Integrating historic value with a professional future for Haysom Spender
 
OBJECTIVES

Haysom Spender, one of Brisbane’s leading architectural practices, approached Wiley to convert a turn-of-the-century heritage-listed warehouse into a modern and efficient professional office featuring reception, a boardroom, a meeting room, a resource area, a library and workstations.

CHALLENGES

• Preserving the heritage values of the original warehouse
• Integrating some obvious signs of the building’s history and former use into the contemporary office design
• Combining heritage restoration and new construction activities
• Conducting detailed project planning and project management to complete many diverse activities.

SOLUTIONS

Advice

• Detailed planning and scheduling to manage the restoration and construction programs
• Application of specialised project management techniques to control the unique project requirements.

Design

• Detailed planning and scheduling to manage the restoration and construction programs
• Application of specialised project management techniques to control the unique project requirements.

Construction

• Complete gutting of the first and second floors and repairs to the basement
• Completion of a restoration program:
  • polishing of the original ground floor timber floors (the only renovation to this floor)
  • refinishing of the original stained glass windows
  • removal of tiles from the ground floor façade and reconstruction to heritage requirements
  • exposure of timber floor framing and trusses where possible; installation of decorative features, including glass ceiling in the boardroom on the first level and pressed metal ceiling and skylights on the second level.
• Completion of a construction program:
  • construction of two internal staircases and a timber deck
  • installation of a lift shaft to the second floor and modern steel-framed partitions and workstations
  • rewiring of electrics and installation of air conditioning to the first and second levels
  • inclusion of high-quality finishes throughout.

RESULTS

The successful combination of restoration and new construction work to achieve a contemporary office space that services the needs of a modern architectural practice while preserving the building’s heritage-listed values and paying homage to its fascinating past.

Other restoration projects by Wiley are the Lands Office Hotel, the Old Boot Factory and the Ship Inn in Brisbane.