demand driven by highly-packed living environment. Emergence of public housing could be seen as one of the earliest waves of urbanisation as it provided affordable housing for the general public, while increasing living standard for a large portion of the population. The urgent demand for large scale ventilation for public housing alongside the economic constraints in the colonial era made ventilation bricks the only feasible strategy. In contrary, private apartments like had comparably better economic basis and less dense environment, thus the need of cheap ventilation bricks was less urgent. 29

In the economic aspect, since public housing was built extensively, bulk purchase of construction materials was a bargain to the government. The uniform design of building blocks made construction more organized as same elements could be used in different projects. This also explained why ventilation blocks were more common in public housing. The evolution of public housing through the lens of ventilation bricks The evolution of public housing layout could be reflected in the installation of ventilation brick. Serving the same function throughout decades, ventilation bricks has witnessed the development of public housing. Though commonly found on the wall of communal area like stairs and lobbies now, they actually started their function inside the apartments first. In the 1950s, when resettlement bricks were first launched, ventilation bricks were installed inside the units between the walls of front and back units. The major reason was the distinct H-shape layout of the 6-storey blocks, also known 30

as Mark I. Early resettlement blocks consisted of two long rectangular residential arms, connected by a central cross-piece of shared facilities in the middle. Each long arm of the H shape was divided into two rows of identical domestic units encircled by the corridor, or the balcony access6. There were no windows in between the front and back units whichventilation of the inner part of the H shape would be shut off, not to mention the multiplying effect driven by the alignment of numerous blocks in one single direction in the whole estate. In the Shek Kip Mei resettlement area, there were 8 blocks in total, surrounding by packed Bowring Bungalows7.

Fig. 2 Ariel photo of the Resettlement Area in 1950s

As the high density of housing makes airflow difficult, the honey-combed blocks on the upper course of the shared partition between the front and back units played a critical role to allow permanent cross ventilation. Yet with privacy of the tenants not taken into consideration, the grilles were either filled up temporarily or permanently by them to avoid the transmission of noise and smells across the units. These concerns were recognized, and feedback was seen in the improvised design of public housing later on8.

Fig. 3 Ventilation bricks on the upper course of shared partition between front and back units

In the 1960s, ventilation bricks were placed in the public area like staircases as observed in Tai Hang 32

Sai Estate. The layout of living units evolved to be separated rows on opposite side sharing one corridor in the middle. With economic growth, the living condition was less packed. The function of the bricks switched to allow air to enter from the staircase at one end and flow along the central corridor to the other. The same architectural element was put to a different use following the change of the floorplan.

Fig. 4 Central corridor in Tai Hang Sai Estate

Unfortunately, in the 1980s, ventilation blocks began to fall out of favor because of airconditioning being affordable to more people9. On top of that, improvement of construction technology eventually disuse ventilation bricks. 33

Since public housing were built much taller to accommodate more people in the 80s, blocks were built using mostly prefabrication parts to speed up construction time. The modules could be stacked up on site within a short time in the new harmony block10. In contrast, the ventilation bricks require manual stacking which was not cost-effective, leading to its extinction in the city at last. Corridors even became concealed. Accompanying the development of public housing, ventilation brick have its own historical value as a functional architectural ornament, as well as being a witness of the changes in the city. Not only did it develop in sync with the urbanization progress and evolution of public housing design, it also reflected the living standard of people. Value of ventilation bricks in modern society Though the ventilation bricks were no longer used in construction now, their value was much more than solely an architectural element. Its emergence came from sanitary concerns when during the 50s diseases could be easily spread. Coincidentally, the airborne pandemic in recent

years again raises hygiene concerns in building designs. As corridors are mostly concealed nowadays, bacteria might be retained and spread easily in lack of ventilation. Besides, although indoor air-conditioning provides thermal comfort, it has created potential health risks as air keeps circulating in the same volume of space which traps bacteria. There are seemingly conflicts between man-made and natural ventilation. The value and wisdom of the traditional bricks comes in here reminding us of the importance of natural ventilation. How the ventilation method in architecture would be altered in the future is still unknown. Maybe it would go back to the basics or use a hybrid of both. It is time for the public and architects to review the architectural designs in providing a better living urban environment.

