A few years ago we heard about some prefabricated houses, built inside concrete tubes and of very small dimensions, which would be built in Hong Kong, where the price of houses is unsustainable. Well, now they are a reality.
Hong Kong is one of the cities in the world with the greatest affordable housing problem. In fact, it’s common to see building blocks that look like they’re straight out of dystopian science fiction films. Many of them are similar to real beehives, like the ancient walled city of Kowloon.
To solve the problems of access to housing, many architects and urban planners have tried to find solutions. Among these there is James Lawfrom the Cybertecture studio, which designed the prefabricated houses inside concrete tubes which are already used.
They are called OPod and they are low-cost micro-houses built with pipes of water 3.1 meters in diameter. The project uses the strong concrete structure to generate an apartment with fully equipped spaces for living and with furniture that takes advantage of the space and maximizes internal comfort.
“These houses are part of the Yan Chai Residence project, in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. The project consists of 212 residential units of different sizes that seek to offer affordable rental accommodation. This month the tenants have already started to move in,” he tells idealista/news Pando Ng, Chief Operating Officer of Cybertecture.
Yan Chai Residence has two residential buildings, with a total of 212 units, with prefabricated houses with a capacity of one to five peopleas well as accessible housing.
Each home has its own kitchenette and a bathroom with tub. Moreover, overall they are present common recreational areas and places in which to carry out activities, located close to other areas of interest in the city to improve the lives of its neighbors.
Prefabricated houses, both in concrete tubes and in modules also available The Yan Chai Residence, they have different dimensions. The larger the size, the larger it will be the price of the rent. These are the price ranges:
House for one or two people
- Quantity: 94
- Surface area: 11.5 m2.
- Monthly fee (includes management costs): approximately 315 euros.
Houses for three or four people
- Quantity: 112
- Surface area: 17.65 m2.
- Rent (includes management costs): Approximately 460 euros.
Accommodation for five people
- Quantity: 4
- Surface area: approximately 37 m2
- Rental (includes management costs): approximately 593 euros.
Accessible unit
- Quantity: 2
- Surface area: 24.3 m2
- Rent (includes management costs): approximately 266 euros.
“These homes are designed to be inhabited by people who are on the waiting list to access to public housing from at least three years and for those who live in ahome which does not satisfy good habitability conditions”explains Pando.
