Architecture for the Homesick 101 : Making most of what they've got

For Aunty Heide. Thank you for loving me.

Preface: Growing up, I never knew the proper or respectful way of addressing my ‘auntie’. I don’t want to put a label that would leave any connotations, let alone any disrespect. I could go about it in many ways: either address them as ‘Aunties’, ‘Nannies’, ‘Housekeeper’, ‘Maids’,  ‘Domestic Worker’ or in my mother tongue ‘Gong Yan’. However, to maintain consistency for the written piece, as well as after reading several articles and papers – I will address those who came from overseas to work for families as Domestic Workers. Kindly please contact me if there is a more respectable term to address them.

 “Do you still remember her? Have you contacted her ever since you moved away?”

I remember feeling so embarrassed when my tutor noted that our architectural scheme in response to the Sharing Economy resembled the lifestyle of Domestic Workers in Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.). My friend and I were determined to give a bleak and dystopic scenario marketed almost like a sunny paradise: the more you work for the family, the better your living conditions will be.

Since then, returning to Hong Kong (my hometown) has always been met with mixed emotions whenever I stroll past my usual places on Sundays or any public holiday – I’d be navigating not only an ocean of tourists and their luggage full of cosmetics, I’d be walking through a  sea of picnics would pop up in places that provide enough comfort for the Domestic Workers. It wasn't their happiness or smiles that made me uncomfortable, rather it was the lack of facilities that have been provided for them to gather and be treated fairly that saddens me - if the space is meant to be "public", then how should we properly construct a place for them to feel at ease without becoming an architecture itself that potentially causes complaints.

"well if you look at this place, you can see that they've got shade and shield from the wind and ample sunlight."

One of my favourite TED speakers Amanda Burden spoke of what makes a public space work. Her study of Paley Park (a pocket park in midtown Manhattan) allowed her to observe three key elements that activate a public/social space: human presence for human attraction, furniture or objects that would allow placemaking, and ultimately some greenery – something I couldn’t agree more. It takes just one person and the other who follows to catalyse a public space - whether it'd be simply sitting down or just be there, their presence is enough to construct a certain atmosphere that can either be welcoming or repulsing, in the end, it still gravitates attention. 

Footbridge in Mong Kok - Weekends and Public Holidays would become a corridor of gatherings

For those who were wondering, Domestic Workers make up about 5% of Hong Kong's population if not more. While the percentage seems very little in the city, when the community gathers, the scene is a site to behold. The typologies of the spaces the Domestic Workers occupy, they generally substitute greenery for proper infrastructure. As my cousin once said while we were walking the corridor of Sunday gatherings on the pedestrian bridge in Mong Kok (once empty but now heavily occupied) "well if you look at this place, you can see that they've got shade and shield from the wind and ample sunlight."

My cousin’s statement about what makes certain places a great activation for domestic workers almost paraphrases Burden’s study on successful public spaces. While although it is ironic how the Domestic Workers make a place for themselves in some of the busiest areas (if not secluded yet still very lively) – their large population that dominates the space also crafts another form of public space for passerbys to carefully navigate among them. I myself as well find it amusing how they craft another kind of architecture – allowing themselves to be photographed by tourists and can be in the comfort of their own community to not be paranoid about the occasional disapproving glances from on-lookers.

Violence, racial prejudice, and disrespect to Domestic Workers are quite common however on most cases are kept from the public spotlight. During my stay in Hong Kong – my own Facebook news feed was flooded with several articles about the domestic violence these workers have, and some are as appalling as the crimes we have seen in our Australian news in the past couple of years. It is heartbreaking to see domestic violence lingering in the news headlines. Though I am glad that these incidents are brought forward, there is a part of me that still questions on the safety and consideration when designing a sense of 'place' for the community.

Central Area on weekends, roads are closed off from the large communities

To design for a safe community, especially in a city facing issues of high density and shrinking space (or controversially speaking, impractical space planning) – there is a challenge of navigating through murky waters of designing for communities that sometimes receive a level of animosity. Questions of whether the space is worth being used simply for a single community otherwise being treated respectfully; whether there will be those from the Domestic Worker community willing to come forward to discuss their issues and wants to have a safe space; another question of whether there would be fights of rights of who could occupy the space; also other communities that would feel excluded otherwise feel neglected from lack of consideration and communication.

I am aware that there are other kinds of communities (cleaners, elders who help collect cardboard scraps and recyclable cans found littered in the street), I am aware there have been cases where Domestic Workers have been involved in breaking the law, and I am also aware that there have been discussions about envisioning a better way of creating a better environment for those mentioned above. Having said, it comes down to the amount of active collaboration and participation that is needed should we facilitate these visions for them to manifest. Albeit, it is another question on whether these visions will allow itself to slowly meld and mould itself to fit with the ever fast-paced change of Hong Kong. Given with larger political issues that are happening right now, in conjunction with how the red sea of picnics and gatherings only occur on weekends (and ironically in places where tourists populate the area) these issues are being overshadowed, and thus does not give enough time to plan thoroughly to match with the rapid pace of the city. So I beg to question: when is it a good time for us to focus on these issues without hostility otherwise assumptions and prejudice?

This is only just the beginning, and these issues for me still require more research, communication, understanding and empathy for me to explore further. However, I still think – despite the need to create a better community space or at least make allow them to feel at home, we all have a responsibility to treat others with respect. While I understand that there may be comments and backlash from those remarking that working hierarchy is what leads to this type of situation, we shouldn’t be hostile, rude nor disrespectful.

Because at the end of the day, to gain respect and trust, begins with establishing respect and trust.

Response to:

-  How public spaces make cities work -  Amanda Burden, TED 2014

-  It’s every Hongkonger’s responsibility to stop mistreatment of our domestic workers – Brian YS Wong, South China Morning Post, March 10, 2019

- Collection of domestic violence with Domestic Workers

Architecture for the Homesick 101 Series: I