Engineering:Linear (Hong Kong)

Tai Wo Hau Estate

Linear blocks (Chinese: 相連長型大廈) are a design of public housing blocks. It is divided into Linear 1, 2 (never built), 3, Linear L, and L2. It was built between 1986 and 1994.

Overview

Linear blocks are long and narrow (same as I Block). The design is flexible and the height can be changed by place (8-27 stories). It is meant to be used where there is limited space and height-restricted areas. Therefore, most are found at Lok Fu, Wong Tai Sin, Sham Shui Po, and Kwai Chung.

The first Linear block is located at Tai Hang Tung Estate, in March 1986. The last block was located at Tsui Ping Estate, in October 1994.

In 1998, the authority launched Tenants Purchase Scheme, which allowed tenants to purchase their units at a fair price. The estates involved in TPS were all sold in the late 1980s to 1992 (except Tsui Ping Estate, completed between 1993 and 1994). Tsui Ping Estate is not under TPS due to harmonious blocks. It is also known that linear blocks are divided within three types: Linear, Linear 3, and Linear L. Linear and Linear 3 blocks are designed to proper standards. For Linear 3 and Linear L blocks, a floor may have 14, 20, and 12 units per floor. The top floor of a Linear block (22 stories or higher) would have 6 units less than other floors. Due to demand for microapartments in the 1980s, some Linear blocks have subdivided units. There is no balcony. Therefore, a Linear block usually ranges from 11 to 27 stories in height. The roof is gable-shaped.

The area of a unit is large, runner-up to H blocks. For a housing estate under TPS, the largest units are usually at least 700 sq feet in area.

Types

Linear 1

The first model is the most commonly built out of all Linear designs. There are 64 blocks built with Linear 1. Wang Tau Hom Estate has the largest concentration of Linear 1 blocks. Usually, there are 14-16 units per floor.

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  Lung Wing House, Lower Wong Tai Sin Estate

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  Tai Hang Tung Estate

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  Tai Ping Estate

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  Wang Tau Hom Estate

Linear 2

Linear 2 is based on Linear 1. The authority originally planned to construct a Linear 2 block at Lower Wong Tai Sin Estate, but was delayed. Every time a harmonious design was launched, the block design was eventually changed to Harmony 3. If built, there would be 24 units per floor.

Linear 3

Linear 3 is based on Linear 1. 19 blocks are ever built, with Nam Cheong Estate having the most Linear 3 blocks. It has 3 wings connected together. It has 20-22 units per floor.

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  Nam Cheong Estate

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  Lok Tung House, Lok Fu Estate

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  Wong Tung House, Tung Tau Estate

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  Tsui Mui House, Tsui Ping Estate

Linear L

Only 4 Linear L blocks are ever built. It is also the only design of Linear blocks to not be a part of TPS. The design was also used on two blocks of Wang Tau Hom Estate and the same on Tai Wo Hau Estate (50% of all blocks). The building looks like a L in appearance. It has 12 units per floor.

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  Wang Hin House, Wang Tau Hom Estate

Linear L2

No Linear L2 blocks are ever built as of now. It is also not found in any housing estate. If built, the building would be V-shaped. It would also have a 135 degree extension (if needed). There would be special units if built. There would be 12 units per floor.

See also

• Types of public housing estate blocks in Hong Kong
• I Block
• H Block (Hong Kong)
• Harmony Block
• Trident Block