The Review 2015

43 Seeding the Future – Impact Little Dreams and Big Ideas in Cambodia The Faculty of Architecture has teamed up with a student-initiated charity to build schools and play facilities in Cambodia – a partnership that has seen them involved in four projects to date, with plans to continue in the future. Project Little Dream (PLD) was founded in 2008 by secondary school students (including several future HKU students) to further education in underprivileged areas around the world. HKU students have been volunteering since the beginning and in 2013 the Faculty became formally involved when Tris Kee (pictured with PLD member Alex Lau), Director of the Community Project Workshop, was brought in as academic adviser to give practical design and construction advice to the students. The students design prototypes for the schools under Ms Kee’s guidance, then help build them in poverty-stricken villages in Cambodia’s Takeo province using locally-sourced materials. Recruitment is open to any Hong Kong university student and about 15–20 HKU students get involved every year. The Knowledge Exchange Fund has supported the project for the past two years. “Some of the students have experience designing and some don’t, but when we go to Cambodia, everyone is a blank slate. They learn to shave wood, lay foundations, do the painting, put windows together, all with guidance from the local contractors – the students learn a great deal from them,” Ms Kee said. “The places we go to do not have clean water or basic education for children, and you see children running around without pants, so you can see there is a need for these facilities. Living in that environment for a few weeks is also a real learning experience for Hong Kong students.” Building maintenance is also part of the architecture programme because, she said, “we wish to give a more holistic architectural approach and don’t want to just walk away and let it deteriorate.” Ms Kee said they are now completing the fourth school and will continue to build for Project Little Dream in future. The charity also organises education and healthcare projects. “This is really a collaborative effort – we would not have done it without Project Little Dream and the support of organisations in Cambodia,” she said. The Review 2015