It was not until 1948 that the owner decided to have the house reconstructed as a two-story building containing two flats, each with its own private entrance. All the standing walls were razed to the basement level and the designing work was left in the hands of the architect, Mr. Faitfone Wong, who suggested for elevational effects a semi-Spanish treatment with some original touches to harmonize the finish of the existing basement walls, which were built of random grey granite blocks, with the proposed new facade.
The interior was designed along simple modern lines with the one large fireplace in the living room built in dark grey the demolished walls. The facing granite salvaged from windows facing north have been made as low as possible to give a full view of the picturesque harbour.
The present arrangement of the living room with its large window on two sides gives a full view over the harbour whereas from the former living room there was no view except from the covered verandah.
The four upstairs rooms incorporated in the new build- ing form a self-contained flat approached by an outside stair- case built up along the side of the west wall and protected by a reinforced concrete canopy which in itself adds architec- tural interest to the building. This flat comprises a living room, dining room, and two bedrooms, each with attached bathroom, and follows the original arrangement downstairs except that the living room is at the north-east side of the flat with a bedroom and verandah over the downstairs living
room.
Photographs of the interior of the ground floor flat.
The two upper ones are of the living room, and the two lower ones are of the master bedroom.
Being built on former foundations the shape of the rooms retain their former general dimensions, but the whole floor plan has been changed to incorporate improvements in arrangement and in lighting and ventilation.
In the original residence the large entrance hall occupied the whole centre of the house with the lobby on the north side of the building. The sitting-dining room area with very inadequate windows was placed to the east of it, while the whole west side of the house consisted of a group of four bedrooms with the two bathrooms occupying the best of the external wall area.
A comparison of the two plans will show how the re- arrangement has been effected. As will be seen, the smaller but adequate entrance hall is now on the south side, the living room on the west side, with generous sized windows on the north and west elevation; and the two main bedrooms on the east side. The re-arrangement of the bathrooms, drying-room and closets has eliminated waste areas, reduced the length of corridors and passages, and improved the services con- siderably.
Actually the only part of the old building remaining is the enclosed verandah, which was formerly an extension of the sitting room and which now forms the sitting-out porch for the bedroom, and the servants' quarters in which only a few slight additions have been incorporated.
The former sitting room was connected with a large dining room by a sliding door in the south wall; this wall has been blocked in forming two separate bedrooms,
The former large lobby and entrance hall is now divided into a bathroom for the master bedroom, a drying room of very fine dimension, and a corridor which serves the east half of the floor.
was
The present dining room is formed from what formerly an enclosed porch that was used as a conservatory. The approach to the main entrance hall now was formerly a small patio surrounded by kitchen and pantry, conservatory and bedroom.
The previous arrangement of bedrooms crowded four rooms into a limited area with bathrooms across the hall, and very inadequate cupboards set in odd spaces.
The small study, with its own enclosed verandah, occupied part of this wing off the main entrance hall and still further added to the confusion.
Another pleasant feature of the building as re-arranged is the garage, which is set into the hillside at the north side of the building at a level which permits the roof of the garage to form a tea terrace from which a full view of almost the entire harbour area is obtained.
The original footpath leading from Severn Road has been widened to provide a driveway direct to the house, and a two-car garage re-sited and built at a lower level adjacent to the north frontage. The original tennis court and terraced gardens were all reinstated in keeping with the surroundings.
General Contractor: Ming Kee & Co.
Sanitary & Plumbing Work: Dodwell & Co., Ltd. Electrical Installation: British General Electric Co., Ltd. Steel Windows and Doors: Hongkong Metal Window Mfg.
Co
Teak Parquet Flooring: Hang Yick Lumber Co. "Johnson" Coloured Bathroom Tiles: Harry Wicking Co.,
Ltd.
"Josiah Parkes" Door Locks:
Harry Wicking & Co., Ltd.
A photograph of the west side of the building, showing the terrace of the living room.
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