According to phase one of the construction plan, four hostels in the New Cultural Village welcomed their first residents on 20 March.
Only nine months ago the foundations of this site were still being laid, shortly after the plan was approved by local government agencies.
Last October the first building was capped and now a picturesque living area has been established.
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| The New Cultural Village is put in service on 20 March. |
Race against time
“The schedule was extremely tight,” says Director of New Campus Development Office (NCDO) James Cho. “The construction sounded like a mission impossible: Year One students had to move out of the Innovative Education Hall before Spring Festival and then into the Village.
“President Ng Ching-Fai urged us to overcome difficulties with innovative thinking. Not only the personnel of NCDO, but also many colleagues from other offices and divisions contributed a lot to this great project.”
A project work group held numerous meetings to shorten the time for bidding, planning, purchasing and other parts of the process, and to ensure sufficient workers on the construction site.
Five staff members of NCDO took control of project planning, the design of the master plan, exterior elevation and interior design, the selection of building materials, and communication with external architect designers and developers. Colleagues from the Integrated Services Office assisted them in interior decoration, transportation and estate management.
The Purchasing Office dealt with suppliers on furniture and equipment and worked hard to simplify the purchasing procedure. The Information Technology Services Centre put a lot of effort into installing internet access, telecommunication and teaching facilities. While Student Affairs Office passed on students' voices and helped with the accommodation arrangement.
The DST's Environmental Science Programme provided professional advice and tested the indoor air quality. The Four-Point Education Coordination Office reported the construction progress to parents and reflected their concerns and suggestions. And the Media and Public Relations Office took care of public opinion and related matters.
“We never let go of the quality of the construction despite the tight schedule,” adds Mr Cho. “The designers were extremely scrupulous about every detail and provided comprehensive proposals in stages.
“The developers paid great attention to the quality of every building material. They showed respect to the designers and us by trying their best to match our requests.”
The Hi-Tech Zone government provided timely municipal services, such as setting up streetlights on the road in front of the Village. This road is planned to be expanded from two to four lanes in the future.
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| SAO staff scrutinise every piece of furniture during a mass inspection in February. |
The new residents receive greetings and words of encouragement from Dr Ye Huajun (Senior Resident Tutor of the Excellent Education Hall) and Prof Stella Cho (Dean of DBM) on 24 March. |
(From left) Dr Lee Hock Ming (Warden of the Liberal Education Hall), Prof Stephen Chung (Dean of DST) and Prof Johnston Wong (Chief of Student Affairs) visit students in their new dormitory. |
More quality controls than ever
Frequent inspections were carried out during construction. Staff members scrutinised each building material and all other conditions. Construction inspectors were also appointed to evaluate indoor air quality.
Several days before the students moved in, staff members from ISO, SAO and other units worked around the clock to make sure the hostels were safe, clean and welcoming.
According to Associate Director of SAO Li Junyang, the New Cultural Village is more than just student hostels. It is an educational tradition at UIC, for it upholds hall culture and bolsters students' whole person development.
James Cho adds: “We don't pursue to build upscale residence. A practical, hygienic and comfortable environment for students to rest and study is what we intend.
“The basic construction of Phase One blocks has been completed, yet some fine-tuning work still goes on, such as landscaping and the improvement of the pond. A garden environment will be established.”
(Republished from MPRO’s UIC Beacon Issue XV)
