The new ball courts in Sheung Wan's Blake Gardens is an exercise in cooperation. For the first time, the Hong Kong Design Institute, Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Architectural Services Department have come together to oversee the renovation of six ball courts: two hard-surface soccer pitches, three basketball courts, and one volleyball court.
Completed on May 25, the renovation is designed by students from HKDI's Landscape Architecture program. It incorporates elements from the area - such as blue magpies, basketball hoops, and the nearby skyline.
The revitalized recreational spaces will provide a vibrant environment for the communities in Po Hing Fong and Kui In Fong, enhancing their quality of life and promoting the concept of healthy living.
"We are honored to have been invited to renovate the Blake Gardens' ball courts," said Ong Lay Lian, principal of HKDI and IVE (Lee Wai Lee).
"This is an excellent opportunity for our students to apply the knowledge they have learned in the curriculum and gain practical experience in working with the industry to placemaking projects for the community. I hope to have more opportunities to work with the Architectural Services and Leisure and Cultural Services departments to cultivate design talents in Hong Kong together."
To provide opportunities for practical design experience and industry connections to students from tertiary institutions and to inject youthful creativity into public space design, the ArchSD and LCSD invited second-year students of HKDI's Landscape Architecture program to set up a landscape design studio.
There, they worked together in groups to provide different design proposals for the renovation of the Blake Gardens' ball courts.
The project took over a year, during which the students conducted research on various aspects of Blake Gardens - including its history and culture, architecture, landform and topology, open space, greenery coverage, and usage and flow.
They also distributed questionnaires and interviewed the community - from teachers and students from the nearby Catholic Mission School to residents in the neighborhood - to understand their usage needs and opinions of the ball courts, gathering first-hand information to design a renovation plan that is ingenious and practical for actual users.
Through collaborative co-creation, students experienced the process of how to implement design concepts and how to balance opinions from different members of the community.
The newly designed ball courts draw inspiration from the Po Hing Fong neighborhood, creating ball courts that are rich in regional character.
As blue magpies are often seen in the garden area and are associated with celebration, the HKDI students incorporated them into the design. Through the use of vivid colors, the design aims to bring joy and positive energy to the community. The design of the basketball court, Fly high - Skyline, incorporates the skyline of Sheung Wan's Blake Gardens area and a silhouette of a basketball player dunking
As the students had learnt virtual reality shooting and 3D-printing technology in the institute, they applied their knowledge to practical use, and realized their design proposals more effectively.
Said the director of Architectural Services, Edward Tse: "We really appreciate the effort of HKDI students, and the results of this renovation project are a testament to the students' creativity, practical ability, and professional skills in construction projects.
"We look forward to seeing more young design talents joining the construction industry in the future, working with us to improve the quality of public facilities, inject more vitality and people-oriented elements, and build a more liveable community in Hong Kong."
ivy.ong@singtaonewscorp.com
