1  Redeveloped estate is a green winner
Joyce Ng, SCMP 18 August 2008

Kwai Chung Estate after its makeover. Photo: Sam Tsang  Source: SCMP

A redeveloped public housing estate in New Territories West boasts the highest percentage of open green space of its kind in the city.

Kwai Chung Estate, housing a population of 40,000, has preserved more than 100 trees on the site and added 160,000 plants, giving it a green coverage of 30 per cent - the highest among all public housing estates.

The redevelopment project, the biggest carried out by the Housing Authority, cost HK$2.4 billion. The estate was first built in the 1960s and rebuilt in 2005.

The Housing Department's chief architect for procurement, Irene Cheng, said: "We want to create a 'hill town oasis' for residents. A bigger, greener public open space for recreation." The greening works cost HK$3 million, she added.

Four public open spaces, now enlarged by 50 per cent to 7.5 hectares, sprawl around the 21 residential blocks, each with separate theme plants such as bamboo or banana trees.

Vertical greening schemes were specially designed for the walls of the car park.

The new building layout has taken into account the sloping topography and wind and sunlight directions to improve the microclimate. For example, a wide gap was left between the towers facing southeast to allow the prevailing wind to blow through. Tai chi areas are placed in the shade.

Indoors, residents now enjoy larger flats, which range from 183 sq ft to 506 sq ft.

The project earned a Quality Building Award in the residential category this year.

2 Kwai Chung Estate goes green
Nickkita Lau, The Standard 18 August 2008

One of Hong Kong's oldest public estates has been transformed into a green model for others.

Kwai Chung Estate, built in the 1960s with rudimentary amenities, is now the greenest and largest public estate after a HK$2.4 billion redevelopment, which was completed in April this year.

Housing Department chief architect (procurement) Irene Cheng said landscape design is based on the concept of a "hill town oasis."

The 7.5 hectares of open space have been divided into four major areas offering different styles of active and passive open space for different age groups. A site for tai chi practice is surrounded by a complementary bamboo garden. The estate is 30 percent green with 160,000 plants and 100 mature trees.

Cheng said the Housing Authority will continue to grow more plants on rooftops, podiums and walkways. Greening will also be extended vertically next to roads with heavy traffic while the blocks are positioned to allow air to ventilate throughout the estate and provide shade.

The color green is also widely used for decoration to give more freshness to the estate. Some of the 13,742 flats are purpose- built for residents with special needs, including tactile guide paths.

For the blind, there are six multisensory maps at the main access points, with names of buildings in both Chinese and English.