Description : Built in the 1890s, this house is a rare survivor of a large number of residences that at one stage lined the Glebe foreshore. Originally built as a home, the house had a number of uses from the 1920s onwards. At this time the entire area was being developed for industry and the bay and house itself became part of a busy port and timber yard. In the 1970s the area was rezoned for residential development and the house narrowly avoided demolition thanks to the fervent protests of locals. For over twenty years, it lay neglected until the City of Sydney announced that the restoration of Bellevue Cottage was to be included as part of its upgrade of the Glebe Foreshore. Work commenced in 2005 and today, the house is as beautiful as when it was first built.
Key challenges : This house had been used by squatters for years and was in a derelict state. There was graffiti in all of the internal rooms as well as on the exterior of the building. Many of the floorboards were missing and there had been a great deal of vandalism. A large portion of the internal plasters required stabilisation via injection and to stop the rising dampness issue the perimeter walls were injected with a chemical DPC. We set about reconstructing cornices and solid plaster ceilings and reproduced missing joinery.
There were high moisture levels under the floorboards of the ground floor and, having diverted a water course, we then set about installing new sub-floor fans and vents to encourage cross ventilation. A new slate roof was also added and detailed external renders were repaired and reproduced, including ornate, incised motifs.
Completed : 2007 |