Notes

1. DeWolf, C., 2019, Hong Kong’s Modern Heritage, Part Xii: Breeze Blocks, 19 December, Accessed December 20, 2021, https://zolimacitymag.com/hong-kongmodern-heritage-part-xii-breeze-blocks/. 2. See (1). 3. Smart, A., 2006, Shek Kip Mei Myth, The: Squatters, Fires and Colonial Rule in Hong , 1950-1963, Hong Kong University Press, 4. Wai, C., 2019, Design DNA of Mark I : Hong Kong’s public housing prototype, Hong Kong: MCCM Creations, 31-52 5.

Wai, C., 2019, Design DNA of Mark I : Hong Kong’s public housing prototype, Hong Kong: MCCM Creations, 64-86

6. Hong Kong Housing Authority, n.d., Standard Block Typical Floor Plans, Accessed December 20, 2021, https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/globalelements/estate-locator/standard-block-typical-floorplans/index.html. 7. Wai, C., 2019, Design DNA of Mark I : Hong Kong’s public housing prototype, Hong Kong: MCCM Creations, 23-30 8. Hong Kong Housing Authority, n.d., Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership -- Mei Ho House, Hong Kong: Hong Kong Housing Authority.

9. DeWolf, C. 2019, How Did Hong Kong Become Addicted To Air Conditioning? 15 September, Accessed December 20, 2021, https://zolimacitymag.com/hongkong-modern-heritage-part-xii-breeze-blocks/. 10. See (6).

Emergence of the Idea of A Community: Corridors in Public Housing in the 1950s-1970s Sum Yu, Lee

Fig. 1 Change in the Layout of Corridors in Public Housing 38

Corridor, a long passage with rooms on either side for people to walk pass. Yet, before the 1970s, corridors in public housing were a place to gather, to play, to bond. Let’s turn back the clock and take a ride in public housing in the past of Hong Kong. 1950s: Open Corridor that Revolves Around the Whole Building Ding-dong! ‘Good bye and Thank you, Teacher—’ Just a flash, I promptly tidy up the textbooks and rush down the staircases to our flats for the tasty afternoon tea. Finally leaving the rooftop after the endless lessons, what a torture hearing what the teacher says under the scorching sun! Running in the narrow corridor with numerous bits and pieces, I stride over them at the same time peek at every flat I walk past and greet everyone I meet. ‘Hi! Uncle Wong.’ ‘Hey Ming Jai!’. A smell of savory disperses from Auntie Tsang’s corner kitchen -- She was making fried wonton. Without a hesitation, I took a piece without asking and ran away with joy. ‘Aiya, Be careful! It’s very hot!’ Suddenly, Ah Ho called me from nowhere. I looked at the opposite corridor, he wasn’t there. Then, I saw him waving at me downstairs the courtyard playground. ‘Join us play hide and seek!’ We played until sunset and heard our mums calling us back for dinner upstairs. I walked up the stairs with sweat and dirt, seeing the sunlight reflecting from words on the building, it spells: Mei Ho House. 39

Mei Ho House was designed as a resettlement with basic and simple features to serve the community. It is a six-storey building characterized by two identical wings linked up by a cross piece forming the H-shaped plan. Each block consisted of dwelling units arranged in a back-to-back manner. The open corridor revolves around the whole H-shaped plan building.1 In each of the blocks, domestic cubicles were arranged back-to-back along the open corridors of the two wings. In a room of about 120 square feet, a family with five or more adults had to cramp into it.2 Meanwhile, there was no kitchen or bathroom inside the flats. Communal sanitary and washing facilities are situated at the bridge connecting the two wings, while they did their cooking and laundry in the common corridors.

