CUHK Lives and Legends

41 kindergartens in developing countries such as Cambodia, Nepal and India. When it comes to building schools in Third World countries, natural lighting and ventilation are two overriding concerns, because the areas are either not connected to electricity supplies or the use of power is expensive. ‘To admit ample daylight, we create more window openings in the east-facing wall than in the west to let in the morning sun, and to avoid glare and excessive heat from the west in the afternoon. Also, the east-facing openings should be at a higher level than the west to allow good fresh-air circulation,’ explained Robert. Once these two conditions are met, Robert delegates the designing and decorating tasks to the volunteers from all walks of life and the building users—pre-schoolers and their teachers. ‘I believe all people should have equal opportunity to enjoy their environment and partake in its construction. With the active participation by the users and volunteers, each of the IDEA kindergartens takes on a unique look,’ said Robert. c c IDEA founded by Robert Wong has built kindergartens all over Cambodia c c Robert Wong and his mentor Prof. Freeman Chan at the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons award ceremony ‘We didn’t formally survey what the little users think of their new schools, but judging from the steady increase of attendance year by year, we believe a school designed from the viewpoint of its users creates a sense of belonging for them. A bright and airy classroom is also conducive to igniting the passion for learning.’ Last year, to promote the concept of service learning and participatory design, Robert and IDEA took high school students of the Ying Wa College to Cambodia to build schools. ‘The hands-on site work and interaction with the Cambodian kids were a catalyst for growth. The Hong Kong teenagers became more caring and more aware of other people’s needs.’ In 2015, Robert was named one of the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons, and went on to receive the Hong Kong Humanity Award in 2017. He said he wanted to thank his late father most of all. ‘I had been helping him in factories since I was little and witnessed the hardship the workers endured. The experience has made me a caring architect. Architects can never build anything single-handed. Without the workers’ effort in realizing the architectural ideas, they are nothing but sketches on paper. ‘Mighty skyscrapers are a form of architecture, so are the numerous flats, huts and cottages that ordinary people call home. An architect’s role is to make the most of the limited resources to create a comfortable shelter for everyone. More importantly, the human-centred architecture brings hope to people and I think that’s the true power of architecture.’ c c Involving Cambodian schoolchildren in designing their classroom