Insights

Heritage requirements can appear to narrow the options available to a design team. At Armytage House, early heritage involvement helped turn questions about reconstruction, safety and new work into opportunities to strengthen the project as a whole. Photo: Caitlin Mills Designed by Geelong architect Edward Prowse in 1858 for pastoralist George Armytage, the house is one of Victoria’s finest Regency residences and is included on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR H0405). Mor

Queenscliff Hotel. Photo: Dianna Snape When selecting paint schemes for heritage buildings, architects often face a familiar question: should the colour scheme replicate the original paintwork, should it be a muted palette of neutrals, or can it respond to the heritage of the building in a contemporary way? The answer is more nuanced than many people assume. In 1842, landscape architect and architectural theorist Andrew Jackson Downing wrote: "There is one colour frequently e

Constructed around 1885, this weatherboard corner shop and dwelling was part of the everyday life in the Albert Park Residential Precinct serving as a green grocer for more than half a century. After the grocer closed in 1960, the two buildings were combined into one home and extensively altered. At the time redevelopment was being contemplated, the former shop and dwelling was beyond practical repair. Decades of alteration and deterioration had left little original fabric in

Designed by renowned Melbourne architects Reed, Henderson & Smart in 1887, Queenscliff Hotel (VHR H1141) was built during a time when coastal towns were developing into seaside resorts. The arrival of the railway in 1879, the corresponding influx of tourists in the region, and the booming Melbourne economy during the 1880s enabled the construction of a number of grand hotels in Queenscliff, including the Queenscliff Hotel – “the fourth large and commodious hotel constructed f

While the Yorkshire Sash is seen as a variant of the traditional sash window, the truth is a little more grey. The sash window is a technical marvel, containing a counter-balancing system of counterweights, lines and pulleys which allows for the window to stay open. Meanwhile, the slightly more humble Yorkshire Sash simply slides horizontally along a track or groove within the frame. The sash window came before the Yorkshire sash, but sliding windows have been around for much

Introduction and history Located some 375 kilometres east of Melbourne and near Australia’s Snowy River National Park, the township of Orbost was once a crucial point for the export of timber from mills in the East Gippsland region. Drone photography by AUAV, property of Save the Snowy Rail Bridge Association Originally, the Bairnsdale to Orbost railway line was sponsored as a speculative venture by the Victorian Legislative Assembly during the 1880s. This era was known as th

rba architects is occasionally presented with the opportunity to work on projects internationally, broadening both our experience and perspective. In 2016, Roger Beeston was invited to join the Myanmar Heritage Preservation Limited (MHP) to work on the adaptive reuse of the largest and most significant British colonial era building in Myanmar, the Yangon Secretariat. As with all RBA projects, vigorous and detailed evidence-based research forms the foundation of our work and i

In 2015 rba was engaged to prepare a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the Harry Norris designed Majorca Building in Flinders Lane (1927-31). This was in response to the poor condition of the original faience clad facades along with concerns about the condition of the later 1980s works. Main entry to Centre Place To ensure informed decisions were made on its future protection and management, in addition to assessing the condition of the building fabric, we undertook deta

Herringbone strutting is a traditional form of timber bracing, recognized by its characteristic cross brace arrangement between joists. It was introduced in Britain in the late 19th century to reduce floor movement while allowing services to pass between joists. Herringbone Bracing at Alfred Stables, Alfred Hospital It was first employed in Britain in the late 19 th century, where space was required between floor joists for services. The practice was introduced into Austral

The 27.5-metre-high former boiler house chimney (HO11) at Highett is the last surviving vestige of the 1938 Highett Gasworks. Stranded...