15
The completed blocks of flats at Tsuen Wan on 21 Nov., the day before the Shek Pik villagers moved into their new homes
SEABED TO HOMES IN ELEVEN MONTHS
N connection with the Hong Kong water catchment scheme now being carried out in the Shek Pik Valley on Lantao Island, it was found necessary to displace a num- ber of villagers from the valley and provide accommodation for them elsewhere.
After some negotiation with the village elders it was agreed that housing be provided at Tsuen Wan in the New Territories in such a way that the village community could re-establish itself as a whole.
Plans were drawn up in Decem- ber. 1959. and work was started on reclaiming land from the Sea in January, 1960, to form the site for six blocks of tenements.
In February piling rigs were brought to the site and thereafter piles were driven for each of the six blocks as the reclamation was pro- ceeding for succeeding block sites.
On 1 March, 1960. construction work was started on the first block while reclamation and piling were still in hand for the remaining blocks.
Thus, as reclamation was com- pleted for the site of each block,
36
Architects:- Public Works Department.
piling work began for the founda- tions of each block and as this was completed construction of the build- ing was started.
This procedure was adopted to avoid the delay caused by forming the whole site before any of the buildings could be constructed.
Construction of the last block be- gan on 26 April and finished on 12 October, in spite of numerous de- lays caused by weather and very cramped site conditions.
The villagers moved into their new quarters on 22 November.
Five of the six blocks are identical in design and consist in each case of eight shops on the ground floor with four storeys of tenement flats above with total of thirty-two flats in each block.
The shops have a floor area of 650 square feet with W.C. and kitchen attached and also an open yard of 260 square feet with access to scavenging lanes. Each shop is fitted with removable wooden shutters.
Access to upper floors is gained by communal staircases, each serving two flats on every floor. The flats
have a floor area of 470 square feet with separate W.C. and kitchen at the rear together with a clothes drying area and a private balcony at the front of about 36 square feet.
Staircase access is provided to all roof areas which are covered with concrete tiles.
The sixth block is similar in all respects to the other five with the exception that one shop space has heen given over for use as a Village Affairs Meeting Room, two first floor rooms have been converted into classrooms, and one the top floor has been converted for use as a Hau Wong temple.
room on
The open space between the build- ings is being finished as a recreation area, playground and garden with trees, shrubs and benches and later it is hoped that playground equip. ment will be installed.
A complete new system of roads, footpaths, drains and water supply has been completed and the villagers can now enjoy all the usual urban amenities in their new home which has been reclaimed from the sea and built in a total time of only nine months.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER ·
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· VOLUME 15. NUMBER 4