In Hong Kong, “foreign domestic helpers” are employed by middle to upper class households as the answer to domestic labour. Ranging from their early 20s to late 40s, these women come from surrounding South Asian countries - primarily the Philippines and Indonesia, but also Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India.

Dedicated employment agencies recruit, train and secure paperwork for these women who leave their families behind to serve another. Initial employment contracts last 2 years, but most stay for far longer, serving the same family for up to 15 years or more. Stipulated in all contracts are a government mandated weekly day off, typically Sunday.

This phenomenon of employing “foreign domestic helpers” has endured since 1974, and is integral not only to the future of Hong Kong but also the world.

This thesis asks the questions:

Can the issue regarding the lack of permanent personal space for domestic helpers in Hong Kong SAR be addressed to benefit domestic helpers?

How can cardboard be used as a toolkit for commoning to disrupt existing patterns o fuse, generate spaces of cultural exchange and understanding, and progress social, ethnic and economic equity?