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Abstract_update
“We are living in an age of obsolescence.” – Abramson, Daniel M.
Buildings are inevitable abandoned or obsolete due to physical deterioration caused by ageing and weathering. Other reasons also cause obsolete buildings, like the advance in technology and society reform. New building always provides a better condition for living. New building always generates higher profit. Sometimes, the reason may not be structure or profit. The original intended program is no longer needed now. This kind of functional obsolescence produces an obsolete building with good physical building condition.
In the past few decade , Hong Kong, like other dense country recorded a significant of lower birth rate. The phenomena reduce the requirement for one kind of building – School . Until 30 April 2016, the report from the Audit Commission shown there are 234 out of 1312 primary and secondary schools were closed due to insufficient student enrollment. Instead of demolition or left it empty, this thesis is aimed to reuse the vacant schools.
Chi Tak Public School, one of the vacant school in HK
Thesis Statement:
This thesis is looking for a solution to utilise the land use. It will focus on reusing the obsolete buildings. Instead of demolition, reuse will be a more cost effective, sustainable solution for it. Obsolete school buildings were chosen to study for the thesis. The school is one of the most important public infrastructures to the local community. The reuse of old school wishes to provide new program, facilities, space to the local community.
[WHY]
Gillender Building was built on 1897 and demolish on 1910.
The idea of the obsolete building was started at the 1910s in the United State in order to accelerate capitalist expansion. Abandoned or obsolete buildings are the product of advance in technology, society reform and capitalism. The changes cause devalued building, not physically, like structural deterioration, ending of the building lifespan. Most of them are programmatic changes. For example, the society transformation of Hong Kong from industrial to financial centre produced factory buildings that are no longer fulfil the social requirement. It is no designed with the purpose of being obsolete. Instead of being abandoned or demolish adaptive reuse is suggested.
The low birth rate, overestimation of population growth decrease the number of enrolment in both primary and secondary school in Hong Kong. What makes the situat
ion worse is the planning department has reserved and built schools for the expected population growth. Therefore, until 30, April 2015, in Hong Kong, 234 out of 1312 schools are found being obsolete. Some of them are demolished, however, there are still 105 vacant buildings. The number is still increasing. The empty period starts from 0.6 to 35.6 years, the average empty time is 12.1 years.
The vacant school premises is not the only obsolete building from advance in technology and society. Other buildings, for instance, old industrial building, former governor staff dorm, power station and others. The buildings are still in good physical condition. The goal of the thesis is using the vacant school as a test project to utilise the land use in Hong Kong.
[WHAT]
Kwai Chung Public School one of the vacant school in HK
The thesis is going to test One or more than one of the vacant school would be selected for reuse. Kwai Chung Public School (located at 570, Castle Peak Road, Kwai Chung, N.T., H.K.) stopped running from 2007. The size of the school is 7,970 square meter. The current status of the school, similar to other abandoned buildings. Illegal intrusions were found and causing damages to the building, including graffiti, waste dumping, damaging facilities. Evidence also suggest gambling and drug of abuse happened in the building. The school building was once a place to cultivate our next generation. It is now poisoning the local community. More importantly, the wasting of land use in Hong Kong, in a place with a shortage of land is not well-planned.
For the local community, a school is a place providing education for the young generation. The society changes reduce the number of young generation. However, the role of a school building to a community should not be changed, school building should still provide serve the local community. My proposed new program would be, community hub, adult learning centre, art gallery.
[HOW]
The thesis starts with a research mapping the vacant schools in Hong Kong. The school types are narrowed into primary schools and secondary schools because they are the Aimed Schools in Hong Kong and is the mainstream of how people get educated in Hong Kong. Analysis the existing condition of different types of buildings.
This project will test the effect of school to local community in terms of, locations, circulations, public spaces, identities etc. There are eighteen districts in Hong Kong, Serval districts will be chosen for in-depth analysis. Districts will be categorised into different type. For example, Centre Business District, New Territories. After the competition the mapping, one or more school will be selected for the design.
New program proposal, the principle of reuse the old school building would be keeping the existing structure with minor changes. More importantly, the project is aimed to bring new energy to the local community.
Reading list:
Abramson, Daniel M. . “Obsolescence : An Architectural History.” Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Cairns, Stephen author. Buildings Must Die : A Perverse View of Architecture. Edited by Jane M. author Jacobs: Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, 2014.
Endacott, G. B. An Eastern Entrepot : A Collection of Documents Illustrating the History of Hong Kong. Edited by Co-operation Great Britain. Dept. of Technical London: London : H.M.S.O., 1964.
FLIER, ANDRÉ THOMSEN KEES VAN DER. “Obsolescence and the End of Life Phase of Buildings.” (2011).
HKSAR, Audit Commission. “Use and Disposal of Vacant School Premises.” 2015.
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