Evolutionandadaptivereuse:Astudyof asuccessfulmodel,theconversionofthe NorthKowloonMagistracyintothe SavannahCollegeofArtsandDesign

BobDickensheets: ProfessorHistoricPreservation,SchoolofBuildingArts,Savannah CollegeofArtandDesign,Savannah,Georgia,USA RaymondChan: Researcher,CentreforUrbanBuiltEnvironment,HongKongCollegeof Technology,HongKong/BuildingSurveyor,HeritageCommission,HKSARDevelopment Bureau. AndrewPlatten: AssociateDean,FacultyofArts,EnvironmentandTechnology,Leeds MetropolitanUniversity,Leeds,UnitedKingdom

Introduction Thevalueofourexistingheritage Afinancialneed Continuationofcommunity Thewiderconsiderationofsustainability

AdaptiveReuse
Weacknowledgeadaptivereuseisofteninitsinfancyinmanylocations outsideEurope Thetrendtouseexistingbuildingsindeveloping,suchasinHongKong Theopportunityprovidesabasisuponwhichtodefinecommunityand identitywhilstvaluingheritage

ValuingHeritageWorldwide
InternationalCouncilonMonumentsandSites(ICOMOS) TheAthensCharter,1961definedtheconceptofinternational heritage TheVeniceCharter,1964establishedICOMOSandundertook tolisttheworldsvaluedsites USA,standardsforrehabilitationsetbytheSecretaryforthe Interior UK,listingofbuildingsoriginallyformulisedundertheTown andcountryPlanningAct HongKong:AntiquitiesandMonumentsOrdinance

RevitalisationofHistoric BuildingsThrough Partnership

Launchedin2007theHKDevelopmentBureaustatesthatthereisvaluein therefurbishmentofbuildingsandifundertakencarefullysuchschemes canrevitaliseeconomicandsocialactivity. Toprotect,conserveandrevitaliseasappropriatehistoricalandheritage sitesthroughrelevantandsustainableapproachesforthebenefitand enjoymentofpresentandfuturegenerations Opentosocialenterprisesornonforprofitorganisationstobidforbatched releasesofbuildings Governmentgrantsforbuildingworksandoperatingcostsforfirsttwo yearsofuse Assessmentsof1444HistoricBuildings

Batch1
OldTaiPoPoliceStation LuiSengChun LaiChiKokHospital NorthKowloonMagistracy OldTaiOPoliceStation FongYuenStudyHall MeiHoHouse

http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/buildings1.htm

Batch2
OldTaiOPoliceStation(relaunched) TheBlueHouseCluster FanlingMagistracy OldHouseatWongUkVillage StoneHouses

http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/buildings2.htm

Batch3
KingYinLei HawParMansion BridgesStreetMarket FormerFanling Magistracy(relunch)

http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/buildings3.htm

SCAD
Theschoolsfirstbuilding standstodayasthefinest standingexampleof Romanesquerevival architectureintheport cityofSavannah,Georgia, UnitedStates. Constructedin1892and designedbynotedBoston architectWilliamGibbons Preston,theVolunteers GuardsArmouryservedas aheadquartersforan earlystatemilitia.

TrackRecord
Whathasfollowedthefirstpurchaseandreuse isatextbookexampleofsuccessfulexpansion andpreservationofarchitecture. Since1978,theuniversityhaspurchasedandre purposedover90buildingsonthreecontinents. Amajorityofthebuildings,over70,areeither listedashistoricorascontributingstructuresto ahistoricdistrict. Nearlythreemillionsquarefeetofarchitecture isnowusedforstudios,classroomsand administrationandofthatnumber,amajority wouldhavebeenlosttowreckingballifitwere notforafarreachingvisionthatincluded adaptivereuse. Maison Forte Lacoste

ShamShuiPo
FormanycenturiesShamshuipohasbeena ruralareasupportingcottageindustries, fishingandfarming. Atthebeginningofthe20th centurythe areabecameapartoftheBritishcolonyof HongKong. DuringtheJapaneseinvasion,theinvading forcesenteredKowloonbywayofTaiPo Road Inthepostwaryearstheareabecame hometomanyrefugeesfromtheMainland.

NorthKowloonMagistracy
TheNorthKowloonMagistracywas designedbyprivatefirmPalmerand TurnerArchitectsandwascompleted in1960. Onceconstructionworkswere completedtheMagistracystartedto functionasalowercourthouseand governmentoffice ItceasedoperationinJanuary2005 andremainedvacantupto2008 TheMagistracywasofferedinthe firstbatchofrevitalisationsites SCADwasselectedandtheydecided tomakeuseoftheirownfundingin carryingoutallcapitalworksand declinedtoacceptstartupcost subsidies.

