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Flagship Work
旗 艦 作 品
旗 艦 作 品
Prologue // 序言
Prologue 序言 This project is an entry for the 2018 PMC Skyscraper Solo Contest. The contest requires contestants to build skyscrapers and complete the project individually within about a month's time. Skyscraper is a term quite familiar to me because Hong Kong, my hometown, has the world's largest collection of skyscrapers. For me, skyscrapers are not just about the pursuit of height, but also the functions they serve. A tall structure without a serving function is just another tall object but not really a skyscraper. What a real skyscraper should be is that it serves the people and serves them well. That makes me think of submitting something Hong Kong-ish since Hong Kong has so many perfect examples of functionalist buildings. I also want to take the chance to showcase some of the best things about Hong Kong to the rest of the world. Choi Hing Court was one of the most recent Home Ownership Scheme projects proposed at the time. Its eye-catchy appearance and the very sophisticated layout designs caught my attention. Since the building was still under construction back at the time, there was not much reference in 3d for me to follow. As a result, I have to read through piles of architectural drawings and floor plans in 2d from several official sources just to reconstruct the object in 3d. The description is also a very tough part as it requires a lot of writing and image editing. Very luckily, I managed to finish my work on time and it turns out that my hard work really paid off! I received a lot of positive feedback about the project from the community and I'm really happy that many of you love the way I present the work. And, that's still not the end yet! The project has undergone several major revisions after the structure's completion in real-life. This is still an ongoing process up to this date. My current goal is to transform this project into something like a reference for anyone who wants to know more about modern functionalism and public housing development in Hong Kong. If you like boxy buildings, apartments or high-rises, then this project probably suits you the most. Some of the sections in the description such as the part talking about the design philosophy are a collection of summaries illustrating the applied functionalism concepts in the design. I hope you'd enjoy your time here. Have a nice day! Dennie Mok 3/1/2023 |
ʙɢ Choi Hing Court // 彩興苑
Choi Hing Court 彩興苑 Proposed in 2017 and completed in 2019, Choi Hing Court（Chinese: 彩興苑）is one of the Home Ownership Scheme projects that utilised the site-specific modular flat approach throughout its implementation. The estate comprises 3 multi-storey non-standard domestic blocks, which have released a total number of 1,358 flat units to the market after completion. With Ping Shek Playground lying in the vicinity, Choi Hing Court residents can enjoy a green neighbourhood that comes with ample children's playgrounds, sitting-out areas and various sports facilities for basketball, football and tennis, all just within a 5 minutes walk from the court. Education needs are well catered to as there are a number of secondary schools and primary schools in the area. The adjacent Choi Tak Shopping Centre and Choi Wan Commercial Complex are some of the major retail facilities in the district. They are able to provide court residents with a wide range of shops, eateries and markets. Choi Hing Court is located in the urban centre right next to Choi Hung Station. Its convenient location enables good connectivity to different parts of the city.
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ʙɢ Housing Authority // 房屋委員會
Housing Authority 房屋委員會 The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) was established in 1973 under the Housing Ordinance with the Housing Department (HD) as its executive arm to help the Government achieve its policy objective on public housing. The authority provides subsidized public rental housing to low-income families and helps low to middle-income families gain access to subsidised home ownership. Approximately 30% of Hong Kong's population is now living in public rental housing units. |
ʙɢ Home Ownership Scheme // 居者有其屋計劃
Home Ownership Scheme 居者有其屋計劃 First launched in the late-1970s, Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) is a Government-subsidized sale programme that aims to encourage relatively affluent tenants from the Public Rental Housing (PRH) stream to vacate their flats for re-allocation to families of greater housing needs. It also provides home-ownership opportunities to families who are relatively affluent but could barely afford a flat in the private market, bridging the gap between rental housing and home ownership. Under the scheme, the Government sells apartment flats with basic amenities to eligible public housing tenants at an affordable price, usually at a discount of 40% with respect to the market level. The Government also puts forward different measures to restrict the resale of flats in the second-hand market. For example, to resell their flats, flat holders have to pay a premium equivalent