Housing Authority (architect T.S.C. Feltham)
Ka Wai Man Road, Kennedy Town
1958
Sai Wan Estate is one of the first public housing projects that the Housing Authority undertook after its formation in April 1954. The semi-independent government organisation was established to provide affordable housing for those living under overcrowded and unsatisfactory living conditions. The first of such projects was prepared at North Point, and Sai Wan Estate was the second plan, located in Kennedy Town on Hong Kong Island. It has lower standards than the North Point residence, but the flats in Kennedy Town are more spacious.
The rectangular site is just west of Cadogan Street, perched on top of an extremely steep slope. This steep gradient was a major factor for consideration for the development. Consequently, the planners decided to minimally develop the west side of the site, the steepest part, due to its high cost. The planners incorporated an approach road between Victoria Road and the site, as well as a wide flight of stairs for the purpose of walking up from the direction of Cadogan Street.
The entire housing complex includes five multi-storey blocks of flats, with an average of ten stories. The primary construction material throughout all the buildings is reinforced concrete, which provides adequate resistance against strong winds. A total of 640 flats of various sizes were created, accommodating over 4,500 residences. The units provide accommodation for families of 6, 8, and 10 people, with a basic living space including a living room, sleeping rooms, and a kitchen. Although the flats were initially planned for working-class people to allow them to afford them, the planners anticipated demand for a higher standard of living among the residents in the future. Hence, they built the flats so that a single flat could be formed by combining two adjoining flats with a minimum amount of structural alterations.
-
Site plan (Hong Kong & Far East Builder Vol. 11 No.5 (1955))
-
Block A typical plan (Hong Kong & Far East Builder Vol. 11 No.5 (1955))
-
North east elevation (Hong Kong & Far East Builder Vol. 11 No.5 (1955))
-
Isometric view of a typical flat (Hong Kong & Far East Builder Vol. 11 No.5 (1955))
-
Model looking Northwest (Hong Kong & Far East Builder Vol. 11 No.5 (1955))
-
Model looking Southwest (Hong Kong & Far East Builder Vol. 11 No.5 (1955))
