The Director of Audit's proposal for narrower corridors and smaller lift lobbies in public housing blocks has been branded as 'stupid' by a leading architect.
The attack by Keith Griffiths, chairman of the Board of Practices of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, was made in written submissions to a Legislative Council investigation into public housing problems.
Mr Griffiths also accused housing officials of concentrating more on the cost of a project than on consultants' or contractors' experience and competence.
Director of Audit Dominic Chan Yin-tat said last week in his report that the Housing Authority could create more flats in public estates by building narrower corridors and smaller lift lobbies.
Mr Griffiths, the managing director of LPT Architects, said: 'This is one of the most stupid comments I've ever heard. Isn't spacious common space something we all are looking for in Hong Kong?'
He said Hong Kong buildings had long lacked environmental features such as elevated gardens and ventilated corridors as the building laws rigidly counted common areas as gross floor area. This resulted in most developers reducing common spaces and very often led to 'matchbox' designs, he said.