steering committee held its first meeting in Singapore last September.
On the steering committee are Sir Robert Matthew, PPRIBA, CBE, and Prof. A. Ling, FRIBA, from the U.K., Mr. M. Collard, PPRAIA, FRIBA, Australia, Mr. J.L. Davies, PPRAIC, Canada, Mr. Lim Chong Keat. ARIBA, Singapore, and Mr. F. Mbanefo, Nigeria.
One of the aims of the new association is to carry out a regular assessment of standards in schools of architecture throughout the Commonwealth. It hopes to organize exchange of staff, graduates and undergra- duates between schools in the developed and under- developed countries.
The Federation of Malaya Society of Architects, the Singapore Institute of Architects and the Hong Kong Society of Architects are all members of the Common- wealth Association. For the June meeting 30 delegates and observers will be allowed from each member group.
GOVERNMENT OFFICES
BIGGEST item in the Malayan Government's 1965 build- ing estimates is $M3.6 million for new Federal Govern- ment offices in Kuala Lumpur. Total allocation for Government buildings is $M10.8 million
This sum
also includes $M1.5 million for new headquarters for the Ministry of External Affairs, $M340,684 for a records management centre to house the national archives, $M1.1 million for air-conditioning and alterations to Federal House, and $M866,726 for reconditioning other government buildings.
Listed in the building programme, but without any provision or cost assessment to date, is the development of the central area of Kuala Lumpur.
the
Road and bridge construction work to be started by Public Works Department is allocated $M56.6 million. Improvements on Route One, the main road from Johore Bahru to Alor Star, will cost $M7.1 million, and similar works on Route Two, from Kuala Lumpur to the East Coast, will cost $M2.9 million.
LOW INCOME FLATS
AN IMPROVED design for one-room flats for families in the lower income group has been produced by Singapore's Housing and Development Board. It is a compromise between the existing one-room units which are said to be inadequate and the two-room units which are beyond the means of many families.
The new flat has a floor area of about 320 sq. ft. At a monthly rental of $M30 it can accommodate a
CORRIDOR
Layout plan of one-room
flat
0
·
family of five compared with three in the present unit. Flexibility is the main feature of the design. The flat can be divided into one large living room and one small bedroom, one large bedroom and one small living room or one small living room and two small bedrooms. First of the new flats will be in four blocks con- taining 840 units at Toa Payoh satellite town. Work has just started on the site and occupation is scheduled for the end of 1965.
415 - ROOM MANILA HILTON PLANS to build a 20-storey luxury hotel in Manila have been announced jointly by Delgado Bros. Hotel Cor- poration and Hilton Hotels International, Inc.
The 415-room hotel will be constructed at the north east corner of United Nations Avenue and Florida Street, Official opening is scheduled for June.
1967.
Designed by Welton Becket and Associate, consult- ing architects, and C. D. Arguelles and Associates,
Manila Hilton. Podium is enclosed in a bronze screen
Manila architects, the 380,000 sq. ft, reinforced concrete structure will comprise a 16-storey tower rising above a four-storey podium.
Base of the trapezoid structure will be enclosed in a striking bronze-coloured screen. The tower will feature exposed lightly coloured aggregate, glass and local adobe.
The usual lavish facilities associated with Hiltons, such as swimming pool, restaurants, ballroom, and shopping arcades will be included in the structure, the construction of which will be supervised by Dillingham International Company of Honolulu.
NO INDUSTRIALISATION YET
IT WILL be some time before industrialised methods of building using precast concrete units are introduced in Hong Kong, according to Mr. Stanley Kwok, architect.
He said recently that while the subject was under close scrutiny by Hong Kong architects and builders there were several impeding factors.
These were the high cost of land for setting up a factory to prefabricate the units, the smallness of the average building site and the high interest on the capital outlay for a special crane to handle the units.
"Land in Hong Kong is at a very high premium and it is not economically feasible for an architect or builder to have a separate factory for this purpose." he said.
But the most expensive item was the special tower crane. The average cost of one, depending on its load capacities, ranged from $HK300,000 to $600,000 and the interest on such a heavy initial capital outlay was prohibitive.
ISLAND QUARRY
SYDNEY COMPANY, Pioneer Concrete Services, Ltd., is to establish a quarry with modern crushing and handling machinery on Tsing I Island. The firm's Hong Kong subsidiary now has three plants in production and an- other is about to be commissioned at Kennedy Town.
Far East Architect & Builder January, 1965
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