Restoration of a historic 1879 rural School Hall into a contemporary dwelling, featuring an open plan design, exposed trusses, and a carefully integrated basement, while preserving original materials and details for heritage recognition.
This 1879-built and once-thriving rural School Hall was a complete ruin. It had been abandoned, stripped for building parts and caught on fire. It had no connection to water mains, sewer or power. Undeterred by any obstacles the clients set a plan in motion to bring this school back to its former glory and to then adapt the building as a dwelling, which was to include a juxtaposed and decisively contemporary addition housing two bedrooms and a bathroom. Extensive historical research informed the design brief and great effort has been made to source original materials and restores them to original details, based on the limited photographic and written records.
The schoolhouse allowed for an open plan design of the living spaces with exposed trusses and dramatic ceiling height. Careful internal excavation added a usable basement delicately inserted into retained and restored brick and local rock foundations.
Once earmarked for inclusion to the State Heritage Register and added to the Bathurst Regional Heritage inventory, it will be deserving of any heritage listing when completed.
Photography by De Moyer Architecture
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