Designed as the gateway to the magnificent Greater Mara National Park, our proposal seamlessly blends sustainability, cultural integration, and visitor experience, offering a unique opportunity to explore and engage with the park’s wonders through interactive activities, exhibitions, and an immersive sensory journey. By incorporating the rich history, indigenous culture, and diverse wildlife, we have created a space where visitors can learn, appreciate, and connect with the Mara Triangle Conservancy.
The proposal aims to integrate the new building with all existing buildings and landscape. The initial section provides a captivating exhibition area as a reception with park’s history, indigenous culture, and existing wildlife. As visitors progress, they go through shops, restaurants and classroom. The wall is perforated on the exterior with the interior wall to provide further privacy. The visitors eventually ascend a series of ramps and platforms that elevate them 6m to allow panoramic views from every angle. The tower with climbing ladder extends further up to 18m for people needing a treehouse retreat.
Inspired by the traditional constructions of the Masai Mara region, we have integrated elements such as wood branches, soil brick, and a blend of natural materials reminiscent of the adobe conglomerate. These structures have proven to be remarkably efficient in terms of climate adaptation, sustainability and cost control. While respecting the environment and prioritizing constructability, we keep the structure in a simple grid of 4mx9m to allow construction with low-tech methods.
Our design incorporates a range of energy-efficient features to allow off-grid operation throughout the year. Photovoltaic panels adorn the sun-drenched areas of the building and Wind turbines at 18m both harness renewable energy. Furthermore, we embrace the existing vegetation and propose the addition of indigenous tree species, which not only contribute to a cooler microclimate but also provide ample shading, enhancing visitor comfort.
In consideration of construction costs and material availability, we have carefully assessed the local resources and existing infrastructure. Our design aims to minimize transportation distances by sourcing materials within an 800 km radius, utilizing the established roads and runways. With our design, we are dedicated to creating a sustainable, culturally respectful, and enduring project. We have ensured adaptability to potential future program changes, allowing for seamless evolution while maintaining energy efficiency and architectural integrity.
In 2023, we worked with DAB Kowloon City and 3000 survey responses and 10 workshops to come up with 20 community improvements including park extensions, building upgrades, traffic policy, waterfront works and new community buildings. Listening to the community has been a fruitful process to understand different physical, emotional, cultural and safety concerns. As planners and architects, we believe Hong Kong still have rooms to grow to make all neighborhoods age-friendly, barrier-free, and sustainable.
Adapt existing historic buildings better by improving the open spaces and pedestrian network around them.
Turn public buildings as part of the pedestrian network to connect higher grounds to lower subway stations.
Make waterfront more accessible to the community with special needs and senior citizens.
Redevelop older buildings with immediate danger and make public spaces a crucial piece of the new development.
Plan higher mix-use buildings with public amenities
Relocate utlities that limit the expansion of the community, including large town gas station. The remaining can become a part to integrate the inner city.
We have a simple architectural proposal with Regine Benoit to help the community in Haiti. It is to build a mini ventiver processing center as a community hub so that the local farmers with kids can leverage on the facilities to sustain their families. The building is made of concrete structure to be earthquake resistant. It is open air with large canopy for shading. The off the grid structure have enough solar panels to power the factory equipment to allow ventiver processing. #haiti
At Avoid Obvious Architects, we believe in looking beyond the surface to truly understand the unique needs of every site we work on. Our holistic approach takes into account the people, infrastructure, and climate, ensuring that our designs align seamlessly with the surrounding environment. While we acknowledge that perfection is elusive, we strive to create green buildings that not only minimize environmental impact but also enhance the overall experience.
Amplify Local Greenery: We wholeheartedly embrace the benefits of integrating abundant local greenery into our designs. By incorporating lush vegetation, we create harmonious spaces that promote a sense of tranquility and well-being.
Sustainable Modularity in Wood: Lowering the embodied carbon is a priority for us. To achieve this, we have developed a repeatable module system constructed predominantly from wood. This innovative approach not only reduces our carbon footprint but also ensures ease of maintenance, enabling sustainable architecture to thrive.
Communal Spaces in Harmony with Nature: We understand the importance of fostering a strong connection between people and the natural world. That’s why we meticulously design communal spaces where individuals can immerse themselves in the beauty of nature, promoting a sense of community and well-being.
