December_1965 — Page 3

Far East

ARCHITECT & BUILDER

The oldest trade journal in the Far East

EDITOR: A. G. BARNETT

DECEMBER 1965

news review

Contents

News Review

39

World News

45

IFAWPCA Convention

51

T-Plan for Terrace Houses

55

Singapore's Trade Union House

60

Fortune Towne, Bacolod

66

Master Building Science Degree Pro- gramme of Sydney University, by Professor H.J. Cowan

69

Civil Engineering Section

Lower Shing Mun Main Dam, by Chung

Ho, BSc (Eng), DIC, AMICE, MASCE. 73

New Materials and Equipment

New Contractors' Plant

Building Plans Approved

79

2 83

87

Contracts Awarded

89

•

Index to Advertisers

108

Cover picture: Main entrance of the new Trade Union House and Conference Hall at Shenton Way, Singapore. The building is described on page 60.

Published monthly by Far East Trade Press Ltd.. 1908, Prince's Building, Hong Kong, Tel: 241031 European Office: Building and Contract Journals Ltd., 32 Southwark Bridge Road, London, $. E. 1. Tel: Waterloo 2060. Printed by Shum Shing Print- ing Co., 7 Ship Street, Hong Kong. Tel: 724513.

Controlled circulation to 5,000 qualified readers

EASING OF TIME LIMITS

CERTAIN relaxations of time limits on building develop- ment were announced last month by Hong Kong Govern- ment. They apply to developers owning land which is either the subject of an Exclusion Order made before July 1, 1965 or held from Government under Conditions of Sale or Grant executed before July 1, 1965, and on which development has not yet commenced or has not yet been completed.

These developers will be eligible to apply for an extension of one year, free of either penalty or premium. of the time limit by which they are bound to begin or complete their approved development scheme or to fulfil their building covenant as the case may be.

Government states that particular account has been taken of the very large number of Exclusion Orders made during 1963 and 1964. Many of these schemes which might otherwise have been spread over a longer period were obviously undertaken then to avoid the new restric- tions under the Building (Planning) Regulations which had been announced in advance in 1962.

It was also felt that this concession was appropriate at a time when in certain categories of domestic and other premises the supply was temporarily in excess of demand.

The concession is not retrospective and Government is not prepared to entertain any applications for refunds of premiums already paid for extensions of building covenant periods. But developers in this position will be eligible for a further free extension of one year from the date of expiry of their present extended building

covenants.

STRICTER PROCEDURES ADOPTED

STEPS to eliminate Government losses through construc- tions that are not finished on time are to be taken by the Philippines Public Works Department.

Mr. Jorge A. Abad, Public Works Secretary, has announced that more strict procedures are to be adopted for preparing construction estimates and for awarding contracts to private companies. Emphasis would be laid on the time element involved in the completion of all phases of construction, from foundations to superstructure, “even at the risk of increasing the cost".

This procedure, which was at variance with the old method of considering only the monetary factor, would eliminate financially unqualified contractors from winning contracts, said Mr. Abad.

PHYSICAL ACCOUNTANTS

"WHEN cold breezes blow through the economy, the building industry is among the first to feel the draught," said Mr. Lawrence Kadoorie, speaking at the recent annual dinner of the Hong Kong and China Branch of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

He was referring to the financial uncertainties ex- perienced in Hong Kong during 1965. He said that it was one thing to take orders for millions of dollars worth

Far East Architect & Builder December, 1965

39