a guide to building development in hong kong - HKU Libraries

Planning and ApprovalOnce it has been decided to embark on a project, afeasibility study must be made for a suitable type ofdevelopment from the standpoint of both aesthetics andprofitability. Market forces often dictate the criteria.To assess these forces, a developer may approacha specialist consultant, or seek advice from the manyprofessionals in Hong Kong concerned with buildingdevelopment, who may have preliminary discussionswith Government. When all requirements have beendealt with, formal Government approval to the projectwill be sought. It is at this point that the BuildingsOrdinance Office becomes directly involved.Plans of the scheme must be submitted to theBuildings Ordinance Office for scrutiny. The submissionmust be made on the developer's behalf by an architect,engineer or surveyor, who is appropriately authorisedto do so under the Buildings Ordinance. He is known asan Authorised Person. The documents accompanyingthe submission confirm his appointment and formallyrequest approval of plans.The Authorised Person takes on the responsibilityfor ensuring that overall compliance with the buildinglegislation is achieved throughout the project. Hisactivities are monitored by the Building Authority in thepublic interest, by means of spot checks, to make surethat he is discharging his statutory duties properly.GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONGForm 9BUILDINGS ORDINANCE(Chapter 123)Section 4(1)BUILDING (ADMINISTRATION) REGULATIONSRegulation 29Application for approval of plans of building works and/or street works*andNotice of appointment of authorized person(*architect/engineer/surveyor) as co-ordinator;Notice of appointment of registered structural engineeras consultant to appointed authorized personGOVERNMENT OF HONG KONGForm 12BUILDINGS ORDINANCE(Chapter 123)Section 14BUILDING (ADMINISTRATION) REGULATIONSRegulation 30(1 )(a)Approval of PlansApproved«tcNOTE: As these plans have been examined only asoutlined in Practice Note for Authorised Persons andRegistered Structural Engineers 1983.99, particularattention is drawn to Section 4(3)(b) of the BuildingsOrdinance regarding the duty of Authorised Personsand Registered Structural Engineers and to Section14(2)(c) regarding possible contraventions of anyprovision of the Buildings Ordinance. This approvalshould not be taken as the authentication of anydocument required to be submitted under Building(Administration) Regulation 8(1).The plans are passed to the appropriate division of theGeneral Branch for processing and scrutiny for compliancewith the Buildings Ordinance and Regulations.This covers such diverse matters as provisions for thehandicapped, gas water heaters, refuse chutes andchambers, as well as compliance with any other alliedlegislation. The scrutiny also includes visits to thesites and consultation with a large number of otherGovernment Departments which will give advice on theirparticular areas of interest as shown in the followingdiagram:DCCLQLOCL