modern form. But after
visiting the village several
times and working with the
local builders, she ‘realised
that we cannot dream of
using technologies they
don’t understand’. She
also reasoned it would be
too expensive and would
‘destroy the village’.
Left
The roof is made of traditional ceramic tiles supported by untreated timber straight from the tree trunk. Traditionally, a roof with such a large span would be supported by a couple of wood trusses. Instead, two steel channels are used to open up the space for the mezzanine. A skylight is introduced by using two layers of glazed tiles that have the same shape and profile as the ceramic tiles. Double layers of ceramic and glazed tiles create a ventilation gap in between to reduce heat gain in the summer.
Right
The U-shape of the buildings creates a very solid back in contrast to the open front. It is the village custom to have little windows at the back to protect against the winter chill. A long flight of steps in brick, parallel to the buildings, leads downhill to the village.
learned from her design. In the summer of 2004, she wrote to me: ‘The joy of the building process is to see the joy of the workers who learn with us as the building construction goes along. Primitive it seems, but it is highly intelligent in that no unnecessary materials are used. The brick wall being built is also the scaffolding to build the wall above it or to support the formwork for the concrete staircase and the slab above. The
thoughts, the planning and care put into building the houses touch me. This is the joy of an architect – working with the people who turn our dream into reality.’ And later: ‘Light on the textured wall enhances the small space in this very simple house. How often does an architect in a city think of light as a source of inspiration when the maximum GFA[gross floor area]
becomes the goal of design?’
And we might ask, expectantly: What will Ho be able to bring from her experience in Ho Sai to the many new projects she and her growing staff are now undertaking (including a centre for the organisation Against Child Abuse in Macau, eight new houses in Shatin and a new private house in Sai Kung)?
where villagers sit around the banyan tree to discuss village matters or tell folk tales.
It was the idea of the village forecourt and outdoor gathering of people in Ho Sai that inspired, in part, Ho’s design for the three family houses. Arranged in an L-formation, they define their own forecourt, on the edge of a hill above the village, facing south, as do all of the houses in the village, in order to capture the summer breezes and winter sun. However, unlike traditional houses, the facades facing the forecourt are completely glazed, allowing views of the landscape, with doors that open generously to the forecourt. Tables can be moved into this paved open space, which then becomes an extension of the homes, ideal for large family gatherings. Since it is unlikely that Ho’s family in Hong Kong will ever return to live permanently in the houses, they can be small (two are 8 x 8 metres, the other 12 x 8 metres), but at the same time provide space for cousins still residing in the village to use as a library, study space or workshop.
At first Ho was tempted to build one house with a modern form. But after visiting the village several times and working with the local builders, she ‘realised that we cannot dream of using technologies they don’t understand’. She also reasoned it would be too expensive and would ‘destroy the village’. Each of the U-shaped buildings, with its glass wall facing the forecourt, is made of brick, with a pitched roof rising above a single open space and a sleeping loft that shelters a small bathroom and kitchen on the ground floor.
Ho worked closely with the builders, enjoying construction as much as they did, learning from their methods as they
Karen Franck is an environmental psychologist who teaches architecture and social science courses at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark,
US. She is a frequent contributor to Architectural Design, and is the guest-
editor of two issues on architecture and the culture of food: Food and Architecture (Nov/Dec 2002) and Food + the City (to be published in May 2005).
Right
Alice Tsoi Man Ling (left) and Denise Ho (right).
Established Denise Ho Architects, Hong Kong
Chan Residence renovation, Bonham Road, Hong Kong Tong Residence, Avenida Da Republica, Macau
Ho Residence, Caine Road, Hong Kong
Kiosks and Viewing Platform, Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong
Proposal for Villa Monte Rosa renovation, Stubbs Road, Hong Kong
Trellises along waterfront near Provident Center, Hong Kong
Chick’s Chinese Clinic, Tin Hau, Hong Kong Grudzien Apartment, Kowloon, Hong Kong Diana Wong Art Studio/Residence, Santa Monica, California, US
Three houses for the Ho family, Ho Sai village, San Shui, China
Against Child Abuse centre, Macau
Grand Garden renovation, South Bay, Hong Kong Garden Terrace renovation, Old Peak Road, Hong Kong Prototype design for minibus stand, central Hong Kong Village houses, Shatin, Hong Kong
Residential redevelopment, Kowloon City, Hong Kong Holden Residence renovation, Hong Lok Yuen, Hong Kong www.denisehoarchitects.com
Architects
Denise Ho
Resumé
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OngoingLeft, top and bottom
Village Houses, Shatin, Hong Kong, 2005
Eight buildings will be constructed in pairs of two, allowing six flats to share each external stair. While the four stair systems are the same, differences in colour, window placement, or the addition of a small balcony individualise the pairs, giving residents a sense of the personality of their homes.
Below
Il Sottomarine – the Submarine House – or the Villa Taddei, San Domenico al Fiesole, Italy. Designed by Leonardo Savioli and Domenico Santi.