No_2_April_and_May__1941 — Page 42

Hong Kong Builder

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View of the interior of the main living room looking towards entrance hall.

Sketch of front view showing construction of house along the steep slope.

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Another view of the main living room taken from entrance hall. full length mirror over the fireplace not only act as an attractive decorative feature, but gives the illusion of greater width to the room.

A view of one of the bedrooms. Note the position of the bathroom. Since the ground slopes steeply on that side, the floor level of the bathroom waa made at a lower level than the bedroom and is reached by several steps, To increase the restricted size of the room, the living room porch has been made accessible from this bedroom and the built-in cupboard eliminates the necessity for a wardrobe.

servants rooms, laundry, hot room and storeroom, and kitchen on the lower floors leaving the ground floor free for the main living rooms and pantry.

The accommodation on this floor consists of a living room, dining room, with a fireplace in each, and two bedrooms, each bedroom having built-in closets and an attached bath- room. There is in addition a large covered porch area at the rear of the house, which faces south-west. The floor of this porch extends over the basement area and provides cover for the basement stairways and openings. The garage, large enough for a big car, is situated to the east of, and separated from, the main house. Above the entrance hall, and within the pitch of the roof, there has been incorporat- ed a small attic in which the water storage tank has been placed.

Owing to the extreme high cost of concrete building mat- erials, it was decided to utilise timber instead of concrete for the roof. The construction of the roof is of hardwood joints sheathed with tongue and grooved boards over which as- phalt roofing materials, with the final covering of roll tiles, are placed. Inside, a suspended ceil- ing of plaster on wood lath has been provided. In addition to the economy of this type of roof, it has the added advantage of being more easily adapted to the complicated gable design of the Spanish style,

The architect was Mr. Louis Biau, who has now departed from the Colony to assist in the Free French effort in the Near East, and the general contractor was Mesara Lee Cheong Co.