The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia and North America has raised much concern from
all angles and reflections on nowadays living environment that resulted in public health, especially the high-density
urban residential complexes. The so-called community infection at Amoy Gardens apartment in Hong Kong was such
a case that is worth further study. However, under the trends of globalization and sustainable development, SARS could
be the first alert of unknown outbreak-type fatal epidemic to the coming biomedicine age.
Main findings of the investigation in Amoy Gardens by the Department of Health, Hong Kong, which has been mostly
corroborated by World Health Organization (WHO), pointed that environmental factors played a major role in this
outbreak. They are, in fact, related to community design, building design and facility management. In this respect,
open building theory is conceived of ideas for solution. Three directions are discussed in this study: 1) "territorial depth"
at urban tissue level and building level, 2) utility lines at building level and infill level, and 3) space layout by zoning at
In conclusion, design principles for new buildings are suggested; (1) Creating territorial depths in urban tissue and
building complex by hierarchical circulations so as to separate people's daily movement and reduce unnecessary
human contacts. In addition, the deeper territory expands, the fewer the dwelling units will be preferred. (2) Planning
unit space layout with envelope zone following fluid dynamics and solar control physics so as to avoid gaseous infection
to people living in the neighborhood among multi-story buildings. (3) Constructing buildings with open-system interfaces
between building level and infill level or between infill elements themselves, so that stopgap renovations could
easily be done. (4) Separating service lines between building level and infill level. And locating maintenance shafts at
accessible public space
Keywords : Epidemic, Sars, Open Building, Residential Complex, Utility Lines
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