Fig. 2 Seven-Storey Resettlement Building Typical Floor Plan 40

It was a multiple usage of the corridor approach. In order to be cost efficient, it allows horizontal circulation but also acts as a place for cooking. Initially, it was required that all the cooking utensils had to be taken back into the house after cooking each meal but later, it was tolerable to leave them on the corridor and even installing a cabinet for cooking utensils. Coupled with the fact that the architect, Norton, thought that if it was left to the tenants themselves, they would cook in their individual rooms, possibly using wood and cause fires.3 Therefore, it was on purpose to allow the space in the corridor for cooking to make sure that the tenants would only cook in a well-ventilated area to minimize the fire hazard of cooking. Furthermore, as the balcony was open to external air, sun and wind, it was ideal to dry clothes. Therefore, clothes drying brackets were provided by the government for tenants to put on their clothes drying wires on the outside of the parapet of the balcony or under the ceiling of the balcony. 4 Together with numerous belongings of the tenants, almost half the width of the corridor was occupied. Despite the congregated space, tenants had more innovative improvisations on 41

the usage in the corridor, such as sleeping on sofas in the corridor out there at night, leaving children there to play, housewives exchanging gossips when preparing meals, socializing and chatting with neighbors, and playing mahjong, etc.5 It was like a home to all. Doors and gates were seldom shut because everyone trusted their neighbors. Elderlies watch children playing downstairs while chit-chatting on benches every day, but they are never bored. Adapted from British housing for the working classes and customized by the architect for cost saving by combining several livelihood functions together, the corridor approach became an important character-defining element of the resettlement Mark I blocks.6 Nonetheless the living quality in the resettlement cannot be compared to nowadays, residents felt a sense of belonging to the community and were genuinely happy. Perhaps with such compact space for multiple activities, it helped knit a close community spirit among the residents. This Mark I resettlement estate in Shek Kip Mei marked the commencement of Hong Kong’s mammoth public housing programme in the following years.

1960s: Gloomy Interior Corridor Running Across Buildings ‘Are you guys ready….?’ I shouted at the end of the dark corridor. Sound waves echoed back to me in tandem. In three, two, one, I ran into the gloomy tunnel and tried to catch all of them in the dark. Gotcha! I touched the shoulder of Ah Yu and quickly sprint away. ‘Oh no! You caught me, Ah Fung!’ She cries. ‘You become the catch!’ I shouted. Running in the dim corridors, I almost didn’t notice Lee’s Family was playing mahjongg in the corner corridor, so I quickly turned left. Phew! Glad I didn’t clash on their mah-jongg table, or else it would be a rage from them. Finally, a safe place to hide from the catch. I hide behind the refuse chamber, I’m quite sure they won’t spot me here! ‘Tasty and fresh airplane olives in Tai Hang Sai Estate now! Whoever wants it I will throw it upstairs to you!’ As usual, the airplane guy arrives here at 6pm sharp.

Tai Hang Sai Estate is a private housing estate with 8 eight-storey buildings; it was part of makeshift houses after the fire. Residential buildings built in this period are recognized as the Mark III Blocks.7 Most of the blocks were built in slender slab blocks, three of them are connected which formed a flipped F shape in plan. With the adoption of central internal 43

corridor that runs from one end to the other, it connects double-volume domestic units, thus, the blocks become thicker and therefore are able to stand on their own as a long slab block.8

Fig. 3 Mark III Block Typical Floor Plan

Externally, housing blocks are joined together to form a mega-block. Internally, the corridor of one block connects to another corridor at the corner. The interconnection inside the building is like a maze which serves as playgrounds for the children. Normally, residents do not close their front doors in order to maintain cross ventilation from their own balcony to the corridor side of their flat.9 The corridor thus functions as a meeting place of communal functions and gathering for the residents, for chatting, children’s play and playing 44

mah-jongg. The connected corridors certainly create a sense of community and friendships amongst the residents. Besides, it also aligns with the achievements from the design concept of “street-in-the-air” and the “deck access”.10 From the open corridor to the central interior corridor, the transformation is significant. It was due to the frequent urbanization in that period which addressed higher aspirations of the community that came with the gradual increase of resources. (13) Therefore, greater volume of domestic units was crucial in this demanding society. Afterwards, newer versions became taller and gradually larger blocks with better provision of utilities, including lifts, electricity, and water supplies.11 1970s: Balcony Corridors Surrounding the Light Well ‘The Sprint’ is what we play every day after school. Each of us, Ah Hoi, Chu Nui, Ling Jai and me, Ah Wai, will stand at one of the balcony corners as the starting point. Once the race started, all of us would spare no effort and run to the end. The slowest person has to treat all of us a delicious egg tarts

bought downstairs. ‘Be careful running up there!’ shouted Auntie May seeing us running every day. The light reaches the light well and harmonizes with the green color of the scenery like Nam Shan Estate.

