December_1967 — Page 1

Far East ARCHITECT & BUILDER

The oldest trade journal in the Far East

EDITOR: A. G. BARNETT

Contents

DECEMBER 1967

news review

News Review

World News

25

29

Planning of Public Housing in Singapore 33

Teh Cheang Wan, B. Arch (Sydney), ARIAA, ARIBA

Police Quarters, Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong 40

46

Decorative Exterior Finishes

H. E. Nesling

New Industrialised Building System

50

Civil Engineering Section

Tunnels and Intakes Between

Plover

Cove and Tai Po Tau

53

A. D. Garrod, B.Sc, DIC, MICE, AMIWE

Lion Rock Tunnel Opened to Traffic

59

Materials and Equipment

63

Contractors' Plant

67

Building Plans Approved

71

Contracts Awarded

73

Index to Advertisers

76

Cover picture: A glass-fibre deep relief with metallic finish executed by W. G. Mitchell. New methods of pro- viding decorative exterior finishes are discussed by Mr. H. E. Nesling, of Building Finishes Ltd. on page 46

Published monthly by Far East Trade Press Ltd., 1908, Prince's Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 241031 European Office: Building and Contract Journals Ltd., 82 Southwark Bridge Road, London, S. E. I. Tel: Waterloo 2060. Printed by Shum Shing Print- ing 00.. 7 Ship Street, Hong Kong. Tel: 724513.

Controlled circulation to 5,000 qualified readers

HKSA PRESIDENT'S REVIEW

REVIEWING the past year in his speech at the annual dinner of the Hong Kong Society of Architects last month, the president, Mr. Alan Fitch, said that the task of running architect's society in the colony, which had been beset by anarchy in many forms since early this year, had not been easy.

an

Political troubles affected invest- ment which in turn affected the pro- fession of architecture, and members in private practice had naturally had, and were still having a worrying time. Despite this the society's council had been busy, he said, and a new form of building contract for use in Hong Kong with or without quanti- ties had been completed by joint efforts with the RICS and the Society of Builders. The form was being held up pend- ing an agreement on the final details of distribution but should be ready soon.

Mr. A. Fitch

The president continued: "We have assisted the Hong Kong Government with the settlement of disputes arising from the bank crisis and have given advice on claims for professional fees when projects have been abandoned. Mr. Leslie Ouyang has represented us on the BOO Liaison Group and is to carry on next year on the committee to produce a set of structural regulations for enactment under the Building Ordinance”.

Turning to the future, Mr. Fitch said that many architects were leaving Hong Kong which was an ominous sign for the Colony, for a thriving community would always need buildings.

"Our building industry", he said, "has many skilled artisans people who use their heads and their hands in their daily work. At present there is still some fat on the bone which is keeping the workers occupied. But what of the future when this work becomes less and less

and their skills are no longer needed? Is the Hong Government and our Labour Department fully alive to the problem of what will happen when our workers are no longer fully employed? Unless we can keep our building industry and our other industries alive we will face serious labour unrest.

Mr. Fitch did not conclude on an optimistic note, but left further questions to be answered: "We are planning our new towns

will we ever build them? Can a new land policy encourage investment and re- suscitate our growth, or will the present move towards death continue for while until it accelerates and becomes out of control".

URBAN RENEWAL TENDERS ACCEPTED

MR. E. W. Barker, Minister for Law and National De- velopment, announced in Parliament last month that the Singapore Government had now accepted tenders for developing seven of the 14 projected urban renewal schemes (FEA & B August 1967) and work on them was expected to begin soon.

Far East Architect & Builder December, 1967

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