Sha Tin Housing

• Location: Sha Tin, Hong Kong
• Studio: Rice University, Bachelor of Architecture
• Project date: January - May 2015

Albert Pope’s research had focused on Sha Tin’s New Town developments for three consecutive years when I took his studio. My studio, in continuation with past semesters of research in Sha Tin, looked at both the economy in numbers and highly repetitive nature of design.

In the 1970s, Sha Tin began its New Town development in an effort to relieve housing shortage in the fast growing area of Hong Kong. These housing developments have evolved to the point where repetition and economy of square footage are the primary drivers of the design of buildings and units. Design principals, such as allowing sunlight into every room, dictate the pixelated exterior of a floor plan.

For my project, I recognized the loss of individuality in such a highly formulaic design and responded with designing for a collective identity. Given the freedom to choose our sites in Sha Tin, I chose a site in a valley so that the towers could be arranged in clusters allowing varying levels of groupings among neighbors. Open spaces between the towers are dedicated to communal uses such as recreation.

This studio was my first exploration of such high density and I developed my understanding of the implications for urban design and the human experience in places with a shortage of space but an ever increasing population.