In Construction: Retaining historical charm – adapting a house for the future

A heritage restoration is underway for a farmhouse guest wing in Adelong. It aims to preserve an original 19th century building whilst giving it a new lease on life, as part of what will be a larger residential development. The design improves the environmental and functional sustainability of the complex and adapts to the needs of today’s occupants.

To bring the complex into the 21st Century, particular attention was placed on the layout of spaces, reflecting contemporary lifestyles with open plan living, creating a more intuitive flow from room to room. While interior selections hark back to the Art Deco period, maintaining a historic feel, the colour schemes create a bright and open atmosphere, harmonizing the old with the new.

The historical features to be retained include original red bricks made from clay found on the property, providing a glimpse into what life was like for those who lived and worked on the property in 1903. Inspiration has come from the original features of buildings that have survived through time, reflecting materiality through the red bricks, stucco trims, arched voussoirs, and emulating the aesthetic of a lost building technique; rough sawn timber imprinted into concrete walls.