ENG-1999 — Page 280

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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The Public Sector

The Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) acts as the Government's architect in providing financial management, professional and technical services for all public building developments, except public housing, in three main areas:

(i) Monitoring and advisory services to the central administration and all government departments including overseeing subvented projects financed by the Government. Altogether, 1 500 projects valued at $50 billion were monitored in 1999.

(ii) Professional multi-disciplinary services for project management, design (architectural, structural, building services, quantity survey and landscape), documentation, contract letting and supervising construction of building projects in the Public Works Programme and those of the Hospital Authority. For 1999, these services also covered projects undertaken by the Provisional Urban and Regional Councils. During the year, the department's rolling programme covered 510 projects under planning, design and construction, and valued at $124 billion.

(iii) Building maintenance services including maintenance, alteration, addition, fitting out and refurbishment of all public buildings and facilities, as well as those of the Provisional Urban and Regional Councils and the Hospital Authority (a total floor area of approximately 24 million square metres). The

and conservation department also undertook restoration works to listed buildings and gazetted monuments, and emergency and major repairs to

to all subvented schools situated outside public housing estates.

In 1999, the building projects designed and managed by the department were in the following areas:

Education

Fifteen primary schools and 14 secondary schools were completed in 1999 under the School Building Programme. Two special school with boarding sections were also completed. Construction work started on 25 primary schools, 12 secondary schools and one special school. Improvements to 110 schools were completed and work on 62 schools also started under the School Improvement Programme.

Domestic

Projects completed include the junior disciplined services quarters at Stanley. Construction works started on the departmental quarters at Kwun Tong, Lai King, West Kowloon Reclamation and Fanling.

Disciplined Services

Projects completed include improvements to the medium security prison at Stanley and the Sham Tseng Fire Station with Ambulance Depot. Construction works started on the Fu Tei Fire Station, Sandy Bay Fire Station, and improvements to the maximum security prison at Stanley. Preparatory works also commenced for the comprehensive redevelopment of Police Headquarters within the Arsenal Yard site.