No_5_February_1961 — Page 42

Architects: Way and Sun

D

OUBLE co-operation made pos- sible the erection of the twelve- storey Ruby Court, 614-628 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong, latest co-operative block of apart- ments to be completed in the city.

The Ruby Court Co-operative Building Society Ltd. was formed from eight individual groups of officers of various Government de- partments to which the Government originally granted the site in separ- ate lots for the erection of blocks of five to six storey buildings.

Amalgamation of the eight co- operative groups made possible the building of the new twelve-storey building with a saving both in site area and in the total cost of the pro- ject.

The area, which is bounded by King's Road, the new extension to Tsat Tse Mui Road, a new 25-foot road, and the new Healthy Street West, has an area of 16,354 square feet of which the built over area takes only 10,000 square feet.

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Cost of the land was $328.800 and total cost of the project, land and building, was $3,047,200.

The site itself is a portion of the old Government quarry and the southern section had to be formed by cutting into the existing slope. Soil investigation showed that the northern portion was filled ground, probably over the old seashore. Here the foundations rest on precast concrete piles.

Major problem in design and planning was the provision of dif ferent types of flats to comply with the individual requirements of the large number of Government of ficers who are members of the co- operative society.

While it was felt desirable to use in full the maximum amount of the Government loan for the project, the planning and arrangement of the various types of apartments had to conform, both in floor area and in cost, with the varying require ments of individual offictrs of vary ing emoluments.

*Eight

groups of

officers joined

to make possible

this tall block of flats

SIX TYPES

15.5 IN ONE

A minor aspect of this problem was the society's policy to provide. for each apartment, large and small and irrespective of the difference in cost of the different sized flats. the maximum of light, through ven- tilation, view, and similar amenities and facilities.

Final solution to arrived at in the

the problem was provision of 88

flats on 11 typical floors, that is eight flats of six differing types on each of the eleven floors.

The final total cost of each type of flat (land cost and building cost together) was carefully worked out to fit in with the repayment sche dule of the prospective occupant of each type of flat.

As a result the net floor area of each type of flat, exclusive of com- varies mon lobbies, staircases etc., from 900 to 1,400 square feet, and the cost from $30,000 to $40,000 per flat.

Each of the 88 apartments has a living-dining room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, servants' quarters and service balconies. addition all flats have front balconies, although these are of varying sizes.

In

Except for a small unexcavated portion of the site adjoining Tsat Tse Mui Road, which is at a level some 9 feet higher than King's Road, the whole of the ground floor at King's Road level is used for en- trance lobbies, car parts, caretakers' quarters, storerooms and a large transformer room.

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER - VOLUME 15, NUMBER 5