V Sparkle

Small Space, Big Transformation: Ideal Homes Designed from the Heart 

CEU, in collaboration with IVE’s Engineering Discipline and Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (BOKSS), has jointly launched the "Ideal Home Redesign Project," aimed at helping residents of inadequate housing and public rental housing enhance their living quality.

Students from IVE’s Higher Diploma in Civil Engineering and Higher Diploma in Architectural Studies recently visited beneficiary families to understand the current living challenges faced by each household, including limited storage space, insufficient natural light, and difficulties in planning children's study areas. They also took on-site measurements of the units and furniture to facilitate future design proposals. 

The team will design questionnaires to collect residents’ opinions on various aspects such as current storage space, home safety, and furniture design. In the coming months, students will apply their knowledge of architectural design, structural planning, and computer-aided drafting to create home upgrade and design plans with Building Information Modeling (BIM) tailored to the floor plans of two interviewed families, with the goal of improving storage problems. Ms Chloe CHOW, Service Head (Integrated Children, Youth and Family Services) of BOKSS, praised the students for their professional attitude, noting their careful measurement of furniture dimensions and patient listening to residents’ needs. 

Photo 1: Group photo of representatives from BOKSS, CEU, residents, and the teaching and student team. 

Photo 2: One major pain point faced by an interviewed public housing family is storing over 800 books, which occupies substantial space. 

Photo 3: Students measure different bookshelves to help design more suitable storage spaces for residents. 

Photo 4: The family lives in a cramped subdivided unit with passageways that are only wide enough for one person. 

Photo 5: Students record the dimensions of the subdivided unit environment, exploring possibilities to expand storage space.