House Boat

Hong Kong has had a long history of habitation on the water.  Historic records show ancient peoples as far back as 6000 BCE inhabiting the coastline and engaging in farming and fishing for sustenance and trade. In fact, it was the very proximity to the waterways that established Hong Kong as one of the most important regions in the area when Westerners began arriving in Asia.  However, there has also been a long history and stigma associated with life on the water and the various ethnic minorities, their culture and customs that have traditionally lived on boats.  Groups such as the Tanka people (an ethnic minority that lived on boats) were seen as the lowest of classes, criminal and not to be trusted.  Pirates, prostitutes and opium trafficking indeed happened on or near the harbors and ports during the colonial era and into the 20th century. 

 Even as recently as the 1960s and 70s, there was a large community of boat dwelling people that lived in the various ports and harbors of Hong Kong especially in areas such as Yau Ma Tei, Sham Shui Po, Aberdeen, and various coastal locations in the New Territories.  However, with more government intervention much of the boat dwelling communities had voluntarily -and in some instances forcefully- been relocated into state-run community housing projects.

Nowadays, most Hong Kong people do not live on the water and the historic stigma of the communities and dealings on the water still remain to this day.  However, Hong Kong has consistently ranked as one of the topmost expensive cities in the world to live with an extreme divide between the ultra-wealthy and impoverished.  The cost of land has been at an all-time high and housing is far from affordable for the average person. Add to that, the geologic challenges of the region, mostly mountainous and densely forested, and housing development as a whole is an ever-pervasive conundrum.

However, what if we look back to the tradition of living on the water?

This design of a small dwelling on the water looks to offer an alternative solution to the cramped and decrepit social housing blocks of the city and bring people back to the waterways.  Complete with modern amenities such as serviceable toilets, air-conditioning and running water and electricity, our design for a house boat is far-removed from the traditional challenges and stigmas of living on the water. What this design offers is a modest and comfortable solution to the overcrowded and overpriced abodes of Hong Kong.