Project Plum Grove II: Restoring Old House for Village Community in Mui Tsz Lam

This project revitalizes Mui Tsz Lam, a remote 360-year-old abandoned Hakka village in rural Hong Kong, by transforming Old House into a multi-purpose village hub with a university-village partnership. It is funded by the competitively awarded government funding from the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme under the Countryside Conservation Office. Once a 3-bay courtyard mansion, it only had a rammed earth perimeter wall remaining. We regrouped the subdivided ownership of three lots as one design, with publicly-funded restoration for the central bay, private rebuilding and landscaping co-creation on the two side bays. The primary configuration (Front Courtyard, Central Hall, side Loft and bedroom/storage) was retained. New windows, doorways and clerestory glazing opened up the house for contemporary usage. The Courtyard, symbolic for “gathering four waters” was reinstated its granite paving and semi-outdoor kitchen for re-enacting communal food events (firewood cooking, pickling). A timber shutter opening onto the adjacent Patio recalls built-in cabinets. A compost toilet and shower were added as sustainable design. The Central Hall is enclosed by the old rammed earth wall, a new rammed earth wall, restored blue-brick wall and white render, embodying the house’s rich narratives and family histories. The embedded steel structure elevates a double-pitched roof to oversail and protect the walls, while solar-panelled skylights and new clerestory glazing improves natural lighting. A co-created artist lantern installation celebrates Old House’s relaunch. The Side Loft with bedroom/storage below is partitioned by a large wooden wall cabinet inspired by traditional joinery with patterned glass. The Patio’s landscaping works is co-created by volunteers and construction students, reusing excavated roof-tiles and artifacts for paving and redecoration. The transformed venue can now accommodate exhibitions, seminars, hands-on workshops, community dining and co-living. Further planned programmes include work-stay, artist-in-residence, camper base, team-building venue as well as festive cultural events. Restoring Old House as village hub to reconnect people via a collaborative process, the project has empowered the village community towards self-sustaining renewal.