Awardee 得主 - Dr Donald Liao Poon Huai, CBE, JP 廖本懷博士
Citation 評審委員會報告
Dr Donald LIAO Poon Huai (b. 1929) has been instrumental in pioneering public housing design and masterminding public housing policy for the well-being of generations of Hong Kong residents. As one of the first cohort graduating from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Architecture, Dr Liao is best known for his planning and design of the renowned Wah Fu Estate, completed between 1967 and 1978. The “Twin Tower Blocks” became the adopted format for many housing estates in Hong Kong. The estate was designed as a living community with self-contained facilities, the concept of which has impacted decades of subsequent public housing developments. He has also served in a number of key positions in the Hong Kong Government and helped formulate new urban planning policies which have left a lasting footprint in the city’s housing landscape.
As the Commissioner for Housing (1968), Director of Housing (1973-1980), and Secretary for Housing and Chairman of the Housing Authority (1980-1985), he played a crucial role in the planning of self-sufficient public housing estates with self-contained units. This innovative planning marked a breakthrough in public housing design which enhanced the standard of living and benefitted a wide sector of Hong Kong’s community. This unprecedented initiative influenced social housing policies, not only locally but also in other jurisdictions around the world.
In 1972, the Government launched the Ten Year Housing Programme, which resulted in the provision of public housing on a massive scale. Dr Liao contributed significantly to its success.
In his works, Dr Liao demonstrated how an architect's vision and mission can be realised through professional expertise and dedicated leadership, which he contributed not only to the architectural profession, but also to the general public through his achievements at policy level, during his tenure as an official member of the Legislative Council (1973-1989), the Executive Council (1985-1989) and the Town Planning Board (1968-1980), and as Secretary for District Administration in the 1980s. He is a role model for all architects who wish to serve in public positions, to leave long-lasting effects in the creation of a liveable environment through professional knowledge. Dr Liao curated the Home Ownership Scheme, which offered an accessible ladder to low-income citizens to purchase their own housing units, and facilitated social mobility in the decades to come. He also pioneered the conservation of heritage buildings and trees, which inspired generations of architects and environmentalists on the importance of preserving our history and the natural environment. His ideas and works have a lasting impact on the community and will continue to inspire future generations to innovate for the betterment of Hong Kong.
We highly commend Dr Liao’s spirit and his lifetime achievements, which include innovative public housing designs, impactful housing policies, and general awareness of the significance of built and natural heritages. The award of Gold Medal will stimulate our fellow architects to continue creating a more inclusive built environment that can contribute to the thriving of future communities.
廖本懷博士是香港公共房屋設計先驅，其倡議的公共房屋政策造福不少世代的市民大眾。作為香港大學建築學系早期的畢業生，廖博士最為人所知的規劃及設計代表作，應該是享負盛名於1967年至1978年完成的華富邨。屋邨所採用的『雙塔式』設計，成為當時許多公共屋邨所採納的模式。該屋邨的設計是個包含自給自足設施的生活社區，其理念影響許多後期公共屋邨的發展。他亦在政府部門擔任不少重要職位，協助處理城市規劃政策，在本港房屋景觀氛圍留下無數足跡。
廖博士先後出任屋宇建設處處長(1968)、房屋署署長(1973-1980)、房屋司及房委會主席(1980-1985)，在規劃設計包含獨立單位的自給自足公共屋邨扮演舉足輕重的角色。這創新的規劃模式在公共房屋設計是個突破，對提高許多基層大眾的生活質素發揮重大作用。其嶄新理念不但影響本地社會房屋政策，對世界各地也帶來一定影響。
1972年政府推出『十年建屋計劃』，大規模提高公共房屋供應數量，其成功推行廖博士居功至偉。
廖博士充分展示如何透過專業知識和盡心盡力的領導，實現其建築師的夢想和目標。他擔任公職期間，包括立法局官守議員(1973-1989)、行政局官守議員(1985-1989)、城市規劃委員會委員(1968-1980)、以及80年代出任政務司，不遺餘力推行政策，不單對建築師尊業影響深遠，對市民大眾亦帶來許多裨益。他是所有擔任公職的建築師的榜樣，透過專業知識締造一個可持續宜居的環境，惠及後世。廖博士推行『居者有其屋計劃』，提供低廉的置業階梯，讓低收入家庭得以置業安居，從而加速社會向上流動。他又是保護文物建築和古樹的先驅，激勵許多建築師後輩和環保人士對保護歷史和自然環境的重視。他的理想和作品為社會帶來持久的影響，將繼續鼓舞新世代建築師為建立美好香港創新。
我們高度讚揚廖博士的專業精神和終身成就，包括創新公共房屋設計、具影響力的房屋政策、提高公眾對建築及自然環境的重視。是次『香港建築師學會金獎』的頒贈，將激勵一眾建築師繼續營造兼容并包的建築環境，為建構充滿活力的未來社會努力。