Comprehensive Design Project - HKU Student Hostel Part 1 Project 1999 Wai Yin San University of Hong Kong | China I began this Student Hostel project with the development of a module. The aim was to break the traditional stratified-floor-arrangement into a 3 dimensional system."Connection" and "Compactness" can describe this design, since it brings people closer together, and more space is utilized for living.Modular Design:Each module carries 3 floors, each floor with 2 rooms. The rooms can be reached by 1 corridor in the middle floor and 2 stairs branching off to the upper and lower floors.This module compresses users from 3 stories to 1. Besides encouraging more interactions and communications, it is a cost-effective design. More area is released from the corridors for the benefits of the rooms. The Circulation-to-GFA ratio is lowered. Modular Arrangement:With the modules in hand, it is important to connect them.This is done by joining the corridors and stairs between modules in a systematic, yet interesting way. The result was a spiral route that penetrates the whole building. Lying along the route are "Communities", each comprising of 18 rooms and shared facilities. This route serves like a road, joining one community to another.Like building villages within a high-rise, it is an exploration for accommodation in a city. I write with recommendation that Willie San Wai Yin, as an outstanding year-3 student, deserve the award of the President's Medals for Education in Architecture.Willie is a student who is interested and committed to the pursuance of Architecture. Towards every project, Willie approaches the problem with a genuine concern to the source rather than a pre-determined solution or a pre-conceived outside form. The outside expression in terms of style was not a concern in his process of investigation and experimentation.Rather, it is his approach of re-thinking and investigation around the key issues of the architectural problem that have made his proposals original, innovative and appropriate.His solutions are always generated from the inside, and outside expression as a natural extension. The brilliance of his works never rely on striking eye-catching presentations. Yet, the insights and depth of his investigations into the projects are impressive.It is this attitude of him that has set him outstanding from his peer students.Willie is a hard-working, cheerful and positive person. For students of this quality and commitment, I highly recommend him to this award.