students' experimental restoration revives centuries-old hakka village in hong kong

Project Plum Grove Revitalizes old Hakka village Mui Tsz Lam

Project Plum Grove breathes new life into Mui Tsz Lam, a 360-year-old Hakka village nestled in rural Hong Kong, employing experimental architectural approaches that bridge tradition and innovation. Led by Thomas Chung, Associate Professor at CUHK School of Architecture, the endeavor focuses on the revitalization of two dilapidated structures, the Old House and the Mural House. The project is guided by three core design principles; the reuse and reconstruction in harmony with the surroundings, thoughtful interventions that preserve the village’s essence, and a participatory approach engaging residents, students, volunteers, and professionals across a span of two years.

The venture, facilitated by a partnership between a university and the village, tackles the transformation of Mui Tsz Lam, which despite its proximity to the bustling Mong Kok district, had fallen into abandonment following mass emigration in the mid-20th century. With government backing, Project Plum Grove retains the village’s cultural fabric and scenic attributes focusing on the symbolic restoration of the structures situated at opposite ends of the village.

Mui Tsz Lam Village’s ruinous row houses and paddy terraces | all images courtesy of CUHK School of Architecture

Collaborative village Renewal employs Subtle Interventions

Guided by Associate Professor Thomas Chung from the School of Architecture at CUHK, the initiative embraces three main design principles. The first is centered on utilizing locally sourced materials and upcycling, including the reconstruction of walls using rammed earth. The second principle applies subtle interventions, employing scaffolding and timber-bamboo installations. The third principle engages collaborative revitalization, enlisting villagers, volunteers, and students to contribute via hands-on learning and co-design processes.

The ‘Blossoming Festival’ that takes place on site celebrates the completion of the two restored houses that serve as versatile spaces for exhibitions, workshops, and communal events. The festival draws a diverse audience, spanning government officials, locals, professionals, and academics, affirming the resonance of Project Plum Grove’s impact that stretches beyond its physical manifestations, encompassing various grassroots programs. An experiment in radical renewal, the project stands as a catalyst for other village initiatives. These include volunteer-built communal furniture, privately-funded house rebuilding, NGO-funded open communal kitchen, playground redesign, together with other cultural and ecological projects. Ultimately, the proposal attends to the sustained revival of historical villages within the context of modern Hong Kong.

reused material of broken roof tiles is relaid as paving, as blue bricks and stone walls are reassembled

a mural on the front facade leads to the main building’s intervention

timber-bamboo facade louvres and polycarbonate side panels cover the old house

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metal scaffolding, timber-bamboo panels, polycarbonate infill compose the old house's interior

a metal scaffolding structure is leaning against the inner face of rammed earth wall

the interior enjoys views to the front garden through translucent sliding screens

the newly rebuilt rammed earth wall applies soil and earth reused from the site

the front garden acts as a gathering space for locals, volunteers and professionals during events

a co-creation workshop takes place on-site, between the ruins of the old structures

Project Plum Grove exploded isometric drawing of phases I and II for ongoing and future revitalization initiatives

Project Plum Grove isometric drawing - left: Old House palimpsest - right: light-touch interventions, paneling, roof construction

project info:

name: Project Plum Grove – Revitalising Mui Tsz Lam with Experimental Restoration
lead designer: Thomas Chung, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, CUHK

institution: CUHK School of Architecture | @cuhkarchitecture

co-investigators: Edward Ng, Maggie Ma; Project Team: Amos Chan, Lincoln Chan, Jimmy Ho, Ivan Lam, Jason Lau, Grace Lee, Miriam Lee, Tian Fang, Wen Rui, Ho Nam Wong

location: Hong Kong, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom