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Established in 1996

Author: ghb_yv

Pyrmont Public School

Pyrmont Public School, 1880s

This fine late 19th century educational building complex had suffered over the years with dysfunctional and visually invasive additions and alterations, in addition to some very sensitive additions facing to the side street.  City Council needed a full understanding of the work that had taken place over the years, in order to prepare for an updated functionality. 

Research undertaken by GBA Heritage discovered new information that challenged the existing understanding of the place, resulting in an improved outcome for the alterations and re-use design.

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Industrial Building Cockatoo Island

Industrial Building Cockatoo Island

Sydney Harbour Federation Trust

The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust commenced a program of works to address maintenance issues on Buildings 57, 58, 123 and 124 on Cockatoo Island. Building 57 is a former Rectifier Room and Building 58 is the former Powerhouse.

Buildings 123 and 124 are timber framed warehouse style buildings. As part of the works, an Archival Photographic Recording of the areas proposed to be altered was required by Heritage NSW.

With the assistance of Duratec Limited, GBA Heritage took each photograph with care, addressing issues such as poor light and distance.

The photographs were printed on archivally stable paper by Photoland and combined in a bound report using archivally stable sheets.

The reports were submitted to and accepted by Heritage NSW, allowing the works program to continue successfully.

  • Cockatoo Building 58 Low Res

  • Cockatoo Island (1)_web

  • Cockatoo Island (2)_web

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Royal Edward Victualling Yard (REVY), Darling Island

Royal Edward Victualling Yard (REVY), Darling Island

Warren & Mahoney Architects

These two large 1907 Naval Stores buildings, designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, linked together by a distinctive tower and sitting on a striking but constrained Harbourside property, are being adapted for use as Google Australia’s head office.

Involved from the outset, GBA Heritage identified the significant building elements and views and helped outline service pathways, informing conceptual design and helping to resolve challenges during design development.

As both a Local and State listed item, significant liaison with consent authorities was required in which GBA Heritage played a guiding role, while providing multiple documents including a Conservation Management Plan, seven Statements of Heritage Impact, a Schedule of Conservation Works and a Heritage Interpretation Plan.

The result is a sensitive response to the evolution of the site and of Sydney Harbour. Consent has been issued and construction will commence in 2024.

  • REVY 08

    Image Credit: Warren & Mahoney Architects

  • REVY 03

    Image Credit: Warren & Mahoney Architects

  • REVY 04

    Image Credit: Warren & Mahoney Architects

  • REVY 05

  • REVY 06

    Before

  • REVY 07

  • REVY 01

    Before

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Albion Street, Surry Hills

Albion Street, Surry Hills

Squillace Architects

This project received approval from the City of Sydney to adaptively reuse a former Presbytery for commercial offices and a courtyard cafe. A typical condition of consent includes, ‘Use of Heritage Consultant’, particularly during the construction stage.

This may include for the ‘induction’ of trades on to the site to ensure they are aware of the sensitivities of the heritage fabric and to ‘tread carefully’.

The heritage consultant in this role, was required to make regular inspections of the works under construction, and to answer any queries the builder and architect may have, often on details of how to finish off new work adjacent to the original fabric.

On completion, the heritage consultant provides a photographic report, explaining how the heritage conditions of consent have been met with completion of the building.

  • Albion Street, Surry Hills 02 Image Credit GBA

  • 80 Albion Street, Image credit- Squillace Architects

    Photo Credit: Squillace Architects

  • Albion St, Surry Hills 04

  • Albion Street -Nom Her Cons courtyard (1)

    During construction

  • Albion Street -Nom Her Cons courtyard (2)

    During construction

  • Albion Street, Surry Hills 01

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Lynwood Avenue, Killara

Lynwood Avenue, Killara

Playoust Churcher Architects

This fine example of an Interwar Stockbroker Tudor style house, designed by the well-known Architect John R Brogan in 1933, is individually listed as a Heritage Item in Ku-ring-gai LEP 2015.

Although extended in 1987 by the same architectural firm, the main areas of the house retained the original and dramatic “Medieval Revival” style interiors.

The client’s brief was to refresh the more recent areas of the house and garden while improving the car accommodation. Working in close coordination with the architects, GBA was able to remove several major concerns by the Council’s Heritage Officer and achieve a well-balanced development consent outcome.

  • Photo Credit: John r. Brogan Architect

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Salisbury Road, Rose Bay

Salisbury Road, Rose Bay

Objection to Development Application for Redevelopment

Despite being a recognised Contributory Item in the Balfour Road Heritage Conservation Area, this fine 1920s Interwar Bungalow, was threatened with destruction. The DA submission attempted to downgrade the heritage qualities of the house when compared with the distinctive collection of 1930s Interwar Art Deco redbrick flat buildings at the southern end of the HCA.

