Nowadays in Hong Kong, an increasing housing cost for the city dwellers become inevitable due to the unbalanced demand and supply of public housing provision. The economic problem will give rise to further reduction in living space or necessity of accommodation in sub-divided units (SDUs) for the low and middle income groups. While the government in Hong Kong are developing solutions in policy level to expedite the production of public housing and controlling the residential property price, we as general public may also look for other pragmatic measures to improve our living condition.

Looking back to 1950s, the government provided a subsidized programme for providing mass production public housing to the low income households. People living in that housing type had limited living space and shared the common facilities like kitchen and washroom with the other households. Many social activities were taken place in common areas like lift lobby, entrance foyer and rooftop space. The inhabitants enjoyed certain degree of social life and entertainment as a shared basis with their neighbours.

With reference to the current condition of private SDUs, would it be possible to apply a similar methodology for allowing common areas within the building for sharing among the inhabitants? The promotion of common social space within private development can be made by relaxation of building control measures. If such motion can be implemented, it will be beneficial to the dwellers in SDUs as they can then free up their private living space from the non-essential functions and therefore have better utilization of their rental area.

In this exhibit, we attempt to explore the possible common space within those residential buildings with sub-divided units and their potential uses. By doing so, the SDU inhabitants will enjoy a wider range of social/ daily activities under the current hostile urban environment.

由於公共房屋供不應求，香港人的住屋成本持續攀昇，以致劏房應運而生。

回首50年代，香港政府為低收入家庭提供補貼形式的公共房屋計劃。住在公共房屋的居民生活空間雖然有限，但他們還可以利用建築物內的公共空間，如電梯大堂、入口大堂和屋頂空間等進行日常娛樂和社交生活。反觀現今劏房戶的狀況，卻連這些在公共空間進行的社交和娛樂也沒有。我們能如何在劏房住宅尋求富有彈性的公共空間，讓劏房戶在擠迫的環境中仍維持應有的社交生活呢?