Current Issue :
2021 Vol 3 No 1
Journal of East-Asian Urban History Vol. 3 No. 1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22769/JEUH.2021.3.1.139
The Verandah: Hong Kong’s Contribution to a Southeast Asian and China-coast Urban Design
David Faure
- Received2021-01-22
- Accepted2021-04-02
- Published Online2021-06-30
Abstract
The verandah was a common feature of Chinese multi-storeyed houses in Southeast Asia and China. This paper argues that while an earlier version of a narrow walkway might have had its origin in Singapore, the building of an extension on the upper floors encroaching the airspace over the road skirting the building was an arrangement allowed by the colonial Hong Kong government in compensation to landlords for space devoted to ventilation. As the introduction of reinforced concrete allowed buildings to become taller, the more attractive it was to developers to incorporate the verandah design.
Key Words: five-foot way, verandah, ventilation, reinforced concrete, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guangzhou
The verandah was a common feature of Chinese multi-storeyed houses in Southeast Asia and China. This paper argues that while an earlier version of a narrow walkway might have had its origin in Singapore, the building of an extension on the upper floors encroaching the airspace over the road skirting the building was an arrangement allowed by the colonial Hong Kong government in compensation to landlords for space devoted to ventilation. As the introduction of reinforced concrete allowed buildings to become taller, the more attractive it was to developers to incorporate the verandah design.
Key Words: five-foot way, verandah, ventilation, reinforced concrete, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guangzhou