FAR EAST
Builder
JUNE, 1964.
Vol. 19.
No. I
A magazine with a record of nearly 30 years' coverage of building, architectural and real estate activities in the Far East.
Circulating in Hong Kong, Malaysia (partic- ularly Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah), Thailand, The Philippines and Macau.
Published in Hong Kong every
Nternate month by
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CONTENTS
NEW BUILDINGS
Page
Mt. Faber Development, Singapore 80 Philamlife Building, Manila
88 96
East Town Cinema, H.K.
Perth St. Government School, H.K. 99
Broadview Mansion, H.K.
Chinese University, H.K..
108 112
Castle Peak School, H.K.
121
ARTICLES
Nathan Road & the Building Boom "Stop Cheating the Home Buyer" Prefabricated Housing-Singapore
and Kuala Lumpur North Point Redevelopment Plan 103 Singapore Architects' Annual
Dinner
74
79
84
110
BUILDING PLANS APPROVED
Hong Kong
124
Singapore City
Penang
138 138
Singapore Rural
140
CONTRACTS AWARDED
Hong Kong
132
Singapore
140
CANDID COMMENT
A provocative new feature by Professor W. G. Gregory B. Arch., A. R. I. B. A.
HE recent proposal to form a unified public housing authority, is one which
should not have been prefixed by the word “recent." At the point when temporary shelter as an expediency to meet the first sudden influx of refugees, gave place to the provision of permanent, even though low standard housing, resettlement housing became part of the overall housing problem of the Colony. Every family housed by whatever means, leaves a space or a dwelling unit free for someone else.
Once refugees were admitted and permitted to stay. they be- came the respon- sibility of the Colony, just as any other of its citizens and the obvious policy was to integrate them completely into the com- munity. not difficult policy to implement when those concerned were of the same race and culture as the inhabitants.
a
Integration in fact
did take place in many aspects of living
work, social
d
inhuman housing.”
not in perhaps that most im- portant sphere of living in hous- ing. Here there was, and still is, a sheep and goats policy and while this is possibly acceptable as far as the allocation of types of ac- commodation is concerned, it is not acceptable when it comes to the official segre- gation of one particular section of the commu- nity.
If the resettle-
ment estates are cankers in our midst, it is be- cause of this se- gregation. Inte.
benefits and in education but gration of the housing for refugees (which when all is said and done is merely a priority classification) with other housing would have produced a consider- ably healthier environment in terms of citizen-like attitude towards com munity living as well as in terms of amenity.
The regimented arrangement of identical blocks of resettlement housing is inhuman, and may only be described by that over-taxed expression as eye-sores.
Recent designs by the Housing Authority have suffered from a repeti- tion of standard designs (Choi Hung Estate), although the arrangements and layouts here have much more feeling for human environment.
Both forms of housing would benefit from being integrated together, interacting with each other io produce better circumstances for living.
Our housing areas should be comprehensively developed to provide pro- portionally for all, and this does not mean only those categories of family catered for by the Housing Authority and Resettlement Department, but other categories unable to provide housing for themselves. Even those who are in fact able to do so should be given sites in general housing zones for private development at various levels.
This comprehensive development is most necessary in towns such as Tsuen Wan, where there do not exist areas of entrenched high-class housing. It would produce a most serious situation if Tsuen Wan, for instance, was permitted to become a town only for the poor and the medium well-off while the rich commuted in each day and out again as soon as possible after. Such areas must be developed as balanced interdependent communities.
Much more may be said to the advantage of having a central or unified housing authority, particularly of its economies, but if nothing else prevails. the social arguments are profound.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 19, NUMBER 1
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