The Tanner Hill

To address the urgent demand for elderly-friendly facilities in Hong Kong, The Tanner Hill provides a variety of elderly healthcare amenities within a four-level podium at Tanner Hill, North Point. Immediately above the podium are three residential towers, specifically designed to accommodate the needs of elderly residents. Universal accessibility and environmental design are two important design principles of the project.

AGEING-IN-PLACE
The Tanner Hill adopts the concept of ageing-in-place and provides a one-stop service to deliver a sustainable lifestyle to meet the increasing needs of an ageing population in Hong Kong. It aims to provide senior citizens with a relaxed ambience, a continuum of professional healthcare and skilled care services, thoughtful home and lifestyle amenities, as well as a wide range of social activities to enhance their well-being, and to help them live out their golden years in a hassle-free environment.

PUTTING THE PROJECT IN CONTEXT
The towers were positioned to reuse the existing foundation that was completed in the early 2000s, as well as to allow for better natural ventilation, lighting and views.

In order to encourage the elderly residents to enhance their social connections, a comprehensive range of facilities were built. Designed according to the one-stop service concept, the range of facilities includes: a Joyous Living members’ hub with a clinic specialising in traditional Chinese and family medicine; a primary care centre; a senior citizen wellness centre; a Cantonese restaurant with a healthy menu; an indoor heated swimming pool with a pool lift for assisted access; a gymnasium with fitness equipment for the aged; a mini-theatre; an entertainment room; a children’s playroom; an arts and crafts studio; a multifunction room for various social activities; a conference room; a serviced office for those who have not yet retired; and retail shops. There is also a clubhouse reserved exclusively for residents. This one-stop service concept brings convenience to the aged residents’ daily life. In addition, it stimulates them to participate in community activities more frequently. Having an array of comprehensive facilities and services on location also contributes to an overall reduction in energy consumption by reducing the necessity to travel further for these services.

Another contribution of the development to the environment are the sustainable elements added to the community, which include a landscaped podium garden and green slope; a fully refurbished public open space at the adjoining Tsat Tsz Mui (TZM) Road; a hiking trail from TZM Road to Temple Road; an MTR ventilated building/shaft along Tanner Road; and service lanes.

MATERIALS
In order to achieve better quality and efficient use of resources, the project team carefully developed the layouts to allow for modular design, system metal formworks and off-site pre-cast façade. The façade design is simple, non-extravagant and in harmony with the vicinity. Accent colours were adopted to create a lively identity for the development.

The building materials were imported mainly from China, including artificial granite tiles, external and internal ceramic tiles and ironmongery, etc. Importing materials from nearby regions helped to minimise the impact on the environment that could result from transportation of materials from sources located further away. On the other hand, the timber flooring for residential units was imported from abroad with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

DESIGN CHALLENGES
The site was previously designed for middle-class housing. Its foundation was completed in the early 2000s, which posed a distinctive and significant challenge in designing the new development with minimum necessity for demolition or modification of the existing foundation. In response to this challenge, Tower 1 was positioned 8 metres away from Towers 2 and 3 in order to reuse the existing foundation.

As most of the residents are senior citizens, another challenge of the development was in making the architecture conceivably convenient for them. The project team applied the same design concept throughout the site in order to maximise the residents’ mobility in the buildings.

Safety and security were also important considerations in the planning and design of the development. Features incorporated to address these concerns include a 24-hour closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system; key card access technology; motion sensors; panic alarms; fire sprinkler systems; and audio-visual alarm systems.

MEANINGFUL AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING
The Tanner Hill development serves as a new benchmark in design for ageing-in-place in a densely populated city like Hong Kong. This distinctive development has increased the government’s and society’s awareness of—and brought attention to—the expanding ageing population and increasing demand for the provision of improved and holistic care for senior citizens.

An adaptable residential development that is designed for the senior population and integrated with various healthcare and wellness facilities is critical in reducing the energy and resource demands of society, making The Tanner Hill project a new paradigm for developments with the concepts of ageing-in-place as well as meaningful and sustainable living.