Western Australia
Built circa 1922, 142 Hensman Road (formally 120 Nicholson Road) Subiaco was originally a two-room butcher’s shop. From 1925 to the late 1970’s it operated as general store. It was heritage listed by the City of Subiaco in 2015, being one of only five surviving examples of interwar corner stores in the precinct.
The property was in very poor condition when the client, a niche perfumer, took ownership in 2020. Her vision was to develop an atelier with residence.
Approval was granted to restore the building, reconfigure the existing accommodation and reactivate the commercial space. New living and creative studio spaces were added, wrapped around a northern courtyard and aromatic garden, and the bull nosed veranda was reinstated.
This restored and sensitively developed property now sits comfortably within the secondary village hub on Nicholson Road, much to the delight of local residents.
The Old Corner Store is a pre-eminent example of how heritage architecture can be repurposed to achieve the specific needs of its current owner, in this case a niche perfumer.
Originally constructed circa 1922 as a two-room butcher’s shop, from 1925 it operated as general store until the late 1970s, when alongside the growing popularity of supermarkets, the property evolved to be purely residential.
Although the property had fallen into disrepair in more recent years as one of only five surviving examples of interwar corner store architecture in the precinct, the property was heritage listed by the City of Subiaco in 2015.
The primary objective was to conserve and adapt the existing accommodation, and to add new living and creative studio spaces wrapped around a northern courtyard and aromatic garden. The final design is possible only through retention of the existing. The reinstatement of the bull nosed veranda, garage parking for three cars and an independent zone above the garage for visiting artists in residence completed the design in an exemplary manner demonstrating what can achieved when architect, builder and client work harmoniously together.
The Jury considers this diligently conserved and sensitively developed property to be a worthy recipient of the 2024 Margaret Pitt Morison Award for Heritage.
I believe that the sustainable development of a heritage listed building requires a consideration for how the property might be used into the future. Zoning no longer allows for a general store on this site. As custodian, my vision for a perfume atelier is simply one for the building’s next identity, hopefully one of many. It is incredibly satisfying to create a life/work-space that will suit my needs, and which can be adapted for others into the future. To restore the heritage, simplicity and beauty of a humble 1920’s corner store has also been incredibly rewarding.
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.
