Locked windows to block noise another sign of how space-starved Hong Kong crams new homes along busy roads
- Survey finds a rise in number of such installations in recent years, with some fresh-air-craving residents flouting set rules against opening windows
- While critics blame desperation in using every inch of space, experts say designers have tried their best to strike a balance
Thousands of residents in subsidised housing estates launched in the past five years have been required to keep their windows closed at all times to shut out traffic noise, as Hong Kong squeezes more new homes into every inch of urban space.
The six estates, located near main thoroughfares, accounted for almost half of all the 15 subsidised housing projects sold since the government resumed a scheme in 2014. A total of 1,842 flats were found to have “fixed windows” installed, according to a Post review of sales brochures.
Such features are meant to be closed at all times to reduce noise pollution, according to planning rules, but can be opened with an Allen key for maintenance purposes.
But the investigation also found many residents ignored the rules in exchange for fresh air. Critics raised questions over whether the installations were there to ensure a healthy living environment, or if they were simply window dressing.
“There’s no way I can breathe if I don’t keep all the windows open,” said Wong Mei-lin, 75, who lives in King Tai Court in San Po Kong. “I just leave a small gap open because it’s too noisy. Sometimes I even get a shock and wake in the middle of the night when racing cars pass by.”
There’s no way I can breathe if I don’t keep all the windows open
Wong’s 293 sq ft flat is in an estate with only one 34-storey block located at the fringe of an industrial area along Prince Edward Road East, a major five-lane road linking San Po Kong to other parts of Kowloon such as Mong Kok.