How to repair and maintain a declared monument : the case of June Li Building, St. Stephen's Girls' College

Abstract

Because of their age, Declared Monuments require more maintenance and repair as their building components have inevitably deteriorated with longer usage over time. Declared Monuments require a high standard in conservation, and the principle of having minimum intervention and degree of change is a basic and essential requirement. Based on this fundamental principle, the repair and maintenance of Declared Monuments will not only keep up the physical condition of the building but will also provide a safe and comfortable environment for the users and retain the heritage significance of the building.

Today, a number of historic schools have become Declared Monuments based on their heritage significance. As functioning schools, they are subject to regular repair and maintenance. However, most of the maintenance teams in Hong Kong and their employed consultants only focus on maintaining these schools in modern terms, such as reinforced concrete repair, water seepage repair, re-roofing etc. The techniques on how to maintain and repair the building as an important architectural heritage is not a matter of concern. As a qualified building surveyor, the author finds this a matter of concern.

The focus of this study is to explore a systematic and user-friendly approach to solving repair and maintenance problems in school that is a Declared Monument. The case selected to illustrate the repair and maintenance techniques is June Li Building of St. Stephen’s Girls’ College, which is a Declared Monument. The methodology adopted is to provide a side-by-side comparison of how maintenance and repair are carried out for heritage building and a modern building. Problems at different parts of the school building are identified and the appropriate solutions are proposed.