HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SCHEME
Architect's sketch showing extent and nature of the proposed development.
Side by side with the Kowloon Tong Garden City and to the west of it, across the Railway Line, there is under development an extensive site for a new housing scheme of the garden city type.
After
This scheme was initiated in 1947, when the shortage of housing accommodation was keenly felt in the Colony, by Mr. U. Tat Chee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Preserved Ginger Distributors Ltd. Its object is not profit-making but to enable its promoters and participants to have comfortable homes at economical cost and within a healthy environment. negotiations had been carried out by Mr. U. Tat Chee and Mr. H. M. Siu, architect for the project, a piece of Crown Land approximately 40 acres, now known as New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 3594 was granted by Government in July 1950 to a syndicate formed by the promoters and participants of the scheme and styled the Yau Yat Chuen Development Co., Ltd.
The keynote of the whole scheme is contained in the fact that the entire development has been planned with a view to affording the middle-class residents of the Colony the opportunity of owning their own homes. The design of the houses has been prepared with the idea of providing a residence which can be built at costs varying from $30,000.00 to $50,000.00 which, at the present day standard. is within the means of a vast number of investors who had otherwise been confronted with figures running round $100,000.00 and over whenever schemes of this nature had been presented to them. In order to assist prospective builders, the sponsors
permit each investor to make his own arrangement as far as the construction is concerned, the only restrictions they impose are for the purpose of ensuring conformity to the spirit, standard and quality set for the development. For this reason the purchasers are expected to obtain their plans from the sponsors' architect, who has prepared a great variety of designs, all of which could be constructed within the figure mentioned.
As an example of the character of the buildings contem- plated for this area. we reproduce a sketch of one of the buildings, Type E3, which has been provided by the architect. In subsequent issues, we shall reproduce further designs and floor plans. Each dwelling will have three bedrooms with a hall, two bathrooms and a verandah on the upper floor, and a dining room, sitting room, kitchen, stairhall, porch, servants' quarters and garage on the lower floor.
The land was originally of a hilly nature but it has been levelled to make an elevated platform rising gradually towards the north. On the site there will be 114 substantial detached houses of European type, with a main road 50′0′′ wide leading up from Boundary Street with an easy gradient, and bye- roads 40′0′′ wide. There will be a school, a club-house, recreation grounds, and other playgrounds for children.
The houses will be divided into groups, each group stand- ing on one terrace with toe-walls, and the houses will be placed back to back with a lane between to facilitate the clearance of refuse etc. This is the first stage of the scheme, and there is an optional area to the north reserved for the second stage comprising 77 houses or part thereof.
Perspective drawing of one of the many types designed for the project.
33
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.