Architectural Services Department
The origins of the Architectural Services Department lie in the Architectural Office, one of the sub-departments of the former Public Works Department (PWD). The PWD was founded in 1891, but the structure of the department at that time is reportedly unclear. The Architectural Office existed by 1939, and following the disruption in operations during the Japanese occupation, the unit was kept busy in the postwar years by rebuilding work. The 1948 annual report of the Public Works Department reported that 274 government buildings were repaired that year. During the 1960s the Architectural Office was heavily involved in the resettlement housing programmes, but these duties were divested to the Hong Kong Housing Authority upon its 1973 establishment.