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Written by: Wang Jieen
2020-07-19 16:50
Date of last update: 2020-07-19 16:50Property prices in Hong Kong are so high that some developers have launched "Nano Buildings" with lower admission fees as a solicitation. The fax agency found that in 2012, the Buildings Department loosened the ventilation and lighting standards of open kitchens, and the guidelines allowed the emergence of windowless kitchens, which led to a rapid increase in the number of nano buildings.
According to the fax agency, there were only 222 nano-units issued with “starting paper” in 2013, but it suddenly increased five-fold to 1,385 in 2014 and reached a peak of 2,945 in 2017. Although the number has dropped slightly in the past two years, the number is still Over a thousand.
With the high property prices in Hong Kong, developers have introduced many units of nanometer buildings in recent years. (Profile picture / Photo by Pan Siying)
The fax agency pointed out that in order to increase the supply of small and medium-sized houses, the then Financial Secretary Zeng Junhua announced in the Budget the introduction of "foot-restricted land" to restrict the number and area of residential units that can be built on the land under the terms of land sales. As of June of the following year, the then Secretary for Development, Lin Zheng Yue'e, announced the launch of "Limited Land". The sale conditions specified a minimum unit supply, but did not limit the unit area.
Open kitchen requires "untie"
After the introduction of the two policies, the restrictions on open kitchen design were relaxed. In the "Code of Practice for Building Fire Safety in 2011", the government listed design requirements for residential open kitchens, allowing devices commonly known as "kitchen three treasures", namely smoke detectors, fire sprinkler heads, and a combination of not less than 600 The half-hour refractory wall with a millimeter width replaces the previous requirement for a half-hour refractory door and one-hour refractory wall in the kitchen.
In 1997, the Buildings Department issued an operation note. After accepting the use of artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation in bathrooms and toilets, residential units can build "black toilets." The picture shows the floor plan of the Zhuang Shiwei Gangxuan, North Point, which was completed in 2003. (Photo by fax agency)
Successively relax the toilet and kitchen without windows
Although the design of open kitchens has been relaxed, the Building (Planning) Regulations require that residential kitchens must have windows. However, after checking the information, the fax agency found that after the promulgation of the 2011 Building Fire Safety Code, the Buildings Department further instructed in the 2012 industry forum to accept the open kitchen as part of the guest dining room to process. The design restrictions of the open kitchen have been relaxed again, and there is no need to install windows in accordance with the regulations. A windowless design can be adopted.
As for the "black toilet" design without windows, the fax agency said that the design had appeared since 1997. The "Building (Planning) Regulations" originally stated that the bathroom and toilet must have windows, but later issued an operation note. The bathroom As long as the toilets and the toilets have the artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation that meet the standards and are accepted by the Buildings Department, there is no need to install windows, and the operation remarks are issued by the Building Authority, the Director of Buildings, and the process does not need to be consulted.
After the Buildings Department has established the lighting and ventilation regulations for open kitchens, the kitchens do not need to have windows and residential units can be turned into a dense hotel-like arrangement. The picture shows the plan view of Tuen Mun Jingjun completed in 2019. (Photo by fax agency)
Open kitchen housing has increased by more than 30,000 units
The fax agency said that according to the records of the Fire Services Department, in 2011, only 120 open kitchen residences were approved and completed. However, since the open kitchen design was relaxed in the same year, its number soared to 1,020 in the following year, an increase of more than 7 times.
As of March this year, there were about 38,070 units in Hong Kong that used open kitchen design when they were occupied.
(Photo by fax agency)
Nano building completed a new high last year
In addition, the fax agency searched the BD data and found that only 222 nano units were issued construction consents (commonly known as construction paper) in 2013, which suddenly increased fivefold to 1,385 in 2014 and reached a peak of 2,945 in 2017. Although it has dropped slightly in the past two years, it has remained at over a thousand levels.
The fax agency also pointed out that the construction of Nano Buildings in the early years has been completed in recent years. The latest data from the Transport and Housing Bureau show that the number of Nano Buildings completed last year reached 982 units, a record high, accounting for 7.2% of the total of 13,643 units completed last year.
(Photo by fax agency)
The fax agency inquired with the Buildings Department about the guidelines for the lighting and ventilation regulations for open kitchens before the promulgation of the 2011 Building Fire Safety Code, whether not having windows does not violate the requirements for kitchen windows in the Regulations, and open kitchens do not require Why the decision of independent windows was put in the industry forum was confirmed by the Buildings Department instead of amending the Regulations after consultation. No reply was received before the deadline.
(Photo by fax agency)
The number of completed Nano Buildings has nearly doubled last year
[Revaluation of Rates and Values] The owners of the Nano Building are willing to increase rents to scare the tenants in the mainland: forgive me!
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