The Fusion of Art and Science: Celebrating sustainability as an art form is at the heart of our architectural philosophy. We seamlessly integrate sustainable features into our designs, treating them as captivating art installations. By blending artistry and scientific principles, we create truly unique and inspiring spaces.
Revitalization of old buildings or structures: Repurposing an an abandoned structure with new addition or program is likely the best approach to extend the embodied carbon of the built environment. It may be possible we have already over built the world. It is time to look back of what humanity has built and find ways to make them better and greener.
At AOA, we are passionate about pushing the boundaries of architecture, always striving to create sustainable buildings that go beyond mere functionality. Join us on this exciting journey as we continue to redefine the future of sustainable design!
All projects below were done in collaboration with Alvaro Arranz, AIA.
We offer comprehensive architectural and planning solutions for prominent cities in Morocco, including Rabat, Casablanca, El Jadida, Rachidia, Taroudant, and Larache. Partnering with IXI Architecture and Design and STILL Architecture, we become a global design team specific to the Moroccan context. Our international insights and appreciation for the local culture has led us to discover several fascinating aspects.
In contrast to other Arabic countries, Morocco exhibits a more contemporary and Westernized style. The country’s affinity for traditional architecture is characterized by subtle elegance, rather than ornate patterns.
Moroccans hold a strong passion for horse racing and football, and their investments in schools and sports venues dedicated to these activities surpass those of many other nations. It is truly remarkable that we have had the opportunity to work on projects in Morocco during their national team’s pursuit of a spot in the FIFA World Cup Final.
Given the seismic activity in the region, earthquake-resistant construction techniques are crucial considerations. Consequently, the buildings we engage with often adhere to low-rise designs to mitigate the impact of potential earthquakes.
Morocco experiences significant variations in weather and humidity between its northern and southern regions. Choosing the appropriate cooling systems for buildings becomes paramount, with an emphasis on passive cooling methods involving vegetation and water. Additionally, selecting plant species that thrive in the local climate, excluding cacti due to safety concerns for children, is of utmost importance.
Moroccan cities are imbued with rich local culture and history, necessitating collaborations with knowledgeable local teams to navigate the do’s and don’ts. Determining the suitable types of materials can only be achieved with input from individuals deeply familiar with Morocco’s architectural traditions. While absorbing all the local knowledge might be a daunting task amid countless architectural considerations, we strive to strike the right balance.
We are excited to showcase a selection of our projects, encompassing horse parks, schools, community centers, and government buildings.
Rabat Office for Government:
One notable project revolves around the creation of a highly secure government building for a federal agency. By skillfully integrating screens and distinct forms, we have crafted a structure that harmonizes with the upscale neighborhood of Rabat, while providing the agency with an environment conducive to wellness and privacy. The arrangement of two intersecting rectangular volumes generates communal spaces at their meeting points, resulting in a dramatic yet contextually appropriate design.
El Jadida Horsepark
The horse park facility draws inspiration from the local castle and surrounding mountains. Its simple stone volume provides thermal mass, regulating interior temperatures, while the recognizable form adds a human touch. Departing from conventional sports facilities, the design adopts a contemporary approach reminiscent of a castle, which ultimately earned us an award in a competition.
Rachidia School Campus
Embracing contextual forms, we employed rammed earth to create an inviting entrance for a university campus. Our study of the campus emphasizes the importance of “4th spaces,” exploring how post-COVID-era learning can occur both online and on-campus. We strive to design spaces that can adapt and expand to accommodate future needs. The result is an interesting and collaborative campus that combines flexibility, technological integration, and sustainable design principles.
Taroudant Football Academy
The football academy, with its pixelated pattern and innovative reinterpretation of traditional forms, seeks to uplift students socially and professionally through sports. The building reflects this noble mission, providing students with exciting spaces to explore during their stay in this relatively remote location. A self-sustaining campus approach ensures students have access to comprehensive wellness amenities while focusing on their sports-related studies.
