No_4_December_1963 — Page 127

ARCHITECT

AWARD

ION' HOUSE

Hong Kong architect was one of three responsible for designing an estate house which recently was one of the five prizewinners in the London Daily Mail's Ideal Home Exhibition.

The architect. Mr. Frank Ng. to- gether with Mr. Stanley Merer of Aylesbury and Mr. Anthony Evans of Luton. his London office col- leagues, came up with a plan for suburban living that was praised by the judge for solving "in a very simple and direct way the appearan- ce of the whole estate by arranging houses in series of two-storey

terraces."

a

The

The units have been designed for two main future extensions. first might be to use the hardstand- ing to build a garage, with enough space for a workbench. The second extension envisaged would be a double bedroom or a study-cum- bedroom on to the front of the house, with access from a hall. (see plans)

One of the requirements of the competition was that the homes should be sensible, reasonably priced dwellings that young couples could add to as their family grew.

The basic unit the architects have designed would cost about 53 shill- ings (HK$42.50) a square foot.

It consists of a spacious house with two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and a large living- dining room on the ground floor divided in the centre by an open fire place.

Mr. Ng said the fireplace would create a focal point in the living area something for people to sit around,

Mr. Frank C. F. Ng left Wah Yan College. Hong Kong. seven years ago and completed his architectural training in the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and

School its post-graduate

of

Tropical Studies.

During his studies he was awarded the

the R.L.B.A. Henry Jarvis Scholarship for research into precast concrete construction in West Germany and France (1960), the Henry Hope Scho- larship (1961) and the Building Centre Scholarship (1962). He also obtained a scholarship to attend evening classes at the School of Advanced Architec- tural Stulies. Royal Academy of Arts.

He joined the London office of Booty. Edwards and Partners in 1962 after working for a short period in Hong Kong.

At the moment he is the assistant architect for Booty. Edwards London Partner. Mr. Stanley Merer.

"Even if the householder chose to make a partition between the living and dining areas, the open fire would still serve both rooms."

Between the kitchen (situated next to the dining room) and hall is a lavatory and wash basin.

The architects have provided cup- boards and built-in fittings to reduce the amount of furniture required

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 18, NUMBER 4

and, in turn, to increase the available floor area.

The living rooms and bedrooms look on

to the sunny side of the house. The kitchen. bathroom. cloakroom and hall are on the shady side bringing the old backyard to the front of the house, where it is discreetly and attractively screened.

The units would be of timber-frame structure, using 3in. vertical soft- wood weatherboarding for the walls and skim-coated plasterboard walls finished with two coats of emulsion paint internally.

The timber walls would have three coats of oil paint, gloss finish.

The ground floor would be heated by off-peak electric under-floor heat- ing and the first Hoor bedrooms by built-in. off-peak electric block- storage heaters. (The space for heating could be casily adapted for cooling units for hot climates).

In the kitchen, all cutlery. glass and chinaware would be in drawers and on shelves accessible from either kitchen or dining room.

A sunken bath, hand-spray/shower, built in medicine cabinet, built in face mirror and cantilevered W.C. (for easy cleaning) would be standard fittings.

To achieve the required density with congenial groupings of the houses, enclosed private gardens have been restricted to the rear of the houses, eliminating fences, hed- ges. etc.. from the entrance side.

Pedestrian access is envisaged being incorporated through the gar dens. providing the resultant open spaces can be planted and paved.

As the various extensions would almost certainly occur spasmodically. the massing and silhouette of the various groups would change over the years but in an harmonious manner which would add interest to the total scheme. This growth of variety in unity that would occur. is in contrast to the sterility of most present day housing estates and would achieve a relationship closer to the communal organic growth found in the traditional villages and small towns of Britain.

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