An extension to a heritage precinct house on Langsford Street has won the 2024 Town of Claremont Civic Design Awards.
The Civic Design Awards promote Claremont’s rich history by honouring exceptional projects which conserve, maintain, and adapt heritage places. The Town seeks to inspire outstanding design by acknowledging the owners and architects who enhance the distinctive character of our town.
The overall winner is chosen from winners in each of the five categories, with 13 Langsford Street being judged the best entry in Additions to a Heritage Place.
13 Langsford Street is a 1930s bungalow which needed to be preserved as viewed from the street. The brief was to restore and conserve the original home, while adding a substantial extension to accommodate a family of five adults.
Designed by Humphrey Homes, the asymmetric roofline of the original home is referenced in the roofline of the extension with its off-centre gables. The original tuckpointed brickwork is acknowledged in red brick external walls and ‘peekaboo’ ventilated brick screen walls in the extension. A glazed link and stairwell separate the original 1930s portion of the old home from the new, transitioning into a space with an abundance of natural light at the rear of the home.
The judges were also impressed with the preservation of many of the home's original features, including the jarrah floorboards, fireplaces, leadlight windows, stained glass entry door, façade brickwork, ceiling plasterwork, and mouldings.
Other category winners include:
Conservation of Heritage Places: St Aidan’s Uniting Church
St Aidan’s Uniting Church is a State Heritage registered Federation Gothic church, and one of the most important heritage places in Claremont. Unfortunately, a few years ago, cracking and leaning in the walls was discovered. The church could no longer be used, with new underpinning required, along with additional structural ties. The cost of the project was nearly $300,000, and the Town of Claremont was delighted to contribute $10,000 towards these vital works.
The judges were particularly impressed by the subtlety of the critical works, which are almost invisible until pointed out, meaning the church lost none of its original attraction. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the congregation and the skills of Ailtire Architects, a successful project has enabled St Aidan’s to reopen and has secured its long-term future.
You can read more about St Aidan's Uniting Church in the Autumn edition of Flourish magazine.
New Building on a Heritage Site: Claremont Museum
The Claremont Museum site hosts a former school which is the oldest surviving building in Claremont,noriginally constructed in 1861. A few years ago, the other buildings in the complex required redevelopment as they no longer served their original purposes for display, education and staff facilities.
A concept plan was developed by architects working closely with the State Heritage Office to ensure the development was compatible with the heritage of the site. Archaeologists monitored every moment of the early works, and the countless artifacts they helped uncover may be included in future displays.
The new buildings help to increase accessibility and functionality while shaping the site into a community hub for everyone in Claremont. Designed by Carabiner, the new gallery has a contemporary design with views of the Swan River, and will house exhibitions and support the educational programs, presentations, and historical talks.
Special Projects: Christ Church Grammar School
Originally built in the late 1890s, Walters House became part of Christ Church Grammar School in 1930. However, there were unsympathetic extensions and renovations in 1997, including replacement of the balcony with one of concrete and steel.
In 2021, the school required additional accommodation for boarders. The decision to expand Walters House focused on preserving the school’s heritage, and With Architecture Studio was engaged to undertake this complex task.
New additions were positioned so as not to impact on the original heritage architecture. The balcony’s redesign and heritage had to consider heritage aesthetics and respond to an extreme fire rating. Through consultation with the Town of Claremont’s heritage team, the project underwent an intense process to rework period details, materials, and constructions systems for the verandah.
Partnering with a specialist woodworker, the columns in particular, were meticulously crafted enabling the finished work to showcase, once again, the design integrity of this historical building.
Commercial Projects: Claremont Hotel
This renovation has revitalised one of the great historical landmarks of Perth’s western suburbs. The difficult job of bringing the Claremont Hotel up-to-date, while acknowledging its past, was undertaken by Rothelowman Architects.
The transformed hotel is a contemporary space, blending indoor and outdoor spaces and a large light-filled central courtyard. The design ties together new and old to maintain iconic heritage features including the original staircase and ceilings, both much appreciated by long-time patrons.
The Claremont Hotel’s rich history means it will always be important to local residents and the wider western suburbs community. Through retention of heritage elements and careful and deliberate new curved interventions, the old hotel still addresses the street corner, with various openings and direct lines of sight into the venue activating the public realm opposite the historic Railway Station.
Judges also gave commendations to The Mansions, 16 Victoria Terrace, for Conserving a Heritage Place, and 1 Hammond Road, Claremont, for Additions to a Heritage Place.