In November Robin Miller attended the 3 day 16th Engineering Heritage Australia Conference in Hobart, Tasmania and gave a paper on the development and use of early concrete in Otago. The paper was largely based upon the company’s work at two 1870s concrete houses in Dunedin – Woodside and Cargill’s Castle.
In August we finalised the conservation plan for the 1877 Phoenix Waterwheel, Oamaru. Repairs to the 1950’s Henderson House, Alexandra by international, modernist architect Ernest Plischke finished on site. During recent archaeological works we found a substantial midden in the Postmasters Precinct, Arrowtown. This has produced a considerable number of artifacts.
Robin has had a paper on historic concrete buildings in Otago accepted for presentation at the 16th Engineering Heritage Australia Conference to be held in Hobart, November 2011. Please click here for further details on the conference.
Andrew carried out recording of the remaining historic fabric prior to demolition of the Arthur’s Point Tavern, Queenstown. Buildings Archaeology is extremely important to the understanding of New Zealand’s built heritage.
We have been helping out the Heritage Team of Christchurch City Council following the major earthquakes in September and February. Carrying out assessments of severely damaged buildings in the city centre and Lyttelton we provided advice and peer review of applications for emergency remedial works on buildings including the Art Centre.
A draft Conservation Plan for the St. Clair landmark, Cargill’s Castle in Dunedin was issued for consultation. The project has provided a rare opportunity to study the building’s archaeology of an early concrete mansion. For more details on this historic building visit the Cargill’s Castle Trust website.
Official opening of the new St. John Presbyterian’s Church Hall, Arrowtown. The old hall had become too small for the needs of the church and a new purpose-built, energy-efficient hall was designed to replace it. The old hall found a new home at the back of the Arrowtown Cottages Historic Precinct and is now a gallery.
Our Christmas party was held at the restored Paradise Homestead in Glenorchy. Click here for further information on the restoration of this Historic Places Trust (HPT) Category I restored building.
Jackie and Robin have been asked to give presentations to the Dunedin Historic Buildings Economic Reuse Steering Group and at the one day Heritage workshop, organised by Dunedin City Council, at the Public Art Gallery.
We are starting work on the Conservation Plan for the Alexandra Bridge Piers. There will be an open day at the Central Stories Museum, Alexandra for the public to bring in photos and other memorabilia.
The Wakatipu Trail Trust plans to lay a cycle-friendly trail which will involve some engineering in places, the reuse of parts of the old road and the traversing of areas containing gold tailings. Jackie Gillies + Associates were commissioned to ascertain the extent and significance of surviving archaeological values of the trail as it ran from Arrowtown along the river to the Kawarau Suspension Bridge.
Last week saw Jackie Gillies + Associates moving across town to new offices at 44 Beach Street. We’re now up and running as well as before in an office space we’ve had the opportunity to design to our needs.
Robin Miller, a Chartered Surveyor with RICS ‘Accreditation in Conservation’ has joined the company having previously worked for conservation architects and building surveyors in The South-West of England. As well as undertaking condition surveys, preparing schedules of work and supervising building work on site, he is keen to help promote traditional materials and building techniques across New Zealand. Robin has previously worked for organisations, such as the National Trust, English Heritage and Exmoor National Park Authority.
The design of the historic Balfour Stables won Jackie Gillies + Associates a NZIA Local Architecture Award for best heritage design.
The stable is an example of several similar stone stables erected in the Shotover basin in the 1880s. It is one of the smaller such examples still remaining. Many of the interior features, such as 7 horse stalls, posts, beams and saddle racks remained and these were incorporated into the interior design.
NZIA jurors praised the way the project ‘has restored the exterior and brought light into the building while retaining its character so well that “it offers no clues as to what’s inside”.’
More detailed info, including before project and after project photographs, can be found here.
We now have an Archaeologist employed full-time at our practice. Andrew is experienced in researching, surveying and developing Archaeological Authority applications for clients to the NZ Historic Places Trust and is looking forward to working in the Otago area.