Valuing the past

A sensitive design combined with a careful choice of materials enabled the Sydney Harbour Youth Hostel Association to balance a respect for the past with its role of providing accommodation for travellers, when rebuilding its hostel recently.

The hostel is sited in The Rocks, which established itself as a slum area with a tough reputation soon after Australia's formation as a colony. Today, the area is valued for its heritage and since the early 1990s, the YHA site has been subjected to an archaeological examination that has yielded considerable information about the fledgling colony. This work is ongoing and an education centre is now incorporated into the project.

Prominent in the hostel's design was the need to protect the artefacts. The three-storey steel structure, designed by architect Tzannes Associates, is divided into two, straddling the historic Cribbs Lane. To ensure minimal site disturbance, a radical solution allows the bulk of the building to sit above the site.

Design director Peter Cantrill says this meant lightweight cladding was needed to keep the building weight down.

"Also, this is a heritage area and it was thought the hostel should be a masonry-style building. Terracade® addressed both these requirements," he says.

The installation process for Terracade, a baked clay cladding product from Alucobond Architectural, made it easier for the builder to ensure nothing fell onto or damaged the archaeological remnants during construction, says Cantrill.

For more details, contact Alucobond Architectural, phone (09) 580 0193. Website: www.terracade.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas