Far East
ARCHITECT & BUILDER
The oldest trade journal in the Far East
EDITOR: A. G. BARNETT
JANUARY 1967
news review
Contents
News Review
19
World News
25
International School & Lutheran
Church, HK
29
The Hermitage, HK
Television Centre, Singapore
Civil Engineering 'Section
Slipformed Silos in H.K. flour mill
Materials and Equipment
Contractors' Plant ..
Building Plans Approved
Contracts Awarded
Letter to the Editor
Book Reviews
Index to Advertisers
:
:
:
:
34
1
41
47
53
57
61
63
65
65
25
70
The Cover picture is a detail view of the Hermitage taken looking along one of the access balconies, showing the precast concrete panels that serve as sun baffles and the teak balustrading.
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, S. E. I. Tel: Waterloo 2060. Printed by Shum Shing Print- ing Co.. 7 Ship Street, Hong Kong. Tel: 724513.
Controlled circulation to 5,000 qualified readers
HK ENTERING AN ERA OF RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPERS
ONE gleam of hope for the building industry in the pre- sent situation is that Hong Kong is now entering an era of responsible property developers, men who are not short- term opportunists and who understand that property de- velopment is a long-term occupation; these men are in the business to stay.
This was the interesting keynote of the speech made by Mr. Stanley Kwok, President of the Hong Kong Society of Architects, at the Society's recent Annual Dinner. Mr. Kwok said that these responsible developers were never- theless realists, in that they related the return on invest- ments to the risks involved. But it is in this trend to responsible development, as well as in the underlying and potentially-enormous demand of Hong Kong's expand- ing population, that the solution to the present problems lay. When the time came for the pace of development to speed-up again the architects, together with the planners. the Government and other professions, would have an im- portant part to play in producing an environment and a social order which will benefit all.
In an effort to secure a higher standard of professional conduct, Mr. Kwok said, the Society had, in conjunction with the various societies associated with the Civil and Structural Engineers and the Chartered Surveyors, discuss- ed a draft bill of the proposed Architects Ordinance. The problems involved are considerable but it is hoped even- tually to produce an Ordinance which will adopt and maintain the high code of conduct and standards necessary in a Society of Architects.
As a further measure of co-operation, talks had been held with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and with the Society of Builders and these had led to the pro- duction of a draft proposal for a Standard Form of Build- ing Contract for use in Hong Kong; this was a most important move and Mr. Kwok felt that the concept was here to stay. Co-operation with Government had always proved to be most successful and the Society's Buildings Ordinance Sub-committee hoped soon to be able to discuss with the appropriate Government Departments the most useful products of the Society's seminars (on "The Effect of Government Regulations on Architectural Form," "School Design in Relation to HK Requirements" and "Factory Design as Related to HK Requirements"); these seminars were organised in order to give members a more active role and they had proved valuable.
AMERICANS ADMIRE HK METHODS
ADMIRATION of the abilities of the Hong Kong con- struction industry has been expressed by Mr. R. C. Gallyon, of California, leader of a group of American contractors which recently visited the Colony.
In a letter to the Hong Kong Building Contractors Association he says: "I believe that we were all amazed at the apartment house complex (Villa Monte Rosa) from a number of standpoints. First, the fact that you built 240 units, 18 stories high, of the magnitude of this
Far East Architect & Builder January, 1967
19
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