At the invitation of the local residents, GBA was able to mount a strong defence of the house as one of a number of 1920s houses and residential flat buildings that characterise the northern section of the HCA. In effect, the HCA comprised three groups of historic residential buildings, each of equal importance to the quality of the locality. The Land and Environment Court refused the redevelopment proposal.

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Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill

Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill

This Post War house, on an elevated site, was erected in 1955 to the design of Hugo Stossel, one of a group of European “emigre” architects who contributed striking modernist houses to Sydney’s architectural richness. The house was photographed by Max Dupain in 1957. It was extensively altered and enlarged in 1964, 1974 and 1977.

A new owner was facing the imposition of an Interim Heritage Order, which would prevent his planned redevelopment of the site. GBA were commissioned to undertake a Peer Review of the Heritage Assessment report prepared for Woollahra Council to support the proposed heritage order. Detailed historical research and physical inspections revealed the extent of change over the years to both the building and its garden setting. On the basis of this analysis, Woollahra Council determined not to continue with the heritage listing.

  • 66 Victoria Rd Bellevue Hill 1955 original configuration _comp

    Photo Credit: Max Dupain

  • Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill

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Francis Street, Randwick

Francis Street, Randwick

GBA Heritage were engaged prior to the auction listing of the site in order to produce a useful guide for potential purchasers of the property.

The guide outlined a brief history and description of the site, and detailed the relevant statutory controls which applied to the site due to its heritage listings.

A preliminary assessment of significance included built elements within the site, which informed overarching advice regarding potential areas of the site that may be suitable for change.

  • Francis St- Streetscape 02

  • Ground Floor Marked Up

  • First Floor Mark Up

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Former Sydney Water Board Building – Pitt Street, Sydney

Former Sydney Water Board Building

Pitt Street, Sydney

The project for the conversion of the 1939 heritage listed former Sydney Water Head Office into a modern hotel (initially the Primus Hotel, now Kimpton Margot Sydney), as part of the development of the tallest residential tower in Sydney’s CBD on the adjoining site, presented many challenges and competing opportunities.

  • 01 Former Sydney Water Board, Image Credit Simon Wood Photography_com

    Image Credit: Simon Wood Photography

  • 02 Former Sydney Water Board, Image Credit Simon Wood Photography

    Image Credit: Simon Wood Photography

  • 03 Former Sydney Water Board, Image Credit Simon Wood Photography

    Image Credit: Simon Wood Photography

  • 05 former waterboard – SWP_GBA-PRIMUS HOTEL_IMG_9558

    Image Credit: Simon Wood Photography

  • Former Sydney Water Board External 3

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Substation 164, Clarence Street, Sydney

Substation 164, Clarence Street, Sydney

fjc studio (formerly fjmt studio) Architects

The project combined, adapted and revitalised the 1910 Shelley’s Warehouse and the 1927 Electricity Substation 164, both abandoned for over 30 years, into an exciting new commercial and retail building.

The three-storey-high Machine Hall in the Substation has become a spectacular events and art space of a kind rare in Sydney, while other areas in both buildings have been conserved, connected and upgraded to create new spaces combining period character with high quality modern design.

Above the buildings’ rooftop terraces floats an organic, contemporary, glass-surfaced addition housing additional commercial space, boldly announcing the new facility and adding a new layer to Sydney’s urban fabric while respecting the identities of the heritage items.

Historical research by GBA Heritage revealed the buildings’ shared thematic histories: both represent key stages in the transition to electrical power in Sydney, the Warehouse contained the best remaining example of a hydraulic lift system in Sydney, while the Substation was a local battleground in the war between AC and DC power.

  • Substation 164, Machine Hall, Image- AIA, John Gollings

  • Substation 164 02

  • Substation 164 03

  • Substation 164 04

  • Substation 164, Clarence St, Sydney, Built

  • Substation 164_web

Identifying, retaining and drawing attention to those features of the buildings that told this story, as well as revealing the buildings’ history, construction methods and operational processes, was the challenge of the Heritage Interpretation Plan provided by GBA Heritage.

GBA Heritage oversaw the heritage aspects of the project throughout the design, construction and post-DA stages.

Through retention, restoration and interpretation of key fabric and components, interpretive recreation of the hydraulic lift system and substantial restoration or protection of the buildings’ original character, an outcome was achieved that has been recognised in several awards.

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