Houses on The Peak in Hong Kong
HONG KONG: An address on The Peak is a sure statement of success in Hong Kong. But even more prestigious are stand-alone residences there, with views dominated by green forests and blue seas, yet only a 15-minute drive from Central.
Gough Hill Residences, a collection of five houses ranging from 5,657 square feet to 7,857 square feet each, was built by HKRT Peak Properties, a subsidiary of Wharf Estates Development. Completed in November, they are being marketed at a minimum price of 30,000 Hong Kong dollars, or $3,850, per square foot.
HKRT’s other properties include 1 Plantation Road and Chelsea Court, both luxury low-rise developments on The Peak.
LWK & Partners, an architectural firm based in Hong Kong, was responsible for the contemporary sand- colored granite buildings, while Steve Leung Interior Designers worked on the layouts and interior specifications.
Because the site is roughly pentagonal and is on a steep slope, each house has a distinctive floor plan, although all five were built to face south, toward Aberdeen and the South China Sea beyond. The site is only 50,000 square feet but the staggered locations and landscaping, which includes camellias, Buddhist pines and white orchids, give each residence as much privacy as possible.
Each of the houses has a secured underground garage that can accommodate as many as 10 vehicles, another rarity in a city where parking space can rent for as much as an apartment.
The two larger houses have five bedrooms each and rooms with ceilings 22.5 feet high; the three smaller ones have three bedrooms and 12.5- foot ceilings.
All five have rooftop terraces, heated lap pools, Jacuzzis and decks finished in imported limestone.
Last summer a Hong Kong businessman bought one of the two larger houses, at 3 Gough Hill Path, before construction was completed. He paid 220 million Hong Kong dollars for the 7,800-square-foot house, which he intends to make his primary residence.
Vivian Wong is an account manager with Centaline Property Agency, the firm responsible for the sale of 3 Gough Hill Path. “This type of freestanding property on The Peak is very limited,” Wong said. “Since they are so rarely available and have the appeal of a ‘brand name’ address, we are seeing aggressive market movement in high-end luxury developments such as Gough Hill.”
Eva Ho, senior manager of project marketing for Wheelock Properties, said, “Those interested in Gough Hill have been mostly Hong Kong clients with businesses in China. They see the house as their primary residence.” Wheelock is another subsidiary of Wharf Estates.