TheTaskofTransformation

Transformation
Constructedin1960thebuildingisamodestexampleofclassicalrevivalin governmentarchitecture. +70,000squarefeetoversevenfloors. Itwasusedasasinglepurposedesignwithcourtroomsonthreeofitsfloors, receptionandpaymentofficesonthegroundfloorsandvariousadministration officesthoroughtheupperfloors. Originalenvironmentcontrolsincludedanearlyairconditioningsystemformain courtroomsandtheadditionofwindowsunitsasneededthroughoutthebuilding. Overallthebuildingwascooledbyopenwindowsanddoorsthroughcross ventilationandaninteriorlightwellmakinguseofnaturalconvection. Thebuildingisconstructedofconcretewithfloorsystemscomposedofconcrete andceramicblock.Althoughstructurallysound,theengineeringofthebuilding minimallymetstandards,however,ithasstoodthetestoftimeandappearedtobe suitableforitsproposeduseasaneducationalenvironment.

DesignOptions
Minimalchange Existingandformandthebest Theatreartsspacesrequirehighceilings,fashionor architecturecoursemayrequirenaturallightwhileindustrial designorproductmayrequireindustrialgradestructural systems. Manylowerlevellectureclassescanbeplacedinofficeformer likeenvironmentsandsomerequiretotaldarknessfor projectionsystems. Awellbuiltbuildingwithavarietyofspacesisanexcellent startingpointforeducationaladaptivereuse.

CourtroomtoClassroom
Anexampleofthedesignapproachisthereuseoffourprimarycourtrooms. TheAntiquitiesandMonumentOfficeviewedthecourtroomsweredeemed tobesignificantandworthyofconservation. Sincetherewerefouridenticalcourtroomsonthesecondfloor,adecision wasmadebytheauthoritiestokeeponecourtroomintact,retainallofthe moderatelyornatedoorandentrieswhichenteredontothecentrallobby intact,buttoallowfortherepurposingofthreeofthecourtroomspacesfor classroomorstudio. Theretainedandconservedcourtroomisusedaslecturehallforarthistory Onecourtroomhasbeentakendowntoitsoriginalwallsurfacesand subdividedtocreatetwoclassroomsandonecourthasbecomeasound designandmixingstudiofollowingtheintroductionofengineeredwalls, doorsandsoundproofglasswindows. Thefinalcourtroomhasbeenreducedtobarewallsandnowholdsagreen screenwallthattakesadvantageoftheeightplusmeterceilingheight.

CourtRooms

CourtRooms

GreenScreenRoom

JailtoConferenceRoomTransition
Anexampleofretentionratherthandemolitioncanbefoundinthedesign programforjailcellsoccurringatthegroundfloorofthenewcampus. Cellsthatoncehouseduptofortyprisonerswereconstructedofconcrete withconcretebenchesandlatrines. Steeldoorsandreinforcementensuredthatprisonersanddetaineescould notescapeormovetopublicsectionsofthebuilding. Onejailcellofsixwastoberetainedtoensurethatanexactexampleofthe cellandconditionwouldsurviveforpublicviewingthroughtheheritage program.Realizingthatthespacecreatedbythecellsweresuitablefor officeandmeetingrooms,thecollegedecidedtoretainfiveofthemin originalconfigurationyetaddspeciallighting,climatecontrol,dataand carpeting. Theconservedcellwhichdisplaysoriginalgraffitiandhasalsohadno improvementsisretainedforinterpretation.

GotoworkinJail

M&EIntegration
Duetotheneweducationaltechnologiesintroduced,numerouscomputer labspaces,dataservers,officesandclassroomsarerequiredtooperate yearroundincontrolledenvironments. Spotzoningofairconditioningreducescostandincreasesefficiency. Lavatoriesaredesignedforhighefficiencyandminimalwateruses.Lighting iseitherLEDorT5efficientflorescent. Classroomswherecomputerworkoccursmakeuseofengineeredlightto reducescreenglare. Designsolutionsforclassroomswithhighwindowsincludetheuseofcloud ceilings.Thissimpleandnoveldesignkeepsdropceilingsystemanaverage of20inchesoffperimeterwallsofroomallowingforaircirculation,a feelingofgreatspaceasthereisnohardterminationpointorlineatthe upperwallandmostimportantlyallowsforirregularwindowstoprotrude abovetheceilinglineyetlighttoentertheclassroomsandshadeto functioneffectively.

CloudCeiling

HealthandSafety
Theformermagistracyisacaseof compromiseindesignand heritage,butnotinsafety. Toensuremeetingrequirements ofmeansofegressforfiresafety codesthreenewstaircasesystems wereconstructedwithinthe building,allofwhichmakeuseof formerstairshaftsandmeetor exceedcoderequirements. Theformerelevatorshaftnow housesanewelevatorfunctioning onasideliftsystemincreasingcar capacityandweightforusers.

1stFloor:BeforeandAfter

GrandStaircase

MootGallery

Conclusions
Heritageisakeypartofthesustainability debate Adaptivereusecansolvemanyeconomic issuesifdonecorrectly TheMagistracywasgivenahonourable mentionbyUNESCO1st September2011 TheHKHeritagecommissionisnowworkingon itsthirdbatchofrevitalisationsites