November_1967 — Page 1

Far East ARCHITECT & BUILDER

The oldest trade journal in the Far East

EDITOR: A. G. BARNETT

Contents

NOVEMBER 1967

news review

News Review

World News

Block of Flats, Tai Hang Road,

Hong Kong

Kasumigaseki Mitsui Building, Tokyo

Shigenosuke Ishida

:

:

27

31

35

41

SEATO Headquarters Building, Bangkok 46

Afro-Asian Housing Congress Report

Chia Poteik

50

Urban Renewal and Future of the City .. 52

Professor W. G. Gregory

Civil Engineering Section

Construction of the Main Dam, Plover

Cove Water Scheme, stage II

56

L. S. Dodd

Materials and Equipment

Contractors' Plant

Building Plans Approved

Contracts Awarded

Index to Advertisers

:

67

69

71

75

82

Cover picture: Wide overhang of roof and balconies and the staggered facade of this new block of flats at Tai Hang Road, Hong Kong, cast deep shadows and protect the rooms from direct sun. See page 35.

Published monthly by Far East Trade Press Ltd. 1908. Prince's Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 241031 European Office: Building and Contract Journals Ltd., 32 Southwark Bridge Road, London, 8. E. I. Tel: Waterloo 2060. Printed by Shum 8hing Print- ing Co.. 7 Ship Street. Hong Kong. Tel: 724513.

Controlled circulation to 5,000 qualified readers

HK$910 MILLION HOUSING PROGRAMME

A RESETTLEMENT and low-cost housing programme entail- ing a total expenditure of about HK$910 million over six-years has been approved by the Hong Kong Govern-

ment.

Recommendations by the Housing Board have been accepted as a working basis, subject to the availability of sites and funds, for resettlement and low cost housing construction for the period April 1966 to March 1972. These recommendations are:

1. An increase of the space standard in redesigned resettlement blocks from a minimum of 24 sq. ft. to 35 sq. ft. per adult (i.e. person over ten years of age) on first allocation in all but the larger rooms: and

2.

an adjustment of the balance between the present resettlement and Government low-cost housing building programmes to allow 650,000 individual units of resettlement accommodation and 350,000 units of Government low-cost housing to be con- structed between April 1, 1966 and March 31, 1972.

In its report to Government in June this year the Housing Board said: "We believe that the time has come to design and build a new Mark VI resettlement block with rooms of varying sizes up to a maximum of 245 sq. ft. so that the allocations can be made at a minimum rate of 35 sq. ft. per adult for all households up to and including seven adults."

It was pointed out that when blocks of the new design have been built they would result in a great im- provement in resettlement housing standards with a con- sequent improvement in the health and morale of the occupants. There would also be a slowing down in the incidence of over-crowding even if overcrowding of space were said to occur immediately there is less than 24 sq. ft. per adult available.

The Board also recommended that the Government's resettlement programme commitment for the period 1966- 72 should be 650,000 units and that the Government low- cost housing programme should be 35,000 units.

REOPENING OF REGISTER

Government explains that despite this increased em- phasis on low-cost housing, it would still be some years before more of this kind of housing is actually available on the ground. However it will eventually mean the reopening of the low-cost housing register, which was closed in 1964, and also make it possible to accommodate in Government low-cost housing some of the persons who participate in the resettlement rent advance scheme or are cleared from resettlement cottage areas. Up to now it has only been possible to offer resettlement accommodation to such persons.

It is believed that about half of the people in these two groups would, if given the opportunity, be willing or able to pay the higher rents for improved accommoda- tion in Government low-cost housing estates.

The estimated cost of building 650,000 individual

Far East Architect & Builder November, 1967

27