Homantin Hillside, Homantin

The project is located at Hung Hom, Hong Kong, with a site area of approximately 1,900 square metres. The design brief was to construct a new residential tower offering flat units of various sizes and layouts above a podium, which provides a clubhouse, car parking facilities and car park floors at the basement.

DISTINCTIVE IDENTITY
The standout factor that distinguishes the development from the rest of the district lies in its dynamic façade design. The curtain wall façade with curved balconies throughout the tower provides additional volume and dynamic flow to the building, creating a sense of movement that blurs the proverbial line between the tower and sky. The solid cladding façade is a significant contrast to the quiet internal courtyard, while the hillside becomes the background of the development to provide a completely different atmosphere through the mutual integration of modern architecture design and nature.

The hillside greenery and harbour view are maximised for residents from all levels through the internal layout of the units and division of three residential zones, creating a refreshing lifestyle and atmosphere.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Curtain wall, aluminium and stone cladding are used for the inner courtyard and the building façade facing Ko Shan Road. The residential tower curtain wall allows each unit to enjoy open views and natural light, while the solid base in aluminium and stone cladding of the podium expresses a modern and dynamic architectural form.

A unitised system was used for the tower curtain wall for better quality control and water tightness. The curved glass balustrade and glass cladding used at the balcony and utility platform was carefully sourced. The balcony configuration was adjusted to utilise readily available products in order to reach a feasible and cost-effective solution.

Curvy perforated aluminium cladding was used to construct a rotunda-shaped podium. The design makes for an interesting pedestrian journey and improves the first impression of the building from the street level. The fabrication of the curvy aluminium panel was extremely difficult due to the three-dimensional curved design. Accurate on-site measurement and digital 3D software were adopted for the shop drawing preparation and factory fabrication. As each of the aluminium panels is distinctive, this resulted in a longer cladding installation period.

A variety of stone sourced locally and overseas was used for the hard landscape and clubhouse interior, as well as for the bathrooms, kitchens and balconies of flat units. The use of stone cladding renders stylish and natural exterior and interior spaces.

OVERCOMING PROJECT CONSTRAINTS
A number of constraints dictated the final design of this project. For example, the use of building material had been carefully considered during tender and construction stages. The use of stone mosaic for the bathroom, balcony and common corridor of the residential floor not only creates variety in stone patterns, but also greatly reduced wastage when compared to using large pieces of stone.

To provide variety in the configuration of internal layouts and to maximise the open views of the residential units, the towers were designed with low-zone, mid-zone, high-zone and duplex floors. A curved balcony was designed for every residential unit. Most of the units on the low-zone floors face the internal courtyard and the hillside behind the development, which offers a high degree of privacy. Residential units on mid-zone floors and above enjoy open views across the existing building on the opposite side of Ko Shan Road.

It was a challenge for the project teams—in terms of project and technical limitations—to implement the design. The building services, structural system and building façade design in relation to internal layout were taken into account. The constraints were finally overcome after detailed coordination of the pipe duct space, transfer structure and internal bulkhead arrangement.