Buoyant Overhaul

A greenhouse assemblage as floating rehabilitation complex for Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Conceptual Project  | Jan-Jun 2024

ABSTRACT​​​​​​​

Studies underscore the impact of rapid growth on aging buildings stock. As more than 70% of Hong Kong’s buildings approach “end of life,” many of them effectively become uninhabitable, with detrimental effect on the well-being of their tenants. By contrast, greenhouses are seen as important spatial typologies. As typology, greenhouses have shown success in processes to better control environmental and atmospheric qualities, equally contributing to environmental rehabilitation. Thus, in a larger sense, greenhouses and their technologies possess the potential to directly improve urban residents’ quality of life while strengthening social ties.

Framing greenhouses as ‘healer typologies’, “Buoyant Overhaul” tests the integration of greenhouse structures and greenhouse technologies to help improve urban rehabilitation of old building stock. As remedial project, the spatial thesis seeks opportunities where greenhouse technologies can be plugged-in, connect to, and situated next to a range of ‘unlivable’ structures allowing for the extension of greenhouse functions to facilitate rehabilitation of livable settings. Working along Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, Buoyant Overhaul makes use of the strategic benefit of the harbors water’s access to old. Buoyant Overhaul’s rehab procedures demonstrate how to redefine technology-driven social ties and provide greening incentives while plugging into host structures for durations of 1 – 2 months.

MOVEMENT & ADAPTATION​​​​​​

The rehabilitation system makes use of the strategic benefit of the harbors water’s and access to various old and 'inhabitable' living environments. It stops by designated structures and performs its duties by connecting itself to the host structures for durations of 1 – 2 months. Then it moves and heads to another structure to continue its services.

Adaptation of the system at various service points along the Victoria Harbour, from left to right, up to the bottom:

1 Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui

2 Harbour Place, Hung Hom

3 Wyler Garden, Kowloon City

4 Hilder Center, To Kwa Wan

5 One Harbour Square, Kwun Tong

6 Yau Lai Estate, Yau Tong

7 Tai Koo Place, Quarry Bay

8 Citicrop Centre, Causeway Bay

REFUNCTIONING, OPERATIONS & FUNCTIONALITY​​​​​​

In “Buoyant Overhaul”, greenhouses structures and forms are adapted from different existing typologies and repurposed as rehabilitating units, which provide various services to household tenants periodically. With the assistance of assorted robotic and operational and functional components, the complex can thus sufficiently perform itself as a system.

INTER-RELATION & COMPOSITIONS

Inside each rehabilitating unit, different elements are composed in the space, which incorporate together and perform their usage. Besides, each unit is connected and performs its functions that assist and facilitate the complex as a self-sufficient system. For example, energy is produced by wind turbines, solar panels, tidal wave converters, and water turbines.