to the updated value of the discount given on the original purchase. Similar measures are also in place to avoid any potential abuse of Hong Kong's precious public housing resources. In 2003, the real estate crisis has led to an indefinite pause in Home Ownership Scheme development. In late 2011, Home Ownership Scheme resumed since more and more people find it extremely difficult to purchase flats in the private market. By now, the population has become more affluent, therefore the public has higher expectations for public housing standards. To cope with the new challenges, the authority builds homes with better-quality fittings and refined layouts. It is believed that a higher home-ownership rate would lend social and political stability to Hong Kong. Click here (wikipedia.org) for more details on this topic. |
ʙɢ Non-Standard Domestic Blocks // 非標準設計大廈
Non-Standard Domestic Blocks 非標準設計大廈 Non-standard domestic blocks are residential buildings designed to conform to site constraints and statutory building standards. Non-standard blocks are actually products of the site-specific design approach enacted in 2000, hence their second name, the site-specific blocks. Although these blocks are still composed of standard flat units just like their predecessors (i.e., standard domestic blocks), they broadly vary from each other in terms of floor layout, structural details and exterior decorations. More flexibility in implementation also means more variations and uniqueness in design, which are both something that has long been lacking from the old public housing system. Given that the new blocks are more able to make better use of space, they have replaced the old standard blocks as the major type of blocks for building public housing estates since 2000. Standard blocks: The whole building is standardised, including the flats, floor plans, number of floors, etc. Non-standard blocks: Only the flats are standardised, other components can be adjusted on a site-specific basis. Click here (wikipedia.org) for more details on this topic. |
ⓘ Remarks for Download & Installation // 下載及安裝注意事項Expand to Read // 展開閱讀
下載及安裝注意事項
Texture Pack: Custom Texture Pack*
Shader Pack: SEUS PTGI E6
Client Version: Java Edition 1.12
Modifications: Optifine 1.12
*Based on IT-Project v2.2 128x [~10% custom extraction: with modified wools, stained clays, stones, and windows].
*To view this project properly, you have to install Optifine and the Custom Texture Pack.
• The download package includes the world-saves (1.12), schematics (1.12) and a texture pack (1.12).
• This project is made with Java Edition 1.12. To convert the save to newer versions, use the built-in converter.
• This project is made on a 2:1 scale (i.e., 2 blocks represent 1 meter). The building may appear a lot bigger than usual.
• This project is unfurnished. Interior decorations are not included.
• Feel free to use the building in your own project as long as you follow the license terms.
How to download and install Minecraft Maps?
Public housing blocks in Hong Kong are really machines for living in! They're often designed in the most pragmatic manner - fully exploiting the site's potential while adhering to all the building controls in terms of quality, safety and livability as mandated by the law. Housing machines are very well needed here in Hong Kong because we have some very serious housing issues.
Le Corbusier had once proposed that apartments are some kind of machine that efficiently houses people altogether in a place while having all the basic necessities of life within reach. Tenants should, by theory, feel "comfortable" and "productive" if their apartments are sufficiently functional.
However, to come up with a realistic and effective design, one has to consider many different factors throughout the process. Just imagine if you're the architect and you have to figure out an all-round solution to all these problems below:
- You are given a limited budget and a tight deadline.
- Your design must fulfil all the building requirements as mandated by the law.
- Your design should use up every inch of the site since lands are a precious resource.
- You still have to meet the minimum housing goal no matter how worse the site is.
- You have to make sure the rental income can cover the cost after "some" years.
- You have to make things fast to build and easy to maintain.
- and many more...
And if you try to address these issues in an overly rational way, you might overlook humanity. Let's not forget that apartments are actually made for people, so people's needs and feelings are also important. That's why a good design should be community-centred and a good designer should think more from the user's perspective. Similar to what we say, a good machine should also be "user-friendly" apart from just being efficient and easy to use. And that is also what public housing designs in Hong Kong lack at the moment - Sufficiently efficient but not sufficiently humane.
That's what makes architects one of the hardest jobs in the world. See the illustration below and you will learn how the professionals attempt to balance out all these factors to achieve an optimal development outcome.
