Nanometer Flat - Interior design

NANOMETER FLAT _ RESIDENTIAL MAXIMIZE THE USE OF LIMITED SPACE

PERSONAL CASE STUDY

L O C AT I O N

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

FLAT

Hong Kong

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DESCRIPTION

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

FLAT

PROJ E C T

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This project is a voluntary case study on Hong Kong housing issue. Based on the results from data research and collection, It is found that Nanometer flat is a serious problem of hong kong housing and the trend seems to continue.

The project amis to suggest designs that maximise the use of limited space and solve the problem of reduced living quaility in Hong Kong.

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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BUBBLE DIAGRAM

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Hong Kong is a self-administered city in the Pearl River Delta Area of China, with a total land area of about 1,100 square kilometers and a population of over 7.3 million of various nationalities, it ranks as the world's fourth most densely populated sovereign state or territory.

In the past decade, land shortage in Hong Kong has not only slowed down our economic growth, but has led to a serious undersupply of housing, sending property prices soaring, making them unaffordable to the majority of people. At the same time, subdivided units and “nanometer flats” has become increasingly prevalent, further worsening our quality of life. Moreover, homeownership has divided the society into two groups with contradicting interests, the “haves” and “have-nots”, and this is detrimental to the harmony and stability of our society.

Besides solving the problem of high property prices and rents, we should also improve the living environment of Hong Kong people.

D ATA A N A LY S I S

01

Inadequate Supply

Household

formation

is

an

important factor for housing demand. Data analysis over the past 30 years suggests that the underlying force for household formation has been fairly strong recently.

For

example,

from

2011 to 2015, the combined average

annual

number

of

first marriages, live births, and divorces is even higher than the corresponding figure for the period 1986 to 1995 [Figure 1].

Selected Demographic Events [Figure 1]

- Densely Populated - Housing Supply Declined - Insufficient Land Storage

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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Supply Of New Housing Units By Type [Figure 2]

These three factors are conceivably the most important drivers for family formation. In other words,

the

underlying

demographic-driven

housing demand in recent years should have been substantial. However, comparing the two periods in question, overall housing completions plummeted by some 60% [Figure 2].

To provide some context and illustrate the magnitude of undersupply, It should be noted that during 1997 to 2010, for every 100 first

New Private Housing Supply VS. Marriages, Births And Divorces [Figure 3]

marriages, live births and divorces combined

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every year, there were on average 24 new flats completed. Such ratio has drastically fallen to a mere 10 during 2011 to 2015 [Figure 3].

Besides, the vacancy rate of private residential property market in 2015 was estimated to be 3.7, at it’s lowest level since 1990, or over the past two and half decades [Figure 4].

And also the pace of land creation in Hong Kong has been significantly slower in the past decade.

The total area of developed land in Hong Kong increased by 7,800 hectares from 1995 to 2004.

Vacancy Rate Of Private Residential Property Market [Figure 4]

The increment has dropped sharply to 1,100 hectares in the past decade [Figure 5].

Those data clearly indicates that a significant supply-demand imbalance still exists in the market.

Increase In Developed Land Area [Figure 5]

D A T A A N A LY S I S

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

FLAT

02

Exorbitant Property Prices

- No large-scale land development - Rising cost of development

Due to the lack of large-scale land development projects for long, the Government now has little land for development in the short term, as reflected by the analysis of private residential construction volumes, railway topside development projects outstanding and the unleaded or unallocated government land. The Government has to resort to land use rezoning through town planning procedures. However, subject to the objection at the district level and Judicial Review (JR), it is doubtful that the Government can meet the 10-year housing supply target of 480,000 flats.

Delving into the former uses of developable land, it is discovered that over 70% of Gross Floor Area (GFA) sold in government land auction / tender in 2012 originated from reclaimed land from the 1990s, e.g. Area 66 in Tseung Kwan O, and from developable land in the previous generations of New Towns, e.g. Tuen Mun East and Kau To, Shatin [Figure 6].

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By 2015, the total GFA originating from reclaimed land and developable land in the New Towns encompassed only 50% of the overall figure. On the contrary, land that needs to go through town planning processes of rezoning for development such as slopes, government sites (such as former staff quarters), work sites etc. surged from 8% of the total residential GFA in 2012 to 41% in 2015.

This reflects that readily developable government land is dwindling, and therefore the government is increasingly relying on change of land use as a means of land supply [Figure 6]. If further comparison is made, the site area of reclaimed land and developable land from an average size of more than 160,000 sf. On the other hand, the average area of rezoned sites is significantly smaller, with an average site area of about 50,000 sf [Figure 7].

Land with a larger site area will not only generate economies of scale by lowering average costs for large-scale developments, it is also conducive to a more comprehensive and optimal planning.

For instance, it can more easily accommodate development of

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

Government Land Sales 2012 and 2015, By Former Use Of Sites [Figure 6]

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the previous generation of new towns are generally larger, with

large-scale commercial and residential complexes with adequate transport facilities such as transport terminals and car parks to be placed near residential areas. On the contrary, in addition to being unable to enjoy the benefits above, the shapes of smaller sites are Average Site Area (sf) By Selected Former Use Of Sites, 2012 And 2015 [Figure 7]

usually not conducive to development, indirectly raising construction costs, which will ultimately be reflected on housing prices and rents.

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D ATA A N A LY S I S

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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- Investment Property Drive Property Prices Besides, since with a free market economy and minimal government intervention in Hong Kong, the real estate market in Hong Kong includes home demand, but also attract foreign investment and speculative demand. refer to a report published April 2017 by Colliers International. Hong Kong is poised to surpass New York City as the most popular location for Mainland Chinese investors, with total transactions more than doubling in the first quarter of the year. Because of the geographical proximity, a stable legal and political environment, potential for property price growth draws Mainland Chinese investors to Hong Kong.

Overall residential prices have surged 26%, respectively, over the

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past three years, according to the report. In addition, currency Hong Kong House Price Index [Figure 8]

factor also comes into play. “Concerns about potential continued renminbi [Yuan] depreciation has been an important factor behind Chinese foreign investment in general, and investment in Hong Kong has represented a simple way to hedge against this risk,” Zac Tang, senior analyst at Colliers International, said in the report. Although the government keep provides different measures to cool the overheating market. but due to the those upper factors, there is still rising in the market [Figure 8].

The limited housing supply in the recent years as a result of shortage in residential land has contributed to the rapidly rising home prices and rents. According to annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, Hong Kong retained its rank as the most expensive housing market among 406 major metropolitan regions for the seventh year in a row. The city’s apartments cost 18.1 times gross annual median income in the

13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability third quarter of 2016 [Figure 9].

Survey [Figure 9]

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ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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D A T A A N A LY S I S

03

Decline In The Quality Of Living

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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- The Soaring Property Prices And Rents, Derivative Subdivided Units And Illegal Addition Structures.

Average Residential Floor Space Per Capita [Figure 10]

Base on the lacks of land, Hong Kong’s per capita living space is seriously inadequate in the world.

Refer to the post on Shrink That Footprint website [Figure 10], the per capita living space of Hong Kong is 161 square feet, many people living in extremely small 1-room apartments, illegally divided apartments, as well as boathouses, caged homes, rooftop huts and other forms of inhumane 20

homes.

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ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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D A T A A N A LY S I S

- Nanometer Flats Increasing Prevalent

Limited by their own financial resources, a closer look at the trend of Hong Kong’s social and demographic structure, the nanometer flat may be the actual needs of part of Hong Kong people.

In recent years, high housing prices and rents, with only or below 4 million for a house prices is able to

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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enjoy 90% of residential mortgage, the developers want to ensure that the unit price maintain affordable level, at the same time with the limited terms of some land, then launch the nanometer flat utility area is less than 200 square feet, to bring down prices to attract starters whom funds is not sufficient.

The nanometer flat is not unique to Hong Kong, but it is also a big city in Tokyo, New York and London.

However, the government of Hong Kong has no relative regulation measures to control the minimum living space, which has exacerbated the problem.

Refer to the report ‘Macro Considerations Surrounding Land Supply’ published in 2015 by Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF), they forecasted that in the next four years the annual average completion of new private housing units will be about 18,000 units. This represents an approximately 60%-increase compared to the corresponding figure of the preceding decade (2006-2015) of approximately 11,000 units [Figure 11], However, it should be noted that behind the increasing number of private housing units, the actual 22

residential space, as measured in Gross Floor Area (GFA), has not actually Firstly,

increased the

significantly.

estimated

private

housing space for the period 2016 to 2019 averages to be some 13 million square feet (sf). This is only less than 30% higher than the figure in 2015, compared with the aforementioned 60%-increase Completion of new private housing units [Figure 12]

in terms of number of units.

Secondly, the estimated private residential GFA to be completed is 12.6 million sf in 2016, and is expected to register some slight

but

persistent

declines

afterwards to 11.8 million sf in 2019, notwithstanding the fact that the expected

private

housing

unit

completion is higher in 2018 and 2019. This shows that the average private housing unit is actually becoming smaller [Figure 12].

Private Residential Units Completed, 2015 to 2019 [Figure 12]

In the past decade, land shortage in Hong Kong has not only slowed down our economic growth, but also led to serious problems of undersupply of housing, sending property prices soaring, making them unaffordable to the majority of people. At the same time, subdivided units and “nanometer flats” has become increasingly prevalent, further worsening our quality of life.

fall in property prices. Nanometer flats will continue to increase, but through creative thinking, we can use designs to maximize functionality and change in a limited space, and thus solving the problem of space shortage and improving the quality of life.

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

change in the supply of land and no sign of a

FLAT

For short term, there has been no major

According to the Census and Statistics Department,

2-person

household

is

currently the mainstream family pattern due to economic constraints. So I choose to design a flat for 2 persons in 302 sq. ft.

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ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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a family of two. Home is a place at which we spent most of our time. In order to design a suitable house, it is essential to consider the need of meditation of them as both basic fulfillment and mental relaxation are of healthy lifestyle. In

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

The project is designed to accommodate

FLAT

CO N CE P T S TATE M E NT

the east, meditation is highly valued. It is not only a way of thinking in the right sense of mind, but also a method of healing the mind by allowing a person to use their inner silence to discover the inner consciousness. In this regard, the designing of spaces in a house must provide the occupants with enough area to perform meditation whenever possible. It can be inside or outside the bedroom, and the space and pursuit of peace in mind is paramount important.

A space needs its balance and an equality in circulation and other uses is needed in this small unit. The concept of rock balancing is representative of itself : laying rocks of different sizes on top of each other. The idea is to multi-use areas overlapping with each other in a functional and creative method.

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ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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D E VE LO PM E NT

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ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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D E VE LO PM E NT

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Due to the limitation of space, the development of the design is based on the concept of rock balancing, with areas of both fixed

and

regular

uses.

For

example,the toilet, the closet and the kitchen would be the base.

In addition, bedroom and living room are the most important elements and would take most of the space for dwelling. During the

development

process,

overlapping layers and spaces are studied to help maximize the functions of each room as well as connect them to each other.

Vertical and horizontal forms are studied to help visualize the balance within the house.

FLOOR PL AN

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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TERRACE

DN

STORAGE

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM

STORAGE DISPLAY SHELVES

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FRIDGE WALK-IN CLOSET

UP

MINI BAR

MOVABLE CASE

KITCHEN DISPLAY SHELVES

ENTRY

BATHROOM

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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AE ROVI E W

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The concept turns into the design of an open space created by having few steps into different rooms, creating the feeling of entering another space without the restrictions of partition walls. For a small flat, not only is it important to fulfill the daily needs but also to create a sense of space and manifestation of the concepts of different zones.

FLOOR PL AN Multi - Functional Area

TERRACE

DN

STORAGE

DINING AREA

LIVING ROOM

FLAT

STORAGE

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

DISPLAY SHELVES

FRIDGE WALK-IN CLOSET

BATHROOM

UP

MINI BAR

MOVABLE CASE

KITCHEN DISPLAY SHELVES

ENTRY

TERRACE

DN

STORAGE

MULTI-FUNCTION AREA

30 LIVING ROOM

STORAGE DISPLAY SHELVES

FRIDGE WALK-IN CLOSET

BATHROOM

UP

MINI BAR

MOVABLE CASE

KITCHEN DISPLAY SHELVES

ENTRY

TERRACE

DN

STORAGE

WORKING AREA

LIVING ROOM

STORAGE DISPLAY SHELVES

Bedroom is the soul of the house, as it is the most comfortable place we need. Therefore, it often occupies a

FRIDGE WALK-IN CLOSET

UP

certain space. The transformable furnitures, either swiveling or foldable, provide different uses of space, including

MINI BAR

MOVABLE CASE

KITCHEN DISPLAY SHELVES

working area, dining area, and workout area, which acts an extension of the original space.

ENTRY

BATHROOM

ISOMETRIC VIEW

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The interior provides a warm and bright space, which shows the sense of both comfort and relaxation. Mainly, upholstery will be furnished with light oak, which matches with

is adopted, and the white wall with short loose furniture makes the space extend. The space relates well with meditation to create harmony for the mind and the body.

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

case with simple lines and no extra details

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marble and bronze metal. Concealed wall

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34

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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East Elevation

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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E L E VA T I O N S

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South Elevation

West Elevation

North Elevation

REFLECTED CEILING PLAN

$

$

ACADEMIC | NANOMETER

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DN

37

$

$

UP

RECESSED LIGHT FIXTURE RECESSED WALL WASH LIGHT FIXTURE PANDENT LIGHT UNDERCABINET LED LIGHT 尸STRIP

Legend | Lighting Conduit

CEILING LED LIGHT STRIP LINEAR ALUMINUM AC AIR SUPPLY & RETURN OUTLET MOVABLE CASE TRACK $

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