PROJECT HOUSE AT Aberdeen
壹屋計劃 香港仔
Type: Community Engagement
Location: The Warehouse Teenage Club, Aberdeen Hong Kong
Client: Private
Year: Jul 2019
Aberdeen is one of the best-known tourist spots in Hong Kong, a fishing village inside the concrete jungle with rich historic background where floating village and seafood restaurants gathered along the harbour. As stated in the results of the 2016 Population By-census, the Southern District is one of the top three areas facing the problem of ageing population. Associations located in Aberdeen are actively engaging elderly and children through day-care services. However, some of the associations are facing difficulties in remodelling their service groups. Facing the social challenge, One Bite Social partnered with The Warehouse Teenage Club and collaborated with the students of Department of Social Work from The Chinese University of Hong Kong to explore the possibility of placemaking at a rather spacious place in July 2019. The Warehouse Teenage Club, an NGO focusing on art and cultural development of the youth, was once a popular spot in the 90s. The heritage building is located in the middle of the city slope which is a challenge of the accessibility. How to transform the place to meet the needs of locals?
Apart from using An Object 3.0, ‘一舊雲’ a set of helium balloons was designed to provide a temporary shelter for pedestrian and achieve higher exposure. Moreover, the existing metal benches were repainted with floor paints to encourage visitors to exercise. The Project House experimented the possibility of holding one-month event in a heritage building while discovering the potentials of implementing intergenerational services in Aberdeen. Additionally, we created a platform for local collaborators to provide services and host workshops to both local youths and elderly for building a strong sense of belonging to the community. The experiment successfully attracted the neighbourhood’s attention. The event was also widely promoted by local community groups, which helped increase our exposure in the area.