 Expand to Read // 展開閱讀
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Form Follows Function
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ㅤ形 隨 機 能ㅤ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ㅤ形 隨 機 能ㅤ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Z-Shaped Layout // 之字型佈局
The zigzag form is among one of the most efficient layouts for building apartments at a better plot ratio. The design arranges flat units in a way that can adhere to the set of building standards known as the building controls as mandated by the law. These controls ensure the basic livability and safety of a building. |
Height Limiting // 高度限制
A taller building usually costs a lot more in design, construction and maintenance, and has to fulfil a stricter set of requirements as mandated by the law. For example, by having more than 40 floors, a building must include a mid-section refuge floor (i.e., fire barrier floor) as required by the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance. That also explains why public apartments in Hong Kong rarely exceed 40 floors as a cost control convention. |
Gridded Facade // 網格立面
The use of a structural concrete grid is an answer to the use of thinner external walls. Windows are set back so they can be protected from direct sunlight and rain. The repetitive look also indicates the use of off-site manufactured prefabs and modules in the construction process. |
Vibrant Exterior // 充滿活力的外觀
"It looks like a bunch of birdcages!" That's the impression of public housing for most people. Since people dislike how repetitive and tedious looking these apartments are, the authority used a better exterior colour scheme to give them all a nicer look. Maybe it's still the "old wine in a new bottle", but at least now they have a more lively appearance and will become a better fit into their surroundings. The visual contrast also enables some of these buildings to be icons of their districts, helping tenants to build up a sense of belonging to where they live. Exterior painting is by far the most economic method to decorate a building. The cost of doing so is manageable while the visual effect is significant. Since the authority discourages its architects to put on any unnecessary aesthetic structures in their designs, playing with the exterior colouring seems the current best way for architects to decorate a building. |
ʙɢ Building Controls // 建築物規管
Building Controls 建築物規管 A poor living environment is a result of a lack of building controls. The Kowloon Walled City is a typical example illustrating how the absence of governance has contributed to a "living hell". To promote a healthy and safe built environment, the Government enacts statutory standards in the form of building laws and guidelines. These rules ensure user comfort by regulating lighting and ventilation, enforce urban design plans by setting rules on open space and density and protect life safety by requiring means of escape and engineering for earthquakes and landslides. Click here (hkedcity.net) for more details on this topic. |
ʙɢ Site-Specific Design Approach // 因地制宜設計模式
Site-Specific Design Approach 因地制宜設計模式 The approach allows architects to adjust their designs to conform to the site context, restraints, and topography. For example, sea-facing units can have more windows for natural light and ventilation; noise-facing units can have their kitchens relocated as noise buffers; sides facing noise sources can have fewer floors to reduce the number of affected tenants, etc. The new methodology also works in complement with modular flat units, in which architects make use of the modular flats as the core building components (i.e., like "LEGO") in BIM to formulate site-specific layouts that can fully utilise the site development potential. The site-specific approach has been proven effective in projects like Choi Hing Court, where the site is small in size, irregular in shape and rugged in terrain. Click here (wikipedia.org) or here (legco.gov.hk) for more details on this topic. |
ʙɢ Modular Flat Design // 構建式單位設計
Modular Flat Design 構建式單位設計 The Modular Flat Design (MFD) units are the major components for composing public housing blocks in BIM. BIM models of different standard MFD units are developed for the integrated purposes of design, drawing production, cost estimating and quantity take-off. The MFD models form a library of standard flat units, allowing easy updating upon design enhancement and estimating the corresponding cost implications. The models are readily adopted by project teams in different public housing projects which can speed up both the design and tendering processes. Click here (AutoDesk) for more details on this topic. |
And that's how all these calculations end up - a perfectly engineered tool for housing people in the most economic and efficient manner.
Functionalism to the Extreme // 功能主義的極至
Apartments are housing machines. They are efficient tools for fully utilising the development potential of a site to generate the best economic outcomes from mass production at a limited budget and a limited provision of land. They are designed to meet all the basic livability, quality, and safety standards, while not exceeding the development limitations as mandated by the City Planning Ordinance, Buildings Ordinance, and Fire Safety Ordinance. Housing machines are essential to Hong Kong as they ease the pressure on the long public housing waiting list. 把房子看成住人的機器，設計以實用為本，既要讓建築充分發揮土地發展潛力與符合經濟效益，同時確保樓宇符合基本宜居、質量和安全標準，又不超出城市規劃條例、建築物條例及消防條例等法定所容許下的發展限制，以達致在有限的預算、有限的地盤面積及在最經濟的樓宇結構下，大量生產，提高建屋量，以紓緩公屋輪候冊的壓力。 |
Epilogue // 結語
Epilogue 結語 Housing machines may be sufficiently efficient in solving social problems but not that sufficiently humane in solving individual needs. What public housing designs in Hong Kong lack at the moment is the absence of community-centred considerations. While it looks like everyone in the city has a home now, the units are far too tiny in a way that it only caters to the need for survival, but barely anything for liveability. Future public housing development in Hong Kong should put more focus on the user's perspective and formulation of a liveable neighbourhood. Instead of only seeing public housing as a tool of governance, the Government should move a few steps further to see providing its people with a better living place as its main goal for developing public housing. A change can begin by enlarging the size of units and improving the built-in amenities. The new housing machines may cost more to build, but they are a necessary investment for providing its citizens with a better place to live. The times have changed. New adaptations are necessary for the betterment of the city's future. |
Other Recognitions // 其他認可
Minecraft: China Edition Official Website - 我的世界中國版官方網站
https://mc.163.com/news/media/20180824/29178_771853.html
Facebook Group for Owners of Choi Hing Court (Voluntary, Unofficial) - 彩興苑業主群組(義務非官方)
https://www.facebook.com/choihingct/photos/a.484838981897616/814763055571872/
Minecraft Chinese Sharing Station - 我的世界中文分享站
https://www.secretmine.net/50484.html
Renders // 渲染 ʜᴏᴛ
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Elevations // 立面圖 ʜᴏᴛ
Elevations 立面圖 | |
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Southeast Elevation | Northeast Elevation |
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Northwest Elevation | Southeast Elevation |
Reference // 參考資料
Disclaimer // 免責聲明
Disclaimer 免責聲明 • This work is not necessarily an exact recreation of the real object. Adaptations are made for ease of execution. • This work is a fan-made project and is not affiliated with any Government Agencies. • The content on this page may not always be accurate. Information is extracted from various sources. • This work is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Terms of Use // 使用條款
Terms of Use 使用條款  In order to achieve maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials, this work is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0). You are free to share [copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format] or adapt [remix, transform, and build upon the material] my work as long as you follow the license terms. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit (e.g., author's name), provide a link to my project page or profile page, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Non-Commercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. |
Visitors Counter // 訪客統計
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Made for Educational Use
可 用 作 教 學 用 途
可 用 作 教 學 用 途
| Credit | wikipedia.org, hkedcity.net, autodesk.net, legco.gov.hk, gov.hk, housingauthority.gov.hk |
| Progress | 100% complete |
| Tags |
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Update #9 : by Dennie Mok 12/31/2022 1:01:53 pmDec 31st, 2022
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Glad that you also find the page interesting. Have fun!
怎么说呢，感觉这类型的建筑物不只是在香港，在大陆也很普遍。我在深圳也是住在高层的公寓里……尽管有诸多不便，但这的确解决很多居住问题，香港和内地的大城市人口太多而土地资源太有限了，所以也不是人人都住得起别墅什么的，因此这类建筑物的设计的确是很困难，也要考虑各种因素，人口容量和舒适度、配套设施等等。我总体来讲还是挺支持这类高层公寓的发展，如果能把居住的容纳量和舒适度便利度结合起来的话。
至于在mc中还原，我也试过（点开我主页应该能看到，尤其是城市那个作品）。能把公寓在mc中做的精细是不容易的，给点个赞
的確，過分理性的房屋規劃有時候就難免忽略了感性方面的考量。
希望未來的規劃能夠多一點在人性和美學上的着墨，多一點在用者的角度上看待問題。
畢竟，房屋就是「為人而生」的，設計上理應「以人為本」，如果太過著重於容量，就有點本末倒置了。
我一直也有跟蹤你的動態，你的新渲染真的很漂亮！很期待你下一期的大作！