Nam Shan Estate comprises 8 twelve-storey residential blocks, all of the residential blocks in this estate are of ‘Old Slab’ design. They are distinguished by the building that consists of one or more elongated rectangular blocks, joining end by end.12 Nam Lok Lau is a Linked Terrace Block. The access corridor in Nam Lok Lau was similar to that in the Twin Towers which were built in the 70s. As twin towers are not accessible to foreigners, therefore Nam Lok Lau is a great location to observe the corridor. Access corridor around the light-well enables neighborly opportunities for residents to greet each other, not only those on the same floor but also from other floors. The open balcony access also acted as means for neighborhood watch: It could prevent crime and encourage children to play in the corridors, lobbies and on ground floor, while parents could keep an eye on them from flats above.13 Besides, the majority of the 46

residents’ front doors are not closed to keep cross ventilation inside the flat, the transparency of the access corridors indeed provided a safe and cozy environment for neighborly activities.

Fig. 3 Twin-tower Residential Block Floor Plan

Furthermore, it allows natural lighting to reach the ground and corridors to the flats during certain hours of the day. This can save energy consumption from having to keep electric lighting in the corridors on at all times. Apart from providing natural lighting, the light-well together with the empty bays on the ground floor form a natural ventilation system. Chimney effect draws in hot air from below and sends it upwards to the top of the void, where hot air will be replenished by cooler air from 47

outside, producing natural air circulation.14 Residents that don’t usually close their doors enjoy cross ventilation flowing from their windows to the interior to the corridor and light-well. As society grows, people also pursue higher living quality. Dr. Donald Liao, architect for the standard Twin Tower Block design, indicated that buildings should be people-oriented in order to establish a strong community. Public housing was not only designed to serve a refugee society but mostly importantly, to build genuine homes for the people.15

Fig. 4 People Playing Mah-jongg in Corridors of a Resettlement 48

Looking at the evolution of corridors from the eyes of three children living in public housings from the 50s to 60s to 70s, it demonstrates how the city also transformed the corridors in the public housings from open corridor to internal corridor to interconnected corridor. Nowadays, in this concrete forest, lifts and service cores are present in the center of most of the domestic blocks. Therefore, corridors are usually inside the building with little flats. It is undeniable that the sense of community built in the public housing in the past is irreplaceable and may not be reappeared. Those days will forever be in the collective memories of Hong Kong people.

Notes

1. Hong Kong Housing Authority, n.d. Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership -- Mei Ho House, Hong Kong: Hong Kong Housing Authority, 7. 2. Hong Kong Housing Authority, 2009, Light & Shade -Life passes in old estates, Accessed 12 18, 2021, https:// www.housingauthority.gov.hk/hdw/en/aboutus/events/ community/heritage/about.html. 3. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 316. 4. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 310. 5. See (4). 6. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 331. 7. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 351. 8. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 370. 50

9. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 373. 10. Murphy, Douglas, 2016, The Architectural Review: Notopia: The fall of streets in the sky, June 9, Accessed 12 20, 2021, https://www.architectural-review.com/ archive/notopia-archive/notopia-the-fall-of-streets-inthe-sky. 11. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 344. 12. Wong, C.K, 2005, Reviewing Slab Type Public Housing of Hong Kong: New Prototype Design for Adaptibility, Hong Kong: Tectonics Studio, 134. 13. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 408. 14. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 410. 15. Chi, W.C, 2014, The Architectural Origins of Hong Kong’s Public Housing: The Pioneering “Mark” Series and Its Development, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, 400.

