XN000022-1976-05-24 — Page 8

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MONDAY, MAY 24, 1976

THE LARGEST FLAT IS 320 SQUARE FEET AND THE SMALLEST 178

THE SQUARE FEET, EXCLUDING KITCHEN, TOILET AND BALCONY. DEEPENED BALCONY AREA ALSO PROVIDES A MORE REGULAR SHAPED USEFUL AREA FOR TENANTS.

THE ESTATE INCORPORATES A WIDE RANGE OF FACILITIES, INCLUDING TWO ESTATE SCHOOLS WITH 24 CLASSROOMS EACH, A WELFARE HALL, A CLINIC, LIBRARY, MARKET FACILITIES AND TWO RESTAURANTS.

FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE RESIDENTS, P.W.D. ARCHITECTS HAVE GROUPED RETAIL FACILITIES AROUND A CENTRALLY LOCATED COURT ON AN ELEVATED DECK, WITH PARK ING, SERVICE AREAS AND STORAGE FACILITIES AT A LOWER, PARTIALLY UNDERGROUND LEVEL.

A TWO-STOREY SHOPPING CENTRE, WHICH IS FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED, IS LOCATED AT THE HEART OF THE ESTATE AND PROVIDES A TOTAL OF 30,100 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR SUPERMARKETS AND SHOPS.

A NEW FEATURE, INTRODUCED IN LOCAL HOUSING ESTATES BY P.W.D. ARCHITECTS, IS A SYSTEM OF COVERED WALKWAYS LINKING THE DOMESTIC BLOCKS WITH THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX PROVIDING TENANTS WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE SHOPPING CENTRE WITHOUT HAVING TO STEP OUTSIDE OR WORRY ABOUT CARS AND BAD WEATHER.

TO CATER FOR THE RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS, ABOUT TWO HECTARES (5 ACRES) OF OPEN SPACE IS PROVIDED IN AND AROUND THE ESTATE WITH REST GARDENS, PLAYGROUNDS, SOCCER PITCHES AND BASKETBALL COURTS. A LARGE SITE HAS ALSO BEEN RESERVED FOR A POSSIBLE SWIMMING POOL.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS ARE ALSO ADEQUATELY PROVIDED FOR WITH A BUS SUB-STATION AND A PUBLIC LIGHT BUS TERMINUS IN THE CENTRE OF THE ESTATE.

HING WAH ESTATE AT CHAI WAN, THE SECOND COMPLETED ESTATE NOW BEING HANDED OVER, COMPRISES EIGHT MULTI-STOREY DOMESTIC BLOCKS WHICH WILL HOUSE A TOTAL OF 22,700 PEOPLE.

LIKE LEK YUEN, IT IS A SELF-CONTAINED ESTATE WITH TWO ESTATE SCHOOLS, A WELFARE HALL, MARKET, RESTAURANT AND LARGE AREAS OF OPEN SPACE WITH PLAYGOUNDS AND REST GARDENS.

THE FIRST TWO BLOCKS OF HING WAH ESTATE WERE COMPLETED ON FEBRUARY 20 THIS YEAR SIX WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE UNDER A CRASH BUILDING PROGRAMME LAUNCHED BY THE P.W.D. ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE FOLLOWING THE ALDRICH BAY FIRE.

UNDER THE EMERGENCY PLAN, EIGHT WEEKS OF WORKS WERE CONDENSED INTO JUST TWO-AND-A-HALF WEEKS, AND ENABLED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO ARRANGE FOR THE EARLY REHOUSING OF SOME OF THE 3,200 PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOMES IN THE FIRE.