published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Traditionally, architectural and construction development in Hong Kong relies on load bearing bricks for structural support. In the modern age after World War II, the common application of reinforced concrete structure in high-rise construction has seen a change in the use of brick as an infill material for reinforced concrete frame construction. Because load bearing brick cannot meet the structural requirement of high-rise buildings, it is no longer common used in construction, and brick buildings that have been built are gradually demolished for redevelopment. For surviving brick buildings in Hong Kong, the ones built with red facing bricks are generally Western style buildings mostly located in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. For buildings built of Chinese grey brick, they are usually Chinese vernacular buildings, such as ancestral halls and temples, located in New Territories. However, with the common availability of modern paint for redecoration as well as weather protection, some brick heritage buildings have been plastered with rendering and painted. The reason for this is that a smooth painted surface gives a neater appearance and the impression of being easier to maintain and clean. Of course, there are also some traditional Chinese vernacular brick buildings, particularly Hakka houses (客家屋), which have a tradition of having brick surfaces painted with white wash covered with lime plaster (Tsang Tai Uk at Shatin and Poon Uk at Yuen Long are examples). With heritage conservation becoming more important, there are now more and more restoration work carried out on historical brick buildings. These projects are usually led by the Antiquities and Monuments Office and executed by the Architectural Services Department. One of the restoration problems faced in these projects is the removal of paint so that the original brick surface will be revealed. This dissertation aims to concentrate on the common methods used in Hong Kong to restore painted brick surfaces and to evaluate these paint removal methods through case studies that involves buildings of red engineering facing brick and Chinese grey brick. Through this dissertation, it will be demonstrated that restoring a brick surface is not straight forward technical work, but a process that must have a systematic conservation approach and planning. The dissertation will examine case studies of conservation projects involving paint removal work, and use the lesson learned to establish guidelines for paint removal in a planned and systematic way. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

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This thesis investigates a new prototype for housing in rural Kampot, Cambodia with a focus on the health and safety of the inhabitants. This study came about because traditional Cambodian houses are rapidly disappearing and being replaced with concrete walls on the lower level, a space that was previously left as open- concept and was comfortable as such in the Cambodian culture. By studying both traditional and contemporary houses during my research time in Cambodia, I discovered that it was not the vernacular home-making techniques that needed improvement, but rather the concerns of health and safety that needed to be addressed. My thesis proposal is to design an affordable and sustainable home in rural Cambodia with the primary focus on the following issues: waste management, water collection/filtration, Cultural adaptability, local material palettes, light quality, airflow, cooking suitability, and security.

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The topic of this thesis is explore how tiny houses are being used and how might they be applied to homelessness in the future. The thesis also discusses the influences of past architectural thoughts and ideals that lead to the creation of the modern day tiny house on wheels. The thesis addresses questions such as: Who lives in tiny houses and for what reasons? How are different tiny houses designed? I found that tiny houses are helping to eliminate the negative connotation of living in a small house. I also discovered that the two main demographics of people living in tiny houses are those who are downsizing and those who were previously homeless. Each group has various motivations for moving into a tiny house. It is clear that the tiny houses will likely become more popular for both groups in the future but it is unclear of how long individuals will stay in their tiny homes. My hope is that the homes are passed down and reused by both groups.