HOUSES FOR CHANGE

Nowadays, the accommodation for tourists in Hong Kong mainly depends on the high-class hotels. However, the target of these hotels are mainly rich tourists and excluding those young travelers who demand low budget accommodation with an environment of interactions among other travelers as well as the people lived in the city.

The so-called ‘youth hostels’ and ‘guest houses’ in Hong Kong seem meeting the young travelers’ economical need. However, most of these youth hostels are located in the remote countryside and neglect the young travelers’ interest in the exiting cityscape rather than the ‘natural’ landscape in Hong Kong. Some of the others are upgraded to be unaffordable by those young travelers, or the others are poorly equipped.

Changing POROSITY Design is aimed to fulfill:
a. COMFORT
The young travelers would desire a minimum ratio of showers (1:15), WC (1:12) and wash basins (1:6) to beds. Basic food supplies should be available in the hostel or close by where only self-catering is provided. Area should be provided for storage, preparation and cooking, with ample facilities for washing up afterwards.

b. PRIVACY
Necessary degree of privacy should be provided especially in showers, washing areas and toilets, as well as always between different genders.

c. CONVENIENCE
The proximity between the youth hostel and the town centre is another emerging requirement, which is totally opposite to the original concept of youth hostel. Young travelers on longer admire on the magnificent scenery but the cityscape and urban activities.

d. GATHERING SPACE
There should not be only space for sleeping and resting, but also place for meeting and inter-flowing with other people. This is to meet their basic objective of travel as well as to ease their loneness.