Australian National University (ANU)
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Mt Stromlo Director’s Residence
THE PROJECT —
The Director’s Residence, originally known as Observatory House, was first completed in 1928 as a home for the founding director Walter Geoffrey Duffield and his family. It was designed by the Federal Capital Commission and was regarded as one of the grandest homes in Canberra, complete with a Steinway grand piano, an elaborate jarrah staircase and individually designed fireplaces and sinks in the bedrooms. Over the years it was home to seven other Observatory Directors and several other families, including the Braddick family, who occupied the home when the 2003 firestorm hit. Unfortunately the firestorm virtually destroyed the building, save for the façade.
Caption
PROJECT VALUE
$1m
COMPLETED
2015
AWARDS
Australian Institute of Building [ACT] | 2015
Commercial Construction up to $1M category | WinnerAustralian Institute of Building [National] | 2015
Commercial Construction up to $1M category | High CommendationNational Trust of Australia | 2018 | Award for an Outstanding Project
Shaw Building Group was engaged to reconstruct the Residence in January 2014, with a budget of $994,000. The Scope of Works was simply to do as much as possible to stabilise and weather proof the existing ruin, provide public access, and to provide an interpretive AV to explain the significant heritage value of the building.
