Project Plum Grove pioneers a multi-partnership model for village revitalization in remote Hong Kong. Our project conserves two built heritages (Old House and Mural House) with experimental restorations, activating village community-building involving multiple stakeholders via a participatory process to explore future rural living for the village’s long-term flourishing.
Once thriving on farming and only 25km from Hong Kong’s CBD, Mui Tsz Lam has been abandoned since mass migration abroad from the 1960s. The project engaged returning villagers to recall cultural traditions and restored the Old House and Mural House, strategically located at either end of the village, using three principles:1) In-situ reuse and upcycle of locally-sourced materials; 2) Light-touch new interventions, sensitive installations; 3) Co-create process via workshops, experiential learning, collaborative rebuilding.
Old traditions are renewed using up-to-date technology. Existing rammed earth walls are carefully repaired; new rammed earth construction reused materials from collapsed walls, after scientific ingredient mix research and compression lab tests. Broken roof tiles, blue bricks and stone pavings are salvaged and upcycled together with artefacts excavated from the half-buried sites.
Without vehicular access, a light touch approach allows easy transport, erection, removal and future reassembly, while minimizing community disturbance and construction impact to the natural surroundings. An adjustable scaffolding system clad with timber-bamboo panels, polycarbonate panels and lightweight roof paneling was adopted for both houses. Students assisted in designing, making and installing panels of natural materials, contributing to their experiential learning.
Co-creation occurred throughout, in all aspects. Villagers, over 120 volunteers and students participated in workshops: visioning, brainstorming and co-designing, assisting with logistics, full-scale mock-ups, actual building, a 200-people festival event. The restored houses have become multi-use settings for display and trial operations, stimulating the next phase of revitalization involving younger villagers, NGOs, private fundings to regenerate Mui Tsz Lam into a sustainable living ecology.
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