Casablanca Community Sport Center
In the modern city of Casablanca, we embarked on a departure from our traditional contextual materials. Our goal was to create a destination for multi-generational fitness. Employing an eye-catching metal screen, we not only enhanced the building’s facade but also utilized it to delineate distinct spatial experiences between indoor and outdoor areas. With thoughtful lighting design, we aimed to provide the community with a versatile sports center that can cater to a range of activities, from basketball and skateboarding to more serene pursuits such as yoga, dance, and indoor gym workouts. Both high-energy and low-impact sports were thoughtfully accommodated in our design.
Larache Community Hall
The primary purpose of the venue is to serve as a wedding hall. Our approach harmoniously blends our comprehensive knowledge of local wedding customs with a keen awareness of contemporary hospitality demands. We have meticulously crafted a captivating environment that seamlessly integrates lush greenery, natural wood elements, and elegant stone accents. Our overarching vision is to establish this transparent complex as an idyllic retreat for young families seeking tranquility and rejuvenation. By incorporating symbolic wooden trellises, we have ingeniously unified the various edifices within the complex, enabling a seamless and cohesive experience for our guests. This design is not only aesthetically captivating and highly shareable on platforms like Instagram but also embodies sustainability at its core.
Together with STILL and IXI Architecture, we are ready to deploy more institutional knowledge in Morocco.
We were awarded by the Impacts Competition for our 2022 Skyrise Submission.
Lagos, Nigeria is the most populated megacity in Africa with 15.4 million people. As the city grows in low-density fashion, quality of living has not improved with more equitable public amenities and infrastructure. Existing communities can benefit from better open spaces, greenery, renewable energy, sanitation, and communal spaces. The Lagos Lagoon on the other hand is a signature waterfront for its CBD but is currently filled with oil rig and tanks. These rigs are considered eyesores to many locals.
Our proposal SkyRig aims to replace the existing oil rigs in water with three high-rise modular structure to provide housing, retail, commercial, and public amenities. The complex will provide equitable, reliable, and sustainable living in downtown area while referencing the city’s past in oil industry. Using wind, solar, water, and biomass to generate energy, water and food, the towers will provide a circular lifestyle with net zero operation carbon. The new architecture not only reinforces Lagos’s existing plan to beautify the waterfront, but its sustainable vision also helps the city to look beyond oil as their main source of income.
With rising sea levels threatening coastal cities like New York, similar amphibian design may be the solution to futureproof our communities.
Modular construction is set to transform an oil rig into a sustainable building with a unique garden that will extend from below water level up to 40 levels high. This innovative project promises to be a game-changer in the construction industry as it offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional building methods. The modular construction approach involves the use of pre-fabricated modules, which are assembled on-site to create a fully functional building. This method not only reduces construction time but also minimizes waste and lowers carbon emissions. The garden, which will be integrated into the building’s design, will provide a natural oasis in the midst of the urban landscape. The project is an exciting example of how creativity and innovation can transform existing structures into sustainable, functional, and beautiful spaces that benefit both people and the environment.
The future of housing revolves around the concept of the “4th spaces” – communal areas that exist beyond the boundaries of one’s individual home but contribute to the overall sense of home. These spaces play a crucial role in fostering a sense of community and connection among residents.
When it comes to sustainable housing, effective material and energy control are paramount. Providing residents with the ability to naturally cool their living spaces, reducing reliance on air conditioning, becomes a key consideration. Additionally, incorporating mass timber as both a finishing material and structural component can significantly lower the overall embodied carbon of the building, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly housing solution.
Furthermore, housing design should aim to eliminate the division between private and public spaces. The concept of gated communities, often associated with exclusivity and separation, should not be applied to public housing. Creating transparent and open spaces allows for increased visibility and supervision, enhancing the safety of children and deterring individuals with malicious intentions. By promoting openness and inclusivity, housing developments can foster a greater sense of security and community engagement among residents.
We are thankful for the opportunity from Hong Kong Construction Assciation (HKCA) to feature their ESG blockchain platfrom at Construction Industry Council Annual Conference. HKCA’s Honorary Secretary Rex Wong, JP explains that their mission is to to award and encourage contractors to work toward social and environmental goals. HKCA is a marketplace to store and trade these completed ESG credits.
