Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 731

49.02

7

4.

YARD

KITCHEN

SCAVENGING LANE

KITCHEN

633

YARD

63.

Scale 1 inch

=.16 feet.

It will be seen that a fair amount of ground is given over to provide open spaces. The width of the two back-yards and the back-lane making a width of 45 feet, all of which is practically wasted by being broken up into three separate open areas by two rows of high buildings used as kitchens instead of being combined and thus forming one open space of 45 feet between the dwelling house. The amount of space actually given up is equal to of the roofed over area together with a scavenging lane of 6 feet in width.

13. Plate VIII illustrates the necessity for limiting the depth of a dwelling house which is not furnished with lateral windows; the dwelling rooms shown are 90 feet in depth by only 13 feet in width, the open space in the rear of this tummel being practically valueless for the lighting and ventilation of the dwelling rooms, In the Bill provision has been made that no building shall exceed forty feet in depth without lateral windows.

14. Plate IX shows the requirements as to rear space of a Chinese house of an ordinary height of 50 feet with a back-lane of 6 feet in width, for scavenging purposes.

15. Plate X, which represents a type of house recently built in one part of Hunghom, indicates the direction in which improvements have already been made on the lines indicated.

The kitchen is attached to and forms part of the house. It extends to about half the width of the rear wall of the house which permits a window to be placed in the other half, which looks out into the open yard in the rear. Behind the kitchen is a smaller building which is a latrine for the ground floor. The yard in the rear is enclosed by a wall of about 8 feet in height with a door into a scavenging lane of 15 feet in width. It is not necessary to have scavenging lanes of this width, 6 to 8 feet would meet the requirements of the case, and the remain- ing space could be enclosed by a low wall and would serve to increase the arca of the yard behind the house.

Basements and Buildings abutting on Hill-side.

16. In Hongkong the tiers of streets which run from east to west and which have been cut out of the hill-side favour the building of houses which on one side of the street have their rear brought close to the side of the hill and which on the opposite side have the lowermost storey below the level of the street thus forming a basement. If the plots of land abutting on the street are of considerable width two rows of houses are built with a narrow intervening lane between the rows. It is very seldom that an adequate amount of space is provided between the rear of the house and the hill-side, or a good sized area between the street and the base- As a rule the rear of the house is brought close to or forms part of the hill- side and the basement has for one of its sides the retaining wall of the street or is built up in close juxtaposition to it, with a small area of a few feet encroaching on the street pathway and covered by a grating which is intended to give light and ventilation to the basement. If a building is in rear of the basement, which is frequently the case, the entrance of light and air is still further excluded from the basement.

ment.