Jurisdiction Hong Kong | Employees 1,789 (March 2013) | |
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Formed 11 April 1986 (11 April 1986) Preceding Architectural Office, Public Works Department Headquarters Queensway Government Offices Motto Driving Development, Preserving Heritage | ||
The Architectural Services Department (Chinese: 建築署) is a department of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for the design and construction of many public facilities throughout the territory. It is subordinate to the Works Branch of the Development Bureau and the current director is Leung Koon-kee.
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History
The origins of the Architectural Services Department lie in the Architectural Office, one of the sub-departments of the former Public Works Department (PWD). The PWD was founded in 1891, but the structure of the department at that time is reportedly unclear. The Architectural Office existed by 1939, and following the disruption in operations during the Japanese occupation, the unit was kept busy in the postwar years by rebuilding work. The 1948 annual report of the Public Works Department reported that 274 government buildings were repaired that year. During the 1960s the Architectural Office was heavily involved in the resettlement housing programmes, but these duties were divested to the Hong Kong Housing Authority upon its 1973 establishment.
The modern Architectural Services Department (abbreviated ASD or ArchSD) was founded in 1986, reporting directly to the Secretary of Lands and Works. Some of the most prolific clients of the department have been the Urban Council and Regional Council, and their successors the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.