From our previous description of the building we cull the following: It is a centre for religious, recrea- tional and social function, planned primarily to meet the needs of the service men in the district. In the design of this Institute particular care was taken to suppress any suggestion of institutionalism and to keep the character of the building warm, welcome, intimate and relax ing. The approach to the main en- trance has the friendly atmosphere of a private club.
A large sized hall which serves as a lounge, dining and recreation room takes up almost the entire building. The big stone fireplace centred on
the north wall lends an air of hospit- ality to the place, while the snack counter located at the other end of the room is naturally the focal point of gustatorial activity. While the lounge is primarily for social and recreational functions, religious ser- vices are regularly held therein, for which purpose a chapel is attached to, but separate from, the north side of the hall. This chapel doubles as a quiet room.
The lounge hall opens on to a spacious covered terrace to the south overlooking the grounds where ten- nis and basketball courts are laid On this terrace tables and chairs have been arranged which
out.
provide outdoor dining facilities during the fine weather.
The general rustic character of the building is emphasized by the granite stone walls the exposed faces of which blend in naturally with the surrounding country, and its informal and easy atmosphere is most con- ducive to both spiritual meditation and physical relaxation.
The architect responsible for the design and supervision of the build- ing is Mr. Robert Fan.
The general contractors are the Hung Hsin Company, while the steel windows are locally made and supplied by the China Steel Works Ltd.
TIMBER USED IN HONG KONG
A Review of the Book Written by Mr. I. P. Tamworth, M.C.
LL the timber used in Hong Kong is imported, and since the end of World War II the Colony has been by far the largest importer of timber in the Far East with approximately 5,000,000 cu. ft. per annum. Only about 10% of this was re-exported, the remainder being used for local consumption.
Under these circumstances, it is essential for the user of timber to
make himself familiar with the types available and with their properties; such information has not, until now, been readily accessible and for
even the barest data it has heen necessary to go through a multitude of booklets and pamphlets issued by the governments and private companies of the various countries of origin of the timber.
Now, the consumer has all this information collected into a handy little volume compiled by Mr I. P. Tamworth, who was for a number of years the Forestry Officer of the Hong Kong Government and only recently left for a new appointment in malaya. This handbook is called "Timber Used in Hong Kong" and apart from an exhaustive analysis of the properties of the types of timber found on the local market, other general facts covering the properties of timber are likewise incorporated in order that they may be applied to describe the behaviour of timber under Hong Kong conditions.
Mr. Tamworth opens his book with a chapter on the general classification of timber, in which he lists the five main groups used in Hong Kong, namely conifers, teak, primary hardwoods, secondary hard- woods and general utility hardwoods. He goes on to describe broadly the structure and identification of the different groups and then sets out in greater detail the individual timbers included in each of them. These descriptions include the sources and main uses of each type together with such of their special properties inportant to the consumer, Al- together over 30 different species are dealt with in this manner, and illustrations are given of the most common types to facilitate their identification.
Then follow chapters on the Hong Kong timber market, the suitability of timbers for flooring, suitability of timbers for flooring, figure in wood, and comprehensive and informative sections on the movement of wood in relation to its moisture content, and strength pro- perties of timber.
The last three chapters deal with fungi and timber, termites and timber, and preservatives and timber- all of paramount importance to users in this part of the world. At the end of the book are some very useful appendices including a convenient table shewing the pro- perties of some of the common
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hardwoods found on the Hong Kong market.
Mr. Tamworth set himself quite a difficult task when he undertook this work, but in completing it so successfully he has done a great service to all users of timber in Hong Kong. Much of the material is available in numerous other publications, as the author himself is the first to admit in his forewore, but this is the first time that this information has been collected in one volume specially devoted to this market.
Containing a wealth of information of vital importance to all designers and users of timber in Hong Kong, this small but valuable book should find a place in the libraries of all architects, engineers, and builders in practise in the Colony; a study of it should prove immediately profitable, while as a reference book its worth cannot be over-estimated.
Mr. Tamworth has obviously given the matter considerable thought and attention. Not only is the subject matter itself, which is the result of many years' experience in Hong Kong, worthy of our appro- bation, but the manner in which he has set out the wealth of data included in the book makes it easy to grasp the facts presented.
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