Cultivating a participatory design practice in architecture: a case study of Hong Kong Housing Authority

Community participation in urban design and planning is slowly emerging in Hong Kong as the Government increasingly adopts and recognizes the importance of bottom-up community values in the practice of informing, consulting and involving the community. This paper provides a framework that emphasizes the importance of collaboration and community-based initiatives to reconcile different interests and achieve a balanced vision for the design of the city. The fundamental objective is to ensure an increase sense of community belonging, responsibility and civic pride in improving the overall quality of life. The Lam Tin Estate case study not only demonstrates how the Government is becoming more responsive to the need of consulting with the public and relevant stakeholders to build a consensus prior to the implementation stage, but also illustrates how community participation empowers key stakeholders to take ownership in designing and planning their built environment

What is the impetus to move? amenity-rich residential clubs and retirement housing aspirations of the soon-to-be old

Hong Kong’s population is aging rapidly, yet the city is still struggling to provide an adequate housing supply for its soon-to-be old cohort. By examining the needs and aspirations of the soon-to-be old population through the theoretical frameworks for elderly housing and elderly migration, the relationship between amenity-rich residential clubs and retirement housing aspirations of future retirees become clear. This paper finds that the soon-to-be old cohort is aspired to better medical, leisure, and community facilities in their residential vicinities when considering their retirement living environment, underlining the appeal of amenity-rich residential clubs; however, most of the soon-to-old old cohort are unwilling to migrate

A New Design Education Paradigm: A Multi-disciplinary Research Approach

With the emergence of the more design disciplines working in Social Innovation, Research and Social Entrepreneurship, there is a growing demand on the understanding of design in the education. Aside from traditional aesthetic values and experiences, design now emerges as a part of social process to generate more democratic, more human-oriented, more sustainable and more economical contributions to our world. The notion of design for tomorrow needs to generate a new design paradigm that can epitomize a two-way exchange process, embracing and enhancing the design knowledge to improve our human, social, cultural and environmental well-being. Contemporary design education can no longer be generated from a vacuum whereby design intellects operate in a singular linear trajectory. Rather, designers and design students collaborate with multiple disciplines and business partners. The multi-disciplinary nature in contemporary practice makes design one of the most dynamic and evolving fields of professions in today’s education

Adaptive reuse of industrial buildings for affordable housing in Hong Kong

In response to the urban shortage of affordable housing, this paper elaborates on research findings on potential solutions for alleviating the current housing crisis in Hong Kong. This research specifically investigates the opportunities and constraints inherent in transforming industrial warehouses into residential units, from urban planning and architectural perspectives. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and it is currently facing an urgent call to provide adequate housing for its citizens. Although the Housing Authority is expending great effort to expedite public housing construction, finding an immediate solution to alleviate the current housing crisis remains doubtful as tremendous time and resources would be needed. At the same time, rapid urbanization in some industrial districts, such as Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan, has left many old industrial buildings vacant. This paper proposes revitalizing selected abandoned industrial spaces and converting them into habitable units. In a larger sense, it proposes a theoretical framework for a sustainable methodology for urban revitalization and adaptive reuse. While focusing on developing an integrated strategy for converting specific old industrial districts into public housing, the ultimate goal of this research is to become a model for other old industrial districts and provide a new affordable housing solution

舊大澳警署之百年使命與保育: 大澳文物酒店開業紀念刊物 Old Tai O Police Station: the evolution of a centenary monument: commemorating the opening of Tai O Heritage Hotel

走進大澳 Step into Tai O 見證治亂相因的大澳警署 Tai O Police Station: Witness of Rule and Disorder 大澳警署的建築背景: 風格形態與發展 Tai O Police Station in Context: Style, Type and Development 大澳警署建築 Architecture of Tai O Police Station Days in Tai O Police Station 社區與保育 Community Connection in Heritage Revitalisation 活化舊大澳警署 Revitalisation of Tai O Police Statio

Knowledge exchange and participatory practice in architecture

The practice of architecture is evolving as contemporary societies become more heterogeneous. Architecture is no longer limited to being an exercise in the manipulation of form and the realization of function; instead, it is taking up an increasingly significant place in the resolution of real-world conflicts and problems. In fact, the practice of participatory design is becoming the core of city and community design via a process that emphasizes community involvement and public engagement. This paper shows how this participatory practice generates a new “design dialectic” across professions, and how it can serve as a platform where the community can voice their design aspirations. It evaluates two case studies in Hong Kong, where the establishment of a design and research unit dedicated to interdisciplinary practice evolves into a complex entity capable of responding acutely to community needs. The integration between design professionals, seasoned educators, government departments, and community organizations enables an emerging paradigm in knowledge exchange. This participatory mechanism has the potential to challenge traditional top-down design practices and prompt change in existing institutional frameworks. The paper posits that the adoption of this approach empowers the design and research unit to become a breeding ground of constructive “design dialectic” that promotes the interaction between institution and community and the resolution of social challenges

Contemporary practice and global architecture

HKIA Journal Professional Roundtable Symposiu