Well-being guide boosts positivity

The “Well-being design” guide consists of eight booklets that cover well-being concepts, namely "Health & Vitality", "Green Living & Sustainability", "Age-Friendliness", "Intergenerational & Inclusive Living", "Family & Community Connection", "Urban Integration", "Upward Mobility" and "Perception & Image". Enhancing happinessHousing Department Assistant Director (Project) Max Wong explained that while they were compiling the guide, the department had already begun introducing such concepts at ongoing public housing developments. “For example, in Hin Fat Estate, which has just been completed recently andis located near the Dragon Kiln, which was previously a famous pottery and ceramic workshop. With this historical and cultural background, we incorporate this design element in our estate design.“Another example is Yip Wong Estate, also in Tuen Mun. It is located alongside the Tuen Mun River and with this special context, we have placed our bicycle parking spaces near the cycling track so that residents can conveniently take their bikes to the cycling track and enjoy cycling along the river.” Diverse conceptsThe "Well-being design" guide also integrates the Housing Authority’s successful building and management experience from the past 50 years. It enables Housing Department staff across various professional streams to apply such elements when designing public housing. Additionally, the team conducted research in 26 housing estates and collected first-hand opinions from over 3,000 residents to ensure useful and practical suggestions are contained in the guide. Age-friendly communitiesTaking the entrance lobby as an example, besides enhancing the natural ventilation and lighting, the guide proposed to provide leaning benches for residents to rest on. Also, hand rails and hanging hooks can be installed next to mailboxes so that residents are able to free their hands while collecting their letters. Heart-warming designsThe Housing Department also dedicated time and regular resources to carry out facade beautification and minor improvement projects at 10 housing estates, as well as to complete landscaping improvement works for 20 housing estates. For example, in Butterfly Estate, the improvement project has adopted the "Perception & Image" concept in the guide. The idea of using a butterfly as the design theme was fully adopted. Environmental wellness Housing Department Maintenance Surveyor (Project) Sylvia Mok pointed out that they bring in the arts to the communities as a way to encourage residents to come out of their homes and visit the neighbourhood. “We have murals on the external walls. You can see we shared the view of a butterfly theme. “Also for those unpleasant pipe works and the rodent control guards, we tactfully change them to look like tree trunks and tree houses.” Another fine example of such improvement works at Butterfly Estate is a newly renovated canopy at the amphitheatre. On its interior roof is a painting which features a bird’s-eye view of different attractions and natural scenery in Tuen Mun when butterflies are fluttering over the district. The department hopes the painting can encourage the residents to better understand their communities.