Public Housing in Hong Kong - Historical Timeline

Pre-1954
Minimal government intervention
Sluggish economy & refugee returning: slums
Three types of slums in “tolerated area”: hill-side slump,
water slump and roof-top slump

https://visuallexicon.wordpress.com/2017/10/11/mei-ho-house-block-41-shek-kip-mei-estate/ https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/common/pdf/global-elements/ https://zolimacitymag.com/the-vertical-city-part-ii-why-half-of-hong-

estate-locator/standard-block-typical-floor-plans/15-TwinTower.pdf kong-lives-in-public-housing/

H-shape & I-shape 1950s Twin tower 1970s Y-shape 1980s

There are no separate toilets, bathrooms, and kitchens, connect the The buildings were getting taller and taller to fulfil the demand of Trident and linear form was built. Trident blocks three dimensional

middle floors of the two wings as public bathrooms and toilets. The public housing. Twin tower and twin H blocks can be built up to wings in Y shape and built with shared lift in the central core. It was

unit area is about ten to twenty square meters. 27-storey. There is a central void with the two blocks, it enhances air built 34-storey high. The privacy of each unit becomes higher

Area of public space: 30% flow. It was built with lift access to every floor and built with a private Area of public space: 20.2%
https://zolimacitymag.com/hong-kong-city-villages- balcony/ kitchen and a toilet.
squatter-settlements-legacy/
Area of public space: 11.54%

Slab block 1960s Standard block 1990s

The unit of the buildings starts to contain a toilet and kitchen.The unit The standard components and dimensions are matched with each
area is narrow and small. Therefore, in order to free up more space other. The standard parts include the structural part, the span of the
for activities and ventilation, they often open doors to each other. unit, the height of each floor, and the main parts. This innovative
Sitting in the corridor to chat or enjoy the cool in my free time. And standard public housing was officially launched and named
this behavior established good neighbor relations. "Harmony". The meaning of "Harmony" means that this building
can meet the needs of families of different sizes and provide a
Area of public space: 17%
comfortable living environment.

Area of public space: 26.3%

https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/common/pdf/global-elements/
estate-locator/standard-block-typical-floor-plans/08-NewHarmony1.pdf

1954-1974 1997-2001
Half-heated government efforts Government goals: access to adequate & affordable housing,
Shek Kip Mei Fire encourage homeownership
1973-1986
forcing the government to quickly rehouse those displaced
Initial development of housing policy
Public housing institution, HK Housing Authority, was formed in 1954
1973: new Housing Authority
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shek_Kip_
Mei_fire
Limited achievements from the program

6 7
Site Model

Choi Hung Estate, with its slab type public housing

buildings, creates a unique architectural environment
that separates the community from the outside.
This design encloses the residential buildings
to form a closed space, providing a private and
secure community. It also promotes interaction and
socialization among residents, fostering a closely-knit
community atmosphere.

The public housing buildings in Choi Hung Estate are

primarily of slab type construction, with multiple floors,
offering affordable housing options for low-income
families. Each building consists of multiple units, each
containing housing units of different layouts. This
design allows the community to accommodate a larger
number of families and meet the diverse housing
needs of residents.

Despite the separation between the inside and outside

of the community, Choi Hung Estate benefits from
convenient surrounding facilities. Residents can easily
walk to nearby shops, markets, and restaurants,
catering to their daily needs. Additionally, the estate
features community centers, parks, playgrounds, and
sports facilities, providing residents with a range of
recreational options.

12 13
General Design Strategies
During the site visit, it was observed that there are numerous groups of residents scattered throughout the site,
with a significant proportion being elderly individuals. They gather together for conversations and entertainment,
but they inevitably have to interact with traffic and visitors. Therefore, the design aims to provide more
comfortable and inviting public spaces within the buildings compared to the ground level. This would attract
people to spend time within the buildings, minimizing their interactions with traffic and enhancing their safety
and privacy. The continuous nature of the Type C buildings allows all residents of Choi Hung Estate to easily
access and move within these buildings. This reduces the risks associated with traffic and avoids disturbances
from visitors, thereby increasing the overall safety and privacy for the residents.
20
As the site lacks green landscape spaces, which is inevitable in a limited space like Hong Kong, adding
vertical green spaces such as roof gardens or plant balconies within the buildings can enhance the green
landscape space within the estate. Furthermore, these quality green spaces can attract residents to
spend more time within the buildings. The continuous green space within the Type C buildings can also
become a prominent feature of the entire Choi Hung Estate, enhancing the overall landscape quality and
improving the living standard of the residents.
21
Human Design Strategies

Design strategies for the site are formed

through site analysis and research on public
housing.

AI Design Strategies

The design strategies generated from the

provided 2D information, such as photos,
floor plans, sectional drawings, and textual
descriptions, are ultimately derived from the
input content and elevation of the results.

22 23
METHODOLOGY of Human & Machine
AI-GENERATED Collaboration Work Flow
DESIGN

original
photo/plans/sections

Blend
Images0
images

Imagine 1: original photo + Personal

Images1
reflection

Imagine 4: Reference images

Describe image Images 4
+description

Imagine 3: Images 1
Images 3
+description

Imagine 2:
Images 2
description

Collages making

This section mainly focuses on the methodology of generating architectural designs using AI. By
continuously inputting various materials such as site photos, floor plans, sectional drawings, model
photos of different materials, and textual descriptions, the AI will provide different image results. Through
different methods of generating images, I obtained different design outcomes and filtered out the ones
that align with the site and my design strategies derived from the site. These results are collaged to
form the final architectural design inspiration. Finally, the 2D visual AI+human-generated results are
rationalized to develop a comprehensive and feasible architectural design solution.
This is the workflow diagram for generating designs using Midjourney. The input content includes site
photos, floor plans, sectional drawings, photos of different materials, and textual descriptions. Through
different methods and the AI-generated image function, different sets of results are obtained.
First, multiple images are integrated through AI using the most basic blend to obtain the zeroth set of
results, Images0. Then, the second input Imagine1, which includes photos and my personal reflection,
generates the first set of results, Images1. Next, Midjourney describes the provided photos, and the
described result is used as the third input (textual description) to generate the second set of results,
Images2. Using Images1 as the base images and adding the textual description generated by Midjourney
results in the third set of results, Images3. Finally, an intentional image is used as the base, and AI
description or my reflection is added to generate the fourth set of results, Images4. The generated results
are then evaluated and filtered to create the final design idea collages.

24 25
Final Model of collages
& AI Generated Results

Through continuous AI generation and

collaging of results, the design undergoes
multiple iterations. However, in my design
process, it is more about obtaining design
outcomes that align with my expectations
through AI. Despite generating numerous
results throughout the process, based
on my inputs to the AI and my personal
understanding of the site and public housing,
I ultimately choose the results that meet my
envisioned design strategies, including a light
well, extended units, a roof garden, and a
double-height communal space.

48 49
FINAL
DESIGN OUTCOME

58 59