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thewest.com.au

PROPERTY

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

ALTERATIONS +ADDITIONS

Blend, mend to enhance our space STREET WISE ■ David Barr & Philip Stejskal ........................................................................................

As two local architects, we have observed a growing shift in the past few years. More people are engaging design professionals for significant modifications to their homes as an alternative to selling, moving and building new homes on greenfield sites. This trend appears to be motivated by a number of factors that spread across the economic, social and environmental realms: a family’s desire to remain integrated within a certain community, close to support networks and schools; the love of a certain place; a commitment to the sustainable position of recycling using the existing home or a desire to avoid the costs associated with selling and moving. Regardless of motive, the requirement is for a type of project that seeks to give new relevance to an existing building no longer able to cater to the evolved needs of its occupants.

An “Alterations + Additions” project. The objective — providing new relevance — is achieved through a series of transformative interventions on the existing building, which can include partial demolition, insertion of new components, restoration of existing fabric, small and large additions — architectural manoeuvres that seek to stitch, mend, weave and enhance what pre-exists. The desired result is a heterogeneous whole, where all components are in concert, creating a seamless and unified experience. The Alterations + Additions theme can serve as a lens for how we might view and understand current changes to our city. In its infancy, our city has been characterised by a form of development that can be likened to a new build on a greenfield site, continually expanding at its edges. However, we now observe a shift towards arguably greater maturity, whereby new development is starting to drape over itself, weaving new components of varying scales into the existing manifestation

Our patch: The tapestry of our city is enriched by mended patches, new and old, creating a whole. Picture: Getty Images

of the city. Much like the patchwork quilt, the tapestry commences as a new piece of fabric that over time is overlaid with patches to mend, bridge and stitch, in the pursuit of creating a heterogeneous whole. New built form is inserted into the city’s fabric connecting across scars of redundant infrastructure or stitching together disconnected city hubs. Elizabeth Quay comes to mind as a project that builds upon an existing asset, seeking to reconcile river and city. The City Link project stitches the scar left by a sunken railway to

reconnect Northbridge to Perth. Less obvious in scale, yet equally important to the composition of our city, are urban infill projects. They represent the finer grain interventions that occur within our suburbs and even our backyards, such as ancillary accommodation, special-use dwellings and apartments, all of which contribute diversity of housing stock within the city’s existing footprint. From a reflection on our city through the lens of Alterations + Additions, we conclude that irrespective of the scale of

projects, whether they be alterations and additions to existing houses, large infrastructure projects in the heart of the city, or government legislation promoting density through small compact housing, it is important for us to consider them, not as isolated works, but rather as contributors to the tapestry of an increasingly dynamic city; a continually changing patchwork quilt. .................................................................................

■ Philip Stejskal works at Philip

Stejskal Architecture and David Barr at David Barr Architect.

Public transport links add to Balcatta appeal ON THE BLOCK ■ Marissa Lague ........................................................................................

Burgess Rawson selling agents Chad Henville and Brian Neo have been appointed by KPMG to the mortgagee sale at Lots 1 and 2 at 5 Stretton Place in Balcatta. Burgess Rawson director Chad Henville said the central location

would appeal to users who require a professional building fitout with good access to major transport links. “The building has undergone an extensive refurbishment with major internal infrastructure spend and presents very well,” director Brian Neo said. Offers close on February 19. ᔢ Knight Frank is selling a 12,279sqm Welshpool development site that is just 500m from the start of the Victoria Park café

and retail strip and 15 minutes from the CBD. Knight Frank industrial director Jarrad Grierson said the property at 36-48 Welshpool Road has a recently refurbished 1560sqm office warehouse and had the potential to be leased or owner-occupied while planning future development options. The property has an Industrial 2 zoning, which allows for range of uses with council consent, including general industrial,

office, display and fast food. Mr Grierson said the site had a 210m frontage to Welshpool Road and was also next to the PerthArmadale railway line. ᔢ The State Government has moved into one of Mirrabooka’s most prominent locations with the opening of the Department of Transport’s new driver training and licensing centre on the former Mirrabooka Ice Skating Rink site. Lease Equity’s director of cap-

ital markets Luke Pavlos negotiated the 1100sqm deal in the newly converted office building. The site is next to a major bus interchange and proposed light rail terminal as well as the Mirrabooka Square Shopping Centre. ᔢ Joondalup Junction opened last month after it was leased by Vend Property. The 8000sqm large format retail centre is anchored by The Good Guys and City Farmers who relocated to increase their store size.

Future Freeway

For Sale by Expression of Interest: Prime Lots – Commercial and Group Housing

Lot For Sale

Lot For Sale

Lots For Sale Lots For Sale Butler Train Station

Outstanding opportunity in fast growing, north coast corridor

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Lots For Sale

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Group Housing: 2 Lots

Lots For Sale

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The new District Town Centre of Butler, in Perth’s thriving northern corridor, presents outstanding opportunities for savvy investors to benefit. The 25 prime lots available are located in close proximity to the high traffic environment of Marmion Avenue and major retailers, such as Woolworths, Masters and Big W. With the Butler Train Station and bus links to the hub, and thriving residential communities growing around the Town Centre, these lots represent rare investment potential.

Multi-residential/Mixed use: 6 Lots

Sizes: 724m – 4,453m Zoned R80 and R60

2

Sizes: 1,002m – 1.084ha Zoned R160

Service Industry Use: 17 Lots Sizes: 1,100m2 – 1.364ha

For more information visit www.satterley.com.au/commerical Expressions of interest are invited by contact Heinz Pfenninger on 9562 0422 or email [email protected] Closing date: 27 February 2015. $OOSRWHQWLDOSXUFKDVHUVDUHUHVSRQVLEOHIRUFDUU\LQJRXWWKHLURZQGXHGLOLJHQFH7KHYHQGRUUHVHUYHVWKHULJKWWRUHPRYHORWVIURPVDOHDQGFKDQJHSULFHVDQGVL]HVZLWKRXWQRWLÀFDWLRQ