Cantwell Property

Project Brief

A double-fronted Victorian building on Castlemaine's main street sat behind a tired 1980s facade of a former car dealership. Our client purchased the building as the home for her new business and saw potential to restore the Victorian facade and create two commercial tenancies - one for her real estate business, the other to lease.

The brief demanded a heritage shopfront that enhanced the 1890s Castlemaine streetscape while clearly expressing two independent businesses, each with direct street access. We would need to convince council's heritage advisors without any photographic evidence of what we were proposing to reinstate.

Heritage Reinstatement Without Historic Photographs

The existing 1980s facade had obliterated any trace of the original Victorian shopfront. Without photographic records, we prepared a formal heritage impact statement demonstrating our research methodology: comparative analysis of intact 1890s shopfronts across regional Victoria, with detailed physical measurements taken from the Guildford general store to establish authentic proportions, joinery dimensions, and glazing bar details.

We presented multiple design concepts to the client, exploring how to unify the facade while clearly expressing two separate tenancies. Early schemes included expressed arches above the windows, but these were removed from the final design in favour of rectangular window headers with traditional joinery detailing. The facade achieves unity through consistent period detailing while differentiated window spacing distinguishes the two tenancies.

Strategic Planning

The heritage permit was secured on the strength of our documented research approach, demonstrating how the proposed design responded to regional precedents rather than speculation.

We worked through several iterations addressing entry configuration. While a common central entry would have simplified the facade composition, separate entries proved the stronger strategy - maintaining independent street access for each business, improving customer navigation, and allowing the second tenancy to accommodate hospitality use if required.

Building Permit and Accessibility

The building permit required compliance with commercial building codes for accessibility and lighting. We prepared detailed bathroom layouts meeting AS 1428.1 accessible design standards. The client's brief included a shared bathroom and kitchenette at the rear of the building, servicing both tenancies and making the spaces commercially viable for future lease arrangements.

Outcome

The brick shell was retained with a new facade and interior fitout creating two distinct 125-140m² commercial tenancies. Cantwell Property occupied the building for a decade before the tenancy turned over to another commercial office. Mount Alexander Books continues to operate from the adjacent tenancy. The project received a Mount Alexander Shire Heritage Award for its contribution to Castlemaine's main street heritage character.

The building demonstrates how adaptive re-use can balance heritage with contemporary commercial requirements, creating flexible spaces that continue to contribute to street activation and the town's economic vitality.

Services Provided:

• Heritage impact assessment

• Planning permit application

• Facade design and detailed joinery drawings

• Interior fitout design

• Building permit documentation

• Accessibility compliance (AS 1428.1)

• Project management through approval process

Credits

Awards

Mount Alexander Shire Heritage Award

Mount Alexander Shire Heritage Award

Shayne Hill
Photographer

Skilled Design Consultants
Structural Engineer

Warren Hughes
Builder

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