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Tenants at Shui Chuen O Estate enjoy convenient pedestrian network (with photo/video)
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
 
    Shui Chuen O Estate in Sha Tin District is currently home to 11 100 families. While the hillside location offers fresh air and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, some might say that accessibility and transport at the hilly estate present a problem. Most residents, however, think otherwise, thanks to a pedestrian connection system comprising footbridges and lift towers that connect all the facilities of the estate as well as offering easy MTR access.

     Measuring about 700 metres in total and offering spectacular views, the covered and barrier-free pedestrian access network enables tenants of Shui Chuen O Estate to enjoy both the scenic and tranquil living environment and the convenience of daily living.

     "The site of the estate is dominated by slopes, with a difference of about 90 metres between the highest and the lowest platforms, while the 18 building blocks are built over the platforms at different levels. In order to address the steep terrain constraints, we built a total of nine footbridges, six lift towers and 10 sets of escalators connecting all the facilities in the estate," the Chief Architect of the Housing Department, Mr Patrick Luk, said today (December 3).
 
     "From the outset, the project team was mindful that the gradient of the pedestrian network should be as gentle as possible to make it easy for walking around the estate.
 
     "The whole pedestrian access network was designed in compliance with the design of barrier-free access to make tenants' daily access easier and more convenient. All of the connecting points within the network are at similar levels, so that tenants do not have to go up and down stairs. Some parts of the footbridges were designed to enable the provision of resting areas for the enjoyment of the tenants," he added.  
 
     Mr Luk said that the project team encountered many challenges during the design and construction process of the pedestrian network, especially the steel arch footbridge at the entrance to the estate.
 
     This footbridge, 70 meters in length and connecting the entrance of the estate at Shui Chuen Au Street with Shui Chuen O Plaza, has the largest span among all public housing estates completed so far. Due to the terrain constraints, the structural design of both the footbridge and the adjacent lift towers required careful deliberation to span across slopes and a stream. Coupled with restrictions in the transportation of building materials during the construction stage, the task was even more challenging. While the normal gradient of a barrier-free footbridge is 1 to 12, the gradient of this footbridge was lowered to 1 to 21, making it even more convenient for pedestrian access.
 
     The footbridge has already become a landmark of Shui Chuen O Estate since its formal opening in July this year, and links the estate with its surroundings. By using the footbridge the MTR Sha Tin Wai Station is now only a five-minute walk for estate tenants or members of the public.
 
     Located between Ma On Shan Country Park and Lion Rock Country Park, Shui Chuen O Estate offers great views of Sha Tin town centre and Tolo Harbour. In fact the location is beautiful, with valleys and streams on both sides. While adopting a people-oriented approach with easy accessibility, the design and layout of the estate also integrates nature with human habitation, combining the benefits of an urban lifestyle with an eco-living environment. 
 
Ends/Sunday, December 3, 2017
Issued at HKT 9:00
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The site of Shui Chuen O Estate in Sha Tin is dominated by slopes and its 18 building blocks are built on platforms at different levels.

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Tenants at Shui Chuen O Estate enjoy convenient pedestrian network

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