Shifting and Gathering in Time: Urbanization in Social Places In Housing in Shek Kip Mei Ka Wing, Cheuk

After the fire swallowed the squatter hut on Christmas night in 1953, the colonial government had an urgent need to relocate the fire victims. Resettlement buildings were built rapidly and efficiently to provide a home to the homeless. From the squatter hut to the resettlement blocks to public housing nowadays, the district has gone through urbanization over the decades. Social and recreational spaces are essential for people to engage in the urban and connect to the community. Housing should not be a mere shelter or household facilities, it should comprise a number of facilities, services and utilities which link individual and his family to the community 1. Over several decades, form of blocks and social spaces has changed and evolved rapidly through different type of housing. By investigating the original site – the squatter hut, the early resettlement block – Mei ho house (1954), the early public estate – Tai Hang Sai Estate (1965), and the new public estate – Nam Shan Estate (1977), traces of urbanization are shown in the space for the community. When the Chinese Civil War broke out in late 1940s, masses of refugees surged into Hong Kong 53

and the skyrocketing population had nowhere to settle. For those who couldn’t afford to pay for a high rent in a building, they had no choice but to build or rent their own house in the villages in the suburbs or along the hill side illegally. As population kept growing larger, the squatter huts grew denser and the living environment in the squatter area deteriorate drastically. As the land which the huts were built has previously been farmland on the outskirts of urban areas, there are a lack of basic facilities to support the large population. Each squatter colony is a complex and partly self-sufficient community. There were different shops with commercial functions, like workshops, markets, restaurants, schools and farmland. Communal amenities are not properly planned but by natural conglomeration of activities, like theatres, shops etc.2. However, there was a lack of communal space for the public or community in general, as everyone were trying their best to fight for more land for their congested home. Due to the poor safety and hygiene condition in the squatter area, fire was not uncommon to 54

the residents and they always stayed alert to fire. However, On 25 December 1953, a major fire burnt down everything these residents had, including their dwellings. Plans for resettlement were then launched, the Bowring Houses are built to provide temporary housing for the homeless people. With limited time and land, the government built the first eight H-shaped resettlement blocks to provide long term accommodation for fire victims within a year. The aim of the government is very clear: to provide homes for massive number of homeless people at the lowest cost and the shortest time possible. It is shown in the densely packed multi-storey designed buildings with the lack of facilities. Priority at the time was to fully utilize every inch of space which is available to provide a home for more people; therefore facilities were basic, and toilets and bathroom were communal. Blocks are densely packed and little if any open space was provided. But after people settled in a safer place, demand of living in a comfortable community grew, other than just viewing the flat as a shelter to sleep in. They need a place to play, 55

a place to gather, and a place to learn. And so they tried to find and make their own space. The only space available for expansion in these building were the rooftop and the area between blocks, where both are greatly utilized by the residents. The central connection of the H blocks separated 2 courtyards. These courtyards are utilized by the residents for a variety of activities and became an essential space for them. Hawker stalls and shops grow over the ground area enclosing most of the open space, while some space became the children’s play area3. The rooftop was also utilized as roof construction had been transformed from traditional pitched designs to flat roofs during modern movements. Since the blocks were H shaped in plan, there was 2 separate roofs along the long arm that is available for use. As a result, one roof could be transformed for educational use, which voluntary organization and religious groups set up kindergarten and primary school there by renting the space; while the other one could be left as an open playground areas for children. By these newly established rooftop schools, the strain 56

on the education system due to the continuous influx of refugees was relieved. Minimal design modifications were made to simply concrete over parts of the rood near the staircase to create covered classrooms for teaching4. At the time, even though there were not many spaces for social interaction, people find their own space and engage their daily activities with it. From then, a lot of resettlement buildings were built. Over a decade, there is no more immediate need of housing the fire victims. Yet, the need for more permanent flats for people to live in is still urgent. Criticism is later received in the resettlement estates as a poor social environment with a lack of psychological space, where these estates only serve basic amenities needs as a biological species, but not as a social being5. As the acute stress of housing the homeless is gone, standards had been raised to provide the estate resident with social infrastructure, which spiritual needs of living is also catered. In the 8-block Tai Hang Sai Estate built in 1965, there are 2 courtyards, including 1 triangular courtyard (enclosed by Man Lee House, Man 57

Shun House, and Man Keung House) and 1 square courtyard (enclosed by Man Shun House, Man Lee House, Man Hong House, and Man Hing House). These courtyards are free spaces left in between the blocks of House. Plants are planted in these open spaces and a small pavilion is located in the center of the courtyard. Even though these are not large spaces, nor they suggest any functional uses for the community, it shows that the design starts to take into the account of the need of the resident of having a community space to interact and gather with each other.

