Burramattagal people, a clan of the Dharug
New South Wales
As the site of the first purpose built Female Factory in Australia and over 175 years of mental health care, a key step in re-activating the place has been achieved through sensitive adaptation of buildings and open spaces for a range of new uses. In addition to the Western Sydney Start-up Hub, café and community spaces, opportunities were pursued to enhance public engagement with a place that had previously excluded them.
The design response, led by TKD Architects, was guided by a comprehensive understanding of the place and the need to achieve the design brief through a heritage led decision making process. Adaptation works, including removal of accretions and introduction of new elements, were designed and detailed to enhance appreciation of the diversity of stories that tell us much about the lives of those living in government institutions, helping to ensure that the place’s heritage values are retained and communicated for future generations.
Commendation for Creative Adaption Architecture
The Parramatta North, Western Sydney Startup Hub is a commendable adaptive reuse aligning a historical site of trauma with the healing capacity and spirit of renewal. The original Parramatta Female Factory campus of buildings and subsequent important contributory layers are easily interpreted. The project shines in its willingness to allow layers of history to be revealed, most notably with the inserted café, Havenstone, and at original cells and doors readapted at new office areas. Works have allowed the liberation of the campus from stalled opportunities into an important historic record of women’s incarceration, within which the Startup Hub is a pivotal component.
The first project to emerge from the Parramatta North precinct, the Western Sydney Startup Hub has proven to be an immense success for the Parramatta community. With 1500m2 of new usable spaces, this project has successfully adapted a number of disused heritage buildings to provide much needed incubator space for startup business in Western Sydney. The adaption has restored and revitalised many heritage features within the structures and has incorporated interactive representations of the precincts history and evolution It’s been a wonderful addition to the community to have these spaces available that encourage new businesses to learn and grow.
Arcadis, Structural Engineer
AVER, Project Manager
Betteridge Consulting, Heritage Interpretation
Blackett Maguire + Goldsmith, BCA Consultant/Fire Engineering
Brandon Notaras, Acoustic Consultant
Casey & Lowe Pty Ltd, Historical (non-Aboriginal) Archaeologist
Comber Consultants, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Archaeology
Design Confidence, Access Consultant
JBS&G, Environmental Consultants
JMD Design, Landscape Consultant
Lightwell, Touchscreen production
Stantec, Structural Engineer/Sustainability Engineer
Stantec, Sustainability Consultant
Stantec, Traffic
WT Partnership, Quantity Surveyor
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
