FROM MASS PRODUCTION TO MASS CUSTOMIZATION

Mass production in public housing construction means delivering about 700,000 rental flats over the past 55 years, 89,000 flats/year at a peak and about 15,000 flats/year on average in recent years. Over the period, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), tasked with the implementation of the public housing development programme, has been moving from mass production to mass customization. Repetitiveness is the crux to successful mass production, which is ensured by use of standard building components, modular flats or even standard blocks. By mass customization, we aim to holistically meet the rising expectation for a better living environment of the tenants, the demand for safer and greener construction of the community and our own needs to implement the housing programme under severe land and financial constraints. Through community engagement in the planning and design processes, we can identify the needs of tenants and the local community. By use of mechanization, prefabrication, micro-climate studies and other livability enhancements to the building services, we can achieve mass customization at a mass production price as far as practicable. We chart our performance in mass customization including, annual flat production, site safety, construction quality, environmental performance, cost control and most importantly tenants satisfaction.