Newsletter No. 196

CUHK Newsletter No. 196 19th January 2002 3 It w i l l have two clean corridors for normal pedestrian traffic, and one dirty corridor for conveying contaminated or used materials. Interestingly, unlike the case in the Engineering Building (Phase II), the government questioned whether the site had been fully utilized after perusing the original proposal, and suggested enlarging the development by nearly 50 per cent. 'Usually the opposite situation is the case—the government is more sceptical about over- provision and wou ld want to t r im down the original design to economize. So this has never happened before. Probably the space survey they conducted at the University showed quite a sizable shortfall in usable space against the norm,' Mr. Chen explained. The project is awaiting formal funding allocation by the LegCo and is scheduled for completion by 2005. University Administration Building Extension Approval in principle for this project was not given until recently, wi th full approval of plans pending until March 2002, though the proposal originated way back in the mid-90s. This has to do w i th the UGC's space survey again, Mr. Chen believes, and also the fact that it has no direct link to either teaching or safety, two key criteria for consideration of priority support. The current administration building, built over 30 years ago, is today considered generally user-unfriendly, although some of the most important decisions of the University are made there. It has no facilities for the disabled and no lifts; cars cannot drive up to its entrance, to which the only means of access are flights of steps. And not only that: when Council members need to convene in the Cho Y iu Conference Ha ll or donors to meet w i t h the vice- chancellor in his office, they have to negotiate even more steps inside the building. This can be quite a climb, especially for people who are getting on. Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers ( HK ) L t d. are responsible for designing the new extension, which, like the existing building, w i l l be four or five storeys at split levels. The site w i l l be the grass area to the south-west of the University Administration Building along University Road, wi th the huge banyan tree at the comer. The new building w i ll have a reception area, lifts, provisions for the disabled, and a canopy at the entrance so that stately personages can arrive dry as a bone. It w i l l also be linked to the original building to allow sharing of facilities. And most importantly, the old banyan tree and its impressive natural canopy and all the creatures that live in it w i l l not be disturbed. The earliest commencement date for construction is mid-2003, and the building w i l l take two years to complete. Extension Facilities for the Faculty of Education New facilities for the Faculty of Education w i l l be built on a site in Pak Shek Kok north of the University, granted by the gove r nment to the Un i v e r s i ty i n compensation for land yielded up earlier for the Southern access road to the Science Park. The Hong Kong Institute of Education already has a spot to the north of that area, and the government has plans to build a primary and a secondary school in the vicinity. Seeing the enormous potential the location has for educational research, the University decided to locate the new facilities for the Faculty of Education there, so that it can interact more easily with the schools in connection with its research. The Faculty of Education currently occupies 4,000 to 5,000 square metres in the Ho Tim Building and other buildings on the campus. 'It would be difficult and not very efficient or economical to move everything to the new site at the outset as it is a bit o ff the main track of most University units. The initial plan is to keep regular teaching units and classrooms on the main campus and move the offices and research facilities there,' Mr. Chen said. A l so awa i t i ng f u l l approval o f plans l i ke the extension to the University Administration Building, this one w i l l be undertaken by Simon Kwan & Associates Ltd. Noise w i l l be a major problem for the site as it is right next to the Tolo Highway and railway tracks. I f things go smoothly, construction may begin by mid-2003. New Teaching Hotel The new teaching hotel, built in collaboration with New World Development Co. Ltd., has come quite a long way for different reasons. Many o f the obstacles boil down to the application for approval f r om the Town Planning Board to build a commercial enterprise on the grounds of the University, a non-profit-making entity. Mr. Chen was happy to report that almost all the problems have been ironed out, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the hotel finally took place on 19th December last year. The first of its kind in Hong Kong and perhaps the region, the hotel w i l l be built on a site adjacent to the University Train Station, overlooking the scenic Tolo Harbour. It w i l l be a 600-room four-star international hotel w i t h 10,000 square metres o f con f e r ence and t each i ng facilities for use by the University. It w i l l provide the facilities and teaching support for hands-on training of students and other practicum and development programmes coordinated by the University's School of Hotel Management. A l l the new buildings w i l l be energy conserving 'intelligent' buildings that try to make use o f natural light and recycle resources as much as possible, except in cases where safety is of utmost importance, e.g. in the clean room. Then going green might have to take a back seat. Other projects pending approval include a Centre for Chinese Archaeology and Art—an extension to the Art Museum, additional classrooms on central campus, and a project that has been repeatedly put forth for consideration by the UGC but rejected—a sports hall incorporating an indoor swimming pool. P i e ra Chen A model of the new teaching hotel (left) and associated teaching and conference facilities (right) Extension facilities for the Faculty of Education 中大通訊 CUHK NEWSLETTER 網址 website http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/puo/ 1. 本刊逢四日及十九日出版。 2. 來函或投稿請寄沙田香港中文大學秘書處出版事務處《中大通訊》 編輯部（電話 2609 8584 ，傳真 2603 6864 ，電郵 pub2@uab.msmail. cuhk.edu.hk )。 3. 投稿者須附真實姓名、地址及聯絡電話，文章則可用筆名發表。 4. 編輯有權刪改及決定是否刊登來稿，不欲稿件被刪者請預先聲明。 5. 本刊所載文章只反映作者之觀點和意見，並不代表校方或本刊立場。 6. 所有內容未經編者書面准許，不得轉載。 7. 本刊每期發行三千八百份，免費供校內教職員索閱，部分郵寄本地 教育機構及與大學有關人士。私人索閱，請致函本刊查詢。 1. The Newsletter is published on the 4th and 19th of each month. 2. All contributions and suggestions should be sent to the Editor, CUHK Newsletter, Publication Office, University Secretariat, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (tel. 2609 8584; fax. 2603 6864; e-mail pub2@uab.msmail.cuhk.edu.hk ). 3. Contributions should bear the writer's name and contact telephone number, and may be published under pseudonyms. No anonymous letters will be published. 4. The Editor reserves the right to reject contributions and to edit all articles without notice for reasons of clarity, length or grammar. Those who do not want to have their articles amended should indicate clearly in writing. 5. The views expressed in the CUHK Newsletter are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of the University or the Editor. 6. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor. 7. This publication has a circulation of 3,800 and is primarily intended for staff members of CUHK. Copies are also sent to local educational institutions and individuals associated with the University. Those who wish to be included on the mailing list please contact the Newsletter direct. 截 稿 日 期 Deadlines for Contributions 期數 Issue no. 出版日期 Issue date 截稿日期 Deadline for contributions 197 4.2.2002 21.1.2002 198 4.3.2002 19.2.2002 199 19.3.2002 5.3.2002 200 4.4.2002 20.3.2002 201 19.4.2002 8.4.2002 202 4.5.2002 19.4.2002 203 19.5.2002 6.5.2002 204 4.6.2002 21.5.2002 205 19.6.2002 5.6.2002 香港中文大學出版事務處出版 編輯：梁其汝 助理編輯：蔡世彬 李琪 陳偉珠 製作：梁淑嫻 Published by the Publication Office, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Editor: Amy K.Y. Leung Assistant Editors: Piera Chen, Lawrence Choi Graphic Designer: Pony Leung 印刷：鮑思高印刷有限公司 Printing: Don Bosco Printing Co. Ltd.