Our exhibition concept is to grow a virtual #ESG#marketplace. Using #wood, #mycelium, hashtag#moss and #paperboard, we showed how advanced materials lower our plastic consumption while we literally grow differnt display block with mycelium to show off their ESG credits. Innovative design will play a critical role to combine construction and technology in a fun and sustainable way.
Hong Kong has world class infrastructure from bridges to subway. They generate great connections and great amenities but often there are left over land that are too small and too irregular to do anything with it. In this opportunity, we worked with a 130m2 site to try to generate a music school that is 200m2 in size. The site is triangular surrounded by bridges with offset constraints. The underground has a large water pipe that render half of the site to be undevelopable.
These constraints led us innovate in three aspects.
Floor efficiency
Sound isolation
Flexibility
Unlike a typical building, we didn’t calculate the efficiency of the building plan by excluding the core and stair. Instead, we treat the stair as part of the important flow of this center. Visitors have the option to move up and down the museum to complete a journey of the center. With transparency, the space saving scissor stair will become an iconic architecture facing the public street and bridges
The noise coming from the road, bus stop and bridges are close to 96db. It is just loud enough to not allow the teaching and appreciation of music. We use the stair as the main isolation barrier to separate the music room from the source of noise. The remaining windows are equipped with double class windows to allow better noise reduction.
Each floor has only 50m2 to play with. The tiny footprint is not much but allow one class to conduct music. With four levels in total, there are four classes that can take place at the same time. The ground floor is designed with folding wall to allow people from the ground floor to spill out into the garden. The event management becomes more flexible if they have a large music festival.
How can this be implemented in other sites with constraints?
We believe many urban cities are filled with these leftover spaces. The key to make these places viable is to make sure the management and business is viable to allow the continuation and daily maintenance. We believe the initial funding to build this structure is important, but the design must be practical and flexible to allow a low operational cost. With these in minds, I think we can convert many of these leftover spaces into meaningful community projects.
Team: Vicky Chan, Andy Cheung, Sam Chan, Nicole Chiew, Subhiksha Bhoovarahan
In June 2022, Avoid Obvious Architects in partnership with VESSEL submitted a proposal to save the famous Jumbo Kingdom in Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Although our proposal didn’t succeed, the idea to turn the restaurant into a maritime museum is still very valid as we look into the future of ship building and sustainable marine business. We want the renovated ship to reconnect, cultivate and innovate with our ocean.
Idea – Vision Jumbo
We proposed a maritime museum, Vision Jumbo, to study sustainable future in ship building, fishery, and logistic. With the One Belt One Road initiative, we believe Hong Kong can leverage its current position as an international hub and work with Jumbo as its historical anchor to study what the future can be. Hong Kong is known as a fishing village, and it had come a long way to become an international city. Jumbo in many ways represented the successful development and our shift in lifestyle that needs to its ultimate decline. Not only people no longer like to dine in such a big restaurant, but our taste for Chinese food has also been replaced by all kinds of international cuisine. The renovated boat will reconnect, cultivate and innovate with our ocean.
Functions
The new museum will divide the boat four stories into three major timelines with four distinctive functions. From study center to eco-lab to innovative sustainable food, we believe this museum can provide a template of how people can live, work, eat and travel on water if rising sea levels are irreversible. The distinctive wooden exterior will be maintained as a contrast to contemporary ship which are mostly in metal and white. We want its traditional past to shine, while solar panels, rain water collection, and indoor farms are added to its roof to test an off-the-grid system. With partnership with universities that specialize in marine study, this can become an off-site campus for students and local experts.
Originality and Its Impacts
Although Jumbo had a lot of copied art inside its interior, we still found a lot of original art on its outside. Its ultimate sink in South China Sea created a lot of mystery. We as architect still believe that the boat would have continued serve the greater community if it had remained in its Aberdeen location. Several local businesses like the water taxi and boat repairing business were making a living by doing business with Jumbo. Its location and business are more than a ship, it was a community icon that had economic benefits.
One Belt One Road and universities that study marine industry can use JUMBO vision as a base.JUMBO’s merit really lies on its distinctive exterior with hand crafted wooden details.The tour will no longer be segregated due to income level but become continuously to understand our development in marine industry.Four Distinctive functions to link past, present, and future.Exhibition about ship building and fisheryIndoor Farming on the top levelOne Belt One Road Study CenterBarrier-free design will be needed to make the museum suitable for people of all needs.Farming on the boat together with solar panel and rain water collection will make off-the-grid living feasibility.
3d Scanning
We are thankful to Eugene Mak and his firm Scan The World. They have come with us to scan the exterior of the boat before it sank. Below is a YouTube video of his effort.
Disclaimer:
All the drawings we had for the boat was taken publicly on the Jumbo Website. Photos were original photo during our site visit. We don’t make any money doing this project. VESSEL and HKALPS is an NGO with section 88 status that hopes to operate the boat on a non-profit basis.
Team:
AOA: Vicky Chan, Sam Chan, Subhiksha Bhoovarahan, Andy Cheung, Crystal Hu
As architects, we are fascinated by sports like running, skateboarding, and parkour. They require very minimal spaces and equipment to get started. Their equipment is often very versatile and can be turned into furniture for seating and eating, meeting, and playing. In the case study below, we re-imagined the roof of a shopping mall as a multi-functional playground. During competitions, we envisaged people “parkouring” for both practice and performance. During business hours, the space would be available to the shopping mall patrons for:
Elderly – using exercising racks for pull up, stretching and yoga
Kids – to use for tag, slides, and other games
Office staff – for casual meetings and lunches
Instagrammers – to use as photo backdrops
Flea Marketers – for temporary pop-up shops
Urban farmers – who need space for planters
Performance artists – who require space to stage events
Safety
In keeping with the use of the space for active sports much of the time, we proposed to use sand for most of the flooring. People can fall on it without being hurt and the sand provides another medium to create more physical challenges. Kids can combine play equipment with sand to create more imaginative environments and the equipment would be color-coded to let everyone know which modules can be joined together to enable the seven functions above. Additionally, the color-coding could be used to differentiate difficulty levels for games and competitions.
Bylaws would need to be established for how people would be allowed to enjoy this park without hurting others. Operating hours for parkour and other equipment would also need to be posted so that people are reminded of the need to be respectful and accommodating of other users. We think the metal equipment and furniture will be scratched reasonably over time, but we believe the scratches will get us the appearance we need to make the park more popular.
Benefits
The parkour roof will:
Attract a more diverse population to the shopping mall
Build up confidence for underprivileged children
Allow people to stay active
Credits
The research into revitalizing this underperforming rooftop and creating a space for active sports and minimal infrastructure was carried out in collaboration with Modus Architecture and Richards Basmajian. Crystal Hu and Andy Cheung are the lead designers from Avoid Obvious Architects.
Shopping and public spaces in the post pandemic world requires new emphasis on hygience and wellbeing. Our proposal in Guiyang Underground Mall listed seven strategies to combine new lifestyle into an traditional spaces. We hope to use nature, light, water and air to provide a healthy environment while letting people feel excited about dining, exercise, and edutainment. Below is the video that summarize our findings.
It is not the most natural thing for architects to come up with ideas on fundraising. For our urban farm in Kennedy Town, we were involved since the competition phase in 2018. We were lucky to win the competition but stuck with fund raising to build the farm. We presented the concept in Russia and India and gained a lot of momentum. Back home in Hong Kong, we had to move in parallel between design and fund raising.
We started off the fund raising idea with a story board. Unlike architecture, we began with a mood setting to explain why we needed the farm without being too direct. We created contrast between an artificial life and an organic life to justify the urban farm in the city.
We wanted people to imagine farming as part of an urban living to provide a sustainable food source and lifestyle that are calm and rejuvenating.
Our video had some success and collectively https://www.k-farm.org.hk/ won a HKD 47 million in donation to make an impact to Hong Kong. We hope this will provide a case study for other architects to learn how to create their non-profit projects.
We think there are four elements that can make our waterfront more inclusive, fun and inter-generational. They are green, water, people and games. Below is our research, The Interplay, to transform a waterfront next to our K-farm project. They broke down the four ideas into four zones and it invites people of all ages to collaborate to have fun and reflect the history of Western District in Hong Kong.
Team:
Vicky Chan, Krystal Lung, Gianfranco Galagar, Crystal Hu
You can view more related waterfront design, The Interface, in our portfolio.
