Award for renovation

A St Huberts Island woman has won a 2011 Australian Timber Design Award in the Residential Class One Best Renovation, Solid Timber Cladding category for her design of Empire House Circa 1908.

The project involved the refurbishment of the original heritage-listed 1908 cottage into a stylish family home.

Ms Louise Williams used old photographs to include additions that kept the historical significance and unique nuances of the building intact while accommodating modern contemporary living.

The judges said they were particularly impressed with the effort that had been made to use timber in a manner that was faithful to the design of the original building.

All joinery was hand crafted on site to match the existing cedar windows.

The picket fence and gable end profile was replicated using primed