Fig. 1 Courtyard in Tai Hang Sai Estate

Fig. 2 Courtyard in Nam Shan Estate

In the 70s, spaces between buildings were designed more carefully to provide services to the residents. Signs of distinct demographic shifts 58

were shown, from housing large nuclear families to couples and singletons6. There is a major change to estate layout: estates is now planned and designed to cater for a wide range of needs. In Nam Shan Estate built in 1977, There are 2 major courtyard, one enclosed by Nam Lok House and Nam Fung House, another enclosed by Nam Fung House, Nam Yiu House, Nam Wai House, and Nam On House. These areas make up playgrounds, market and rest area for the residents. The negative space is used with more complexity, as the open spaces are extruded where market is located inside the space and the playground is placed on top. Footbridges and interconnecting systems are also built to incorporate pedestrian and vehicular segregation, where the footbridge system also provide a place for people to gather, showing the careful planning of how a new community could fit into the existing urban context better. In addition, the ground floor of the Houses are shops, small playground, and welfare organizations to satisfy needs of a larger community. The Nam Shan Estate shows 59

how the government planned places for social interaction for the residents, along with providing more affordable homes for people to live in. The lack of space and the demand of cheap public housing has always been the major issue that Hong Kongers are facing. Over the decades, scale of the estate grows along with the desire for a communal space for social, interpersonal connections. With these needs, the buildings grew taller in order to accommodate more people into the houses and free out spaces for open area for the whole community. More area is allocated to recreational use in an estate. Urbanization is gradually achieved over the history of public housing estates, showing by the increasing verticality of the buildings, and most importantly the nature of these social space; where we have moved on from man-made curated space, utilization of free space and careful urban planning.

Notes

1. United Nations, Report of the ad-hoc group of experts on housing and urban development, (New York: United Nations, 1962). 2. Wai, Rosman C.C., Design DNA of Mark I: Hong Kong’s Public housing prototype, (MCCM Creations, 2019), 35. 3. Will, B.F., “Housing Design and Construction Methods”, in Housing in Hong Kong: A Multi-Disciplinary Study, ed. Wong, Luke S.K. et al, (Hong Kong: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd, 1978), 109-112. 4. Wai, Rosman C.C., Design DNA of Mark I: Hong Kong’s Public housing prototype, (MCCM Creations, 2019), 123. 5. Golger, Otto-Johann, “Hong Kong: A Problem of Housing the Masses.” Ekistics 33, No. 196 (1972): 173177. 6. Bates, Raymond, “Hong Kong Housing Authority: The Evolution of Maintenance Management”, in Housing for Millions, the Challenges Ahead: Conference Papers, ed, Housing Conference (Hong Kong: Housing Authority, 1996), 73-80.

Bibliography

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Buildings Through Partnership -- Mei Ho House. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Housing Authority. 9. Hong Kong Housing Authority. n.d. Standard Block Typical Floor Plans. Accessed December 20, 2021. https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/globalelements/estate-locator/standard-block-typical-floorplans/index.html. 10. Murphy, Douglas. 2016. The Architectural Review: Notopia: The fall of streets in the sky. June 9. Accessed 12 20, 2021. https://www.architectural-review.com/ archive/notopia-archive/notopia-the-fall-of-streets-inthe-sky. 11. Smart, A. 2006. Shek Kip Mei Myth, The: Squatters, Fires and Colonial Rule in Hong, 1950-1963. Hong Kong University Press. 12. Wai, Rosman C.C.. Design DNA of Mark I: Hong Kong’s Public housing prototype. (MCCM Creations, 2019) 13. Will, B.F.. “Housing Design and Construction Methods”, in Housing in Hong Kong: A Multi-Disciplinary Study, ed. Wong, Luke S.K. et al. (Hong Kong: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd, 1978). 14. Wong, C.K. 2005. Reviewing Slab Type Public Housing of Hong Kong: New Prototype Design for Adaptibility. Hong Kong: Tectonics Studio. 15. Wai, C., 2019, Design DNA of Mark I : Hong Kong’s public housing prototype, Hong Kong: MCCM Creations.

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 of 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 transportoriented 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.