January_1966 — Page 59

Housing

C

LOSE to the Taipo Kau railway station in the New Territories of Hong Kong is a group of white- roofed masonry houses signposted as the CARE Village Better Living Co- operative Society. Ltd.

This is in fact a village for housing fishermen and their families and is one of several schemes being organis- ed and financed by private welfare or- ganisations with the help of the Agri- culture and Fisheries Department and District Officers.

The purpose of these villages is to provide the fishermen, previously liv- ing on their craft, with a land base at a price they can afford. The young children and others unable to work can now be left behind when the fleet puts to sea, so making for longer and more efficient fishing trips.

Before such a village is built a Bet- ter Living Cooperative is formed of families wishing to participate, and these cooperatives apportion the ac- commodation to members and are responsible for the running of the completed villages.

Six villages have so far been begun of those designed by Hong Kong ar- chitects. Spence, Robinson, Prescott and Thornburrow. The clients for the first four, including Taipo and a very similar village on Tsing Yi Island. were CARE (the Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere). The other two. including the latest one which has just been commenced on Cheung Chau, were designed for the Lutheran World Federation.

This is not work done in isolation but is part of a broader plan to im- prove the conditions and efficiency of both fishermen and farmers. Other groups of low cost dwellings have already been built by relief organisa- tions.

Siting

Siting is most important in laying out a village for fishermen. It must

be as close as possible to the anchor- ages but not too prone to typhoon damage.

The site at Taipo gives the impres- sion of being flat, being in a hollow between the road and the railway, but there is a fall of 20 ft. across the site, in a distance of 130 ft. The highest units are some 12 ft. above the lowest, so the central space has a strong slope to it, as is indicated by the flights of steps.

At Tsing Yi the village is on top of a hill and the slope is greater. necessitating a tighter layout and more marked differences of level be- tween the houses.

Far East Architect & Builder January, 1966

CHANNEL

ACCESS BALCONY

HOOD OVER

KITCHEN

door of store

PATH

KITCHEN

shatt

KITCHEN STORE]

LADDER

LIVING

ROOM

PATH

Stairways and balconies

FLAI ASBESTOS SHEET

CORRUGATED ASBESTOS

SLEEPING SHELF

KITCHEN STORE.

STOVE BENCH

SLEEPING SHELF

5-J

GROUND

SLOPE

LIVING

ROOM

LIVING

ROOM

LOUVRES

SECTION

LIVING

ROOM

GROUND FLOOR

49