You can find out more about our teaching at Architecture For Children. We have been teaching children for free since 2001.
Hong Kong Construction Association – Safety and Innovation
AOA designed a booth to promote our industry’s safety, innovation and history. It is not an easy task to intrepret the past, present and future for an institution like HKCA with 100 years of history. Our approach is to use simple construction material and geometry that represent the fundamental of construction blocks and we interrelate them with requirement from different technology. Some devices like location detection from smart worker management systems require an enclosed chamber. The cyclical space with a skylight makes the display of safety and technology dramatic and fills with natural material, light, and excitement.
From Sept 2018, we were invited by Kwun Tong Government Primary School (Sau Ming Road) to begin a five year experiment to use urban planning as a scheme to tie multiple leaning subjects together. We as volunteer help to guide a team of 20 students from different grades to turn their ideas into practice.
Year 1
We began the exercise by taking Kowloon East as the base. Their school is based in the area and its makes perfect senses for the students to study their own neighborhood. Data we have collected at the beginning including landmarks in the area, favorite things to do, type of areas they love and what they want to see in the future. After one month of exercised, they have identified four interesting projects worth exploring. The process was previously published on citylab.
Eco-resort with trams on top of Anderson Quarry.
Space center on top of an old factory building
Aquatic Office on top of a waterfront factory block
Zoo-library next to their school in a open area.
Students presented their massing study and program study by the end of the year. Below is their presentation.
Year 2
We will begin to do design design of the two programs above. Area 1 and 4 were selected and it was the school hope to integrate technology into the model making.
using sensors and simple coding to make the building interact with sun, wind, water and people
using architecture as a method to explain the collaborative process to put collective ideas together.
explain smart city and smart technology using easy to understand terms.
It is not easy for a nonprofit client to come up with the money to pay for model making. Digital display and VR tour often become the only solution when there is no money to pay for the time and materials of physical modeling. However, we believe model making is the only way to convince ourselves and people that we have come up with the appropriate solutions. Below is the step we took to ensure we can have the right model made on time and on budgets
make sure we are building at the appropriate scale. Non-profit clients don’t even have storage to keep a model. Making a smaller model is not the easiest thing, but we need to make sure they don’t end up in landfill by working with the right storage solution.
Make sure we are building with trash materials or recyclable materials. People threw away lots of materials daily. We collected what we can and use them in our model making.
Make sure we use the current technology to save time. 3d printing makes the topographical model easy and waste-less.
Make sure the model is interactive. NGOs tend to be people who are passionate with their audience and love to engage their audiences with the design process. Making a model that is easy to build for people with no model making skill is essential for presentation and interaction.
Make sure we are unique in our presentation method. Many people use all kinds of rendition to make the model very monochromatic or full of materials. We don’t need to get caught up with either solution. Work with our clients to understand the most reliable technique and use that as our method to produce models.
Have wild fun with them and found a way to exhibit them.
Our city proposal is to connect people to water, nature and sharing future. Technology will shape the way people interact, but physical design helps to improve our intimacy to nature and people.
Greater Bay Area will become the most populated area in the world and Dongguan is at the heart of it to provide the need for manufacturing and innovation. This mega city has the potential to become more livable, smart and sustainable if we can implement 8 design ideas.
Dongguan has a rich history in manufacturing, although its facilites are not up to the standard of sustainability. Our proposal is looking to connect the old part of town to the new sharing centers along the coast. We want nature and water helps to bridge these connections so that parks can become part of everyone’s daily sharing. This simple idea is revolutionary for a factory town with very little greenery and shared spaces.
How
Global warming may be threatening the future of Dongguan. Our design will take advantage of the sharing landscape to allow for resiliency. Sharing economy has set a great example for Chinese citizens that they don’t have to own everything. The concept of sharing allow us to make buildings and private spaces smaller while creates an abundance of open spaces. These extra spaces allow everyone to share part of the rising water. The landscape and selected species will not only purify the water, but also created an eco-system along the harbourfront. People will get to absorb all the natural resources while sharing their work and lives on elevated buildings and walkway along the Pearl River.
Design Team:
Avoid Obvious Architects: Vicky Chan, Mary Lam, Jason Pang
We worked with Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Design Institute for Social Innovation on the issue of Hong Kong’s housing crisis. Below are some of the problems we learned and some of the solutions we discussed.
Lack of Public Housing:There was a protest in 2003 against the government. The homeowner was and still is against the government to provide public housing. Since the protest, there was no new public housing built for a decade. It created a man-made shortage.
Money: the rich home buyers are swiping all the available apartments as a way to hide their illegal saving. It is ongoing for the last decade. They buy apartments and sometimes don’t want to rent out the units. They don’t want the official record to show suspicious streams of income. If you look at the ratio of the number of apartments to the number of people in Hong Kong, there are plenty of apartment for every household. It is just that most of them are luxury apartments and currently many of them are empty.
Land Policy: Hong Kong is a tax haven, there is no sales tax and the tax on income is low. The government makes all of its money by selling land to the developer. the higher the price, the more they make. With this policy, they will only generate luxury apartment. Who would build a cheap public housing when the land is so expensive?
Jobs: the income gap between rich and poor is widening in Hong Kong. Back in the 1980s, it is possible to buy a house even if for a blue-collar worker. People could work in a factory and would still save enough for food and a place to live. Now, the income for the labor-intensive jobs is so low that these workers typically spent all of their income on food and rent. If there is no saving, there is simply no way for them to move upstream.
Health: many homeless people and people in subdivided flat originally live in a nice family with a nice apartment. Due to their drug problems, marriage problems, family problems or social problems, they drifted away from this resource and couldn’t re-enter the workforce. Some of them were injured and created extra difficulty to continue their high skill job. Without a healthy body and mind, the only place they can afford is either subdivided flats or the street.
Politics: Hong Kong has a lot of lands in the new territories, but they are controlled by the indigenous people. They often work with established developers to make luxury buildings rather than giving the land to the government to make public housing.
Approval: Hong Kong acts very slow in terms of solving the housing crisis. They have elected officials who have all the tools to criticize a plan. It often takes years to resolve a deal regarding housing.
Geography: Hong Kong does have lots of green and mountains. 70% of the land is zoned as a park and open space. New York and Hong Kong are about the same size, but clearly, it is more difficult to build buildings and infrastructure on a mountainous terrain.
Lack of Voice: Hong Kong is very divided. People at the top and bottom has a clear disconnect. Many people are not reaching out for help when they are really in need of help.
Cheaters: It has become a luxury status to qualify for social housing in the midst of a crisis. The young generation will tell their bosses to lower their salary so that they can qualify for the upper-income limit to get into social housing. People who have become richer will find ways to hide their cash so that they don’t have to move out of social housing. The list to get in continue to expand while the list to move out is very slow in clearing out.
a new artificial island known as Lantau Tomorrow – it politically divided the society. Some people love it and some people hate it.
converting factories into residential buildings – some issues are being addressed in terms of safety, health, and wellbeing.
converting old government building into housing – several temporary apartments arrived this week
building modular houses – Avoid Obvious Architects are involved in the design for one modular housing in Sham Shui Po.
building a new social program to train people – there is a project called Light House. it trained people in need to get better jobs. they do provide apartment while people are being trained
Getting “nice” homeowner to donate apartment to the rental program – also part of the Light House. they started by converting an old apartment people donated into rental units
redeveloping the old neighborhood. they are actively taking down buildings in old areas to build more housing. The issue with that is also money. many tenants are either illegally occupying the building or they want to hold out until the compensation become very high.
telling young people to move out of Hong Kong. They encourage people to look at the Greater Bay Area. They said Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Macau can now be their home by not limiting themselves to the city of Hong Kong.
Team:
Alfred Kwok – interior design
Angle Shih – social worker/Christian Concern For the Homeless Association
Bakkie Chan – social worker/SoCO
Charles Ho – real estate/HKCSS
Gordon Chick – social worker/SoCO
Karen Chan – urban planning
Paul Law – modular construction/Aluhouse Co. Ltd.
Sunnie Lau – architecture/SOSArchitecture Urban Design Limited
This is a video documentary showing the progress Farmacy HK took to grow rare spices and edible flowers inside a shopping mall. As of 2018, their urban farm is the first of its kind in Hong Kong. Please see more detail about The Artist House.
