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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1974.
SECRETARY FOR HOUSING VISITS NEW HOUSING ESTATE
AT TUEN MUN ******
THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR. IAN LIGHTBODY, YESTERDAY (MONDAY) VISITED THE LARGE NEW PUBLIC HOUSING SCHEME BEING DEVELOPED IN AREA 6 OF THE NEW TOWN AT TUEN MUN.
HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MR. THOMAS KU, SENIOR ARCHITECT IN THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
THE ESTATE WHEN COMPLETED WILL HAVE FIVE LARGE CRUCIFORM BLOCKS TO HOUSE 46,000 PEOPLE. IT IS BEING DEVELOPED IN TWO PHASES. THE FIRST-PHASE CONTRACT FOR 29,000 PEOPLE IS FOR THREE. CRUCIFORM BLOCKS, A SIX-STOREY BLOCK, TOGETHER WITH THREE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. THE FIRST PHASE, TOGETHER WITH A PORTION OF THE COMMERCIAL CENTRE, WILL BE READY IN OCTOBER 1976.
A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THESE TAPERING CRUCIFORM BLOCKS IS THAT THEY PROVIDE A VARIETY OF ROOM SIZES, WITH LARGER ROOMS AT THE BASE AND SMALLER ROOMS AT THE UPPER LEVELS. THE SHORTER CORRIDORS ON.. EACH FLOOR WILL MAKE FOR A CLOSER COMMUNITY SPIRIT AMONG TENANTS. EACH BLOCK WILL HAVE 11,400 SELF-CONTAINED FLATS WITH BALCONIES.
THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING WAS MET BY MR. LAWRENCE LEE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FAR EAST ENGINEERING COMPANY, THE CONTRACTORS FOR THE FIRST PHASE.
FOR THIS CONTRACT THE COMPANY IS USING A PART PRE-CAST BUILDING SYSTEM AND IS BUILDING A PRE-FABRICATION FACTORY ON THE ESTATE SITE FOR BUILDING FLOOR SLABS AND PARTITION WALLS. BY USING THESE MODERN, LABOUR-SAVING METHODS THE FAR EAST ENGINEERING COMPANY CAN COMPLETE ONE FLOOR IN 12 DAYS. THIS SYSTEM ALSO PRODUCES A BETTER WALL FINISH, AND ELIMINATES THE NEED TO PLASTER THE WALLS FOR A SMOOTH FINISH.
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MR. LIGHTBODY WAS SHOWN THE WORK BEING DONE ON THE FOUNDATIONS FOR TWO OF THE FIRST THREE BLOCKS. BECAUSE OF THE SOIL CONDITIONS IN THE AREA, IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY TO CONSTRUCT ONE WING OF EACH OF THESE CRUCIFORM BLOCKS ON RAFTS RATHER THAN CONVENTIONAL PILING.
THE CONTRACT PRICE FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS ESTATE IS OVER $80 MILLION. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE WHOLE ESTATE, I.E. TWO PHASES, IS ABOUT $160 MILLION. IT WILL INCLUDE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, MARKETS, CULTURAL CENTRE AND A SHOPPING COMPLEX.
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