Aqua Apartments
Tenacity and technical skills achieve Building Department approvals.
Sector: Apartments
Country: Hong Kong
Client: Macau Land Developments
Services: Architecture Alterations / Additions
Year: 2009
Budget: $60 million HKD
Aqua Apartments in Consort Rise, Pokfulam, on Hong Kong Island, is a low-rise residential apartment block originally built in the 1980s, overlooking a cemetery. While the structure was in good condition, the planning standards fell short of the current requirements. MAP was commissioned to revitalise the existing apartments and ensure compliance with the current building codes and regulations.
MAP, sure in its knowledge of Hong Kong building regulations, decided to take an aggressive approach to the project to tackle compliance and planning issues and totally transform the building to Macau Land Developments’ advantage.
MAP reallocated the site coverage and GFA and explored a number of value-adding features including: a communal swimming pool, private ‘in deed’ rooftop area with dedicated staircases from the apartments below, increased common amenity areas, assigned car parking spaces and lifts, new insulated glass windows and new split heat-pump air conditioners for each apartment.
After considerable negotiation with the Building Department, MAP achieved the approvals for everything except the communal swimming pool. A major boost was the Department’s acceptance that there were more stairs in the building than necessary under current requirements, allowing MAP to reduce the number and include four new lifts.
Aqua Apartments sold out in record time and remains a sought after residential address in Hong Kong.
