V Sparkle

VPET Preserves Housing Estate Memories Through Digital Conservation

With the government confirmation of the clearance and redevelopment of Ma Tau Wai Estate in To Kwa Wan, Community Engagement Unit (CEU) of Vocational Training Council (VTC) connected students from the engineering discipline of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) and the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT) to carry out “digital preservation” of this historic public housing estate using their Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) skills. The student teams created two projects that blend technology with human stories, showcased at the exhibition organised by Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, LC-HKS (HKLSS).

The project “Estate Journey: Ma Tau Wai” (tentative translation, Chinese: 邨越馬頭圍), led by students from the Higher Diploma in Building Studies of IVE, uses aerial photography, 360-degree photography, and Building Information Modelling (BIM) to digitally preserve the estate’s architectural features and living scenes before redevelopment. The four students in charge of the project visited the estate twice, in November and December last year, to engage with elderly residents and study the estate’s unique design—such as four of the five residential blocks being interconnected and the cylindrical rubbish chutes on each block. These details were carefully reproduced in the digital models. 

“Space-time Prism”, developed by students from the Higher Diploma in AI and Mobile Applications Development of HKIIT, employs an interactive map and AI technologies to transform historical photos into short videos. By scanning locations on the map with a tablet, visitors can revisit the historical appearances of local landmarks—such as Sung Wong Toi, Cattle Depot Artist Village, and To Kwa Wan Market. 

At the exhibition’s opening ceremony, officiating guests—Ms LAU Sze-fan, Chief Executive of HKLSS and Mr Forrest FONG, Chief Architect (Development and Construction Division) of Housing Department praised the students for contributing to community conservation through technology and for their creativity. The organiser also presented souvenirs and certificates of appreciation to Ms Jenny KO, VTC Academic Director of Student Development Discipline and the students in recognition of their efforts. 

This collaboration was inspired by HKLSS’s visit to the CEU booth at the Golden Age Expo & Summit last year, where they noticed two prize-winning projects of CommunityQuest, VTC Community Engagement Reward Scheme—namely “”Choi Hung” Dreams, Memory Streams” and “Space-time Prism” which in turn encouraged these concepts to blossom again in the community in the new academic year. 

[Photo 1] Student representatives, Miki CHEUNG of HKIIT (first from left on stage) and Kaydon ZOU (second from left on stage) of IVE engineering discipline share insights from their projects “Space-time Prism” and “Estate Journey: Ma Tau Wai” at the exhibition ‘s opening ceremony. 

[Photo 2] Ms Lau Sze-fan (fourth from left), Chief Executive of HKLSS; Mr Forest Fong (centre), Chief Architect (Development and Construction Division) of Housing Department; and Ms Jenny KO (third from left), VTC Academic Director of Student Development Discipline, poses for a group photo with YE Ying-kwan (first from right), Miki CHEUNG (second from right), CHAU Yee-ling (third from right), and Chan Ka-po (first from left), students of the Higher Diploma in AI and Mobile Applications Development of HKIIT, as well as Kaydon ZOU (fourth from right), student from the Higher Diploma in Building Studies of IVE. 

[Photo 3] HKIIT student CHAU Yee-ling (second from right) introduces “Space-time Prism” to Mr Forrest FONG, Chief Architect (Development and Construction Division) of Housing Department. 

[Photo 4] IVE engineering discipline student Kaydon ZOU (first from right) explains to guests how professional software such as Revit and Polycam was used to model the exterior of Ma Tau Wai Estate. 

[Photo 5] IVE engineering discipline students conduct interviews with elderly residents of Ma Tau Wai Estate to learn about their daily lives and personal memories of the estate. 

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