Housing Re-Public: How private architects reinvented Hong Kong public housing between 1970/90s
The public housing stock in Hong Kong is increasingly recognized by netizens and academics alike. However, contemporary accounts either romanticize the details of single estates or reduce the complex history of government sponsored housing to isolated events. Countering the general assumption that low-cost housing is solely designed by government departments, this research identifies a unique and yet overlooked twenty-year period between 1970 and 1990s, in which Hong Kong’s colonial government relied on private architects to sustain the public housing program. The Housing Re-Public project finds common traits of transformation in the designs developed by the private sector. Stepping out of their commercial sphere, the private architect’s group pushed the boundaries of public designed housing in a series of transformative designs. Reenacting this design process with former and current architects, Housing Re-Public hopes to ignite enthusiasm, discourse, and collaboration for the design of next generation of public housing.
The public housing stock in Hong Kong is increasingly recognized by netizens and academics alike. However, contemporary accounts either romanticize the details of single estates or reduce the complex history of government sponsored housing to isolated events. Countering the general assumption that low-cost housing is solely designed by government departments, this research identifies a unique and yet overlooked twenty-year period between 1970 and 1990s, in which Hong Kong’s colonial government relied on private architects to sustain the public housing program. The Housing Re-Public project finds common traits of transformation in the designs developed by the private sector. Stepping out of their commercial sphere, the private architect’s group pushed the boundaries of public designed housing in a series of transformative designs. Reenacting this design process with former and current architects, Housing Re-Public hopes to ignite enthusiasm, discourse, and collaboration for the design of next generation of public housing.
- 2022
- Grantee: Rico Samuel Diedering and Pedram Ghelichi
Rico Samuel Diedering is a PhD-candidate from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His current research focuses on the adaptability of small-scale buildings. Holding a Master’s Degree’s in Architecture and Urban Design, Rico was affiliated with TU Berlin and Tongji University, Shanghai. He worked on water revitalization projects in China under French-German studio LML. Rico is a member of the Chinese-German research association URBANIXX and contributes his expertise for the United College Pavilion Charity.
Pedram Ghelichi is a doctoral graduate in architecture from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he now serves as a lecturer. His research interests are in architectural design theory, twentieth-century architectural practice, and processes of design and construction. So far, he has published a book chapter, several journal articles including one in ARQ: Architectural Research Quarterly, and some other conference proceedings such as IASS 2018 and ICSA 2019.