HB and HA to launch “Well-being design” guide (with photos)

     The Housing Bureau (HB) and the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (September 2) announced the launch of a resident-oriented "Well-being design" guide, which will serve as a reference for the future design of new public housing estates and the improvement works of existing estates.
 
     The guide consists of eight booklets, covering eight well-being concepts, namely "Health & Vitality", "Green Living and Sustainability", "Age-Friendliness", "Intergenerational & Inclusive Living", "Family & Community Connection", "Urban Integration", "Upward Mobility" and "Perception & Image" as well as a space guideline. The guide provides detailed interpretation of the eight well-being concepts as well as over 50 well-being strategies and more than 170 design suggestions derived from them. It enables the Housing Department (HD) staff across various professional streams to adapt, apply and continue optimising these elements when designing public housing in future.
 
     The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, introduced the concept brief of the guide at a media briefing, and also shared on the formulating process and findings of the guide. She said that the "Well-being design" guide integrated the precious and successful building and management experience of the HA over the past 50 years. Views and creative ideas from various sectors were also collected through collaborating with a cross-professional consultant team, including experts in architecture, planning, landscaping, management, nursing, and social services, many of whom were young people. The team also conducted research in 26 housing estates, including 25 public housing estates and a large transitional housing project, and collected first-hand opinions from over 3 000 residents through group activities, workshops, surveys and studies for reference. The brief of the guide is available at housingwellbeing.hk/design-guide/ (Chinese only; English version to be available later).
 
     Multiple models were displayed at the briefing to demonstrate the practical application of the guide. For instance, in the model "Wellness Corner", a leaning bench is provided in the elevator for residents to rest on; hand rails and hanging hooks are added next to mailboxes, so that residents can free their hands while retrieving their mail; seats and handrails of various heights are provided in the lobby to embody "Age-Friendliness" and "Family & Community Connection". The guide proposed to fully utilise the space in public housing estates. In the model "Communal Fitness Playscape", jogging track, fitness equipment, playground, lawn and benches that can be flexibly arranged to suit residents' needs are added to build a green living space that promotes "Health & Vitality", "Intergenerational & Inclusive Living" and "Family & Community Connection". In the "Universal Service Bay" model, the guide enhances the auxiliary facilities around parking spaces for mobile services (such as mobile medical units and mobile libraries), including social seating, charging points and fitness and recreational facilities, for residents to use while waiting.
 
     In her conclusion, Ms Ho said that the Chief Executive advocated for the formulation of a "Well-being design" guide in the 2022 Policy Address. She chaired the action group to formulate the guide together with the HD. This serves as a guideline for humble yet thoughtful and heartwarming designs. The HD also dedicated time and regular resources to carry out facade beautification and minor improvement projects at 10 housing estates, as well as completing landscaping improvement works for 20 housing estates in 2023/24. Ms Ho envisions that public housing estates will be the starting point for society to adopt well-being designs, and well-being concepts will be gradually promoted to other projects and future community designs to build more happy communities.
 
     To promote the well-being concepts of the guide and strengthen cohesion in the community, the HB and the HA will hold a "WELL•BEING Estate Festival" from September 7 to 15. Activities include cycling tours, community art jamming and symposiums. Some of the activities are co-organised by young people and non-government organisations. Participants from three Mainland cities and five countries have registered for the symposiums and other activities so far. The full set of the "Well-being design" guide will also be announced in the symposium to be held on September 12.
 
     Some of the highlight activities of the "WELL•BEING Estate Festival" are as follows. For details of the events, please visit housingwellbeing.hk/en/estate-festival/. (Note)
 

 
Note: Limited places for some activities and registration will be required. Symposiums for invited parties to attend only.