HKIA/ARB PA Paper 4 flashcards
HKIA/ARB PA Paper 4 · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Building Authority
- The officer empowered under the Buildings Ordinance to approve plans, grant consent, and issue occupation permits; in practice the Building Authority delegates powers to Buildings Department officers.
- Occupation Permit
- Approval under section 21 of the Buildings Ordinance allowing a building or part of it to be occupied; it is granted only after the required certificates and compliance documents are lodged.
- Site coverage
- The area of a building projected onto the site, divided by the site area, expressed as a percentage; the permitted value depends on site classification and building type.
- Plot ratio
- Total gross floor area of a building divided by the site area; domestic and non-domestic caps differ and are further limited by building height bands.
- Gross floor area
- The sum of floor area of all storeys measured to prescribed rules, with certain plant, refuse, and specified recreational spaces excluded only where the stated conditions are met.
- Site classification
- Categories A, B and C assigned to a site based on the number of streets it abuts and their widths, which then sets the baseline site coverage and plot ratio.
- Minor Works Control System
- A statutory regime allowing specified small-scale building works to proceed under simplified requirements instead of full plan approval, using prescribed plans and qualified contractors.
- Consent to commence
- Approval under section 14 of the Buildings Ordinance permitting building works to start; consent lapses if work does not begin within the period stated in the consent.
- Means of escape
- The continuous protected route from any point in a building to a place of safety, made up of exit doors, protected corridors, staircases, and a final exit.
- Travel distance
- The measured length of the escape route from the most remote point on a floor to the nearest exit; permitted length varies with occupancy risk and sprinkler provision.
- Exit width
- The total required width of exits serving a floor, calculated from occupant capacity using the prescribed width per person for the occupancy type.
- Refuge floor
- A protected storey in a high-rise building providing temporary safe accommodation for occupants during evacuation, required above the height threshold in the Fire Safety Code.
- Firefighting shaft
- A protected enclosure containing a fireman's lift and staircase, required above prescribed height thresholds to allow firefighting operations within tall buildings.
- Fire engineering approach
- A performance-based justification, using validated modelling, proposed where literal code compliance is impractical; it requires documented assessment and acceptance by the Building Authority.
- Practice Note for APs
- A Buildings Department document, abbreviated PNAP, setting out current administrative and technical requirements that supplement the ordinances and codes for plan submissions.
- Advisory letter
- A Buildings Department communication, abbreviated ADV, clarifying interpretation or announcing revised requirements; it does not itself amend the regulations.
- Alteration and addition works
- Works that modify an existing building; they require plan submission when they affect structure, means of escape, fire safety, or the prescribed building provisions.
- Demolition plan
- A submission showing the sequence, temporary supports, and protective measures for removing a building, including protection of adjoining structures and the public.
- Lease conditions
- Title restrictions recorded against the site that may be stricter than the Buildings Ordinance; where they conflict, the more onerous requirement governs what can be built.
- Practical completion
- The contractual milestone at which works are complete except for minor defects; it triggers the defects liability period and shifts risk of loss to the employer.
- Defects liability period
- The period after practical completion during which the contractor must rectify notified defects at its own cost, ending with the maintenance certificate.
- Variation instruction
- A written order from the contract administrator changing the works; entitlement to extra payment depends on the contract's notice and valuation provisions.
- Extension of time
- An award by the contract administrator of additional contract time for delay from specified causes, protecting the contractor from liquidated damages for that period.
- Retention money
- A percentage withheld from interim payments as security for defects, released in stages, typically half at practical completion and the balance after the defects liability period.
- Security of payment
- Hong Kong legislation imposing statutory timelines for payment responses and adjudication, operating alongside the contract's own certification and payment mechanism.
- Conflict of interest
- A situation where an architect's personal or financial interest could affect professional judgement; it must be disclosed in writing and consent obtained before proceeding.
- Continuing professional development
- The annual programme of learning activities an architect must complete and record to maintain registration with the Architects Registration Board.
- Declared monument
- A building or structure given statutory protection under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance; any works affecting it require a permit from the Antiquities Authority.
- Designated project
- A project type listed under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance that requires an approved environmental impact assessment and an environmental permit before construction.
- Barrier free access
- The design requirements in the Design Manual: Barrier Free Access, applied to new buildings and to alterations of prescribed scope, covering routes, ramps, and sanitary fitments.
- Certifier's duty
- The architect's obligation when issuing interim or completion certificates to act independently and certify only work actually executed to the required standard.
- Building plans submission
- The formal lodgement of general building plans and associated calculations with the Building Authority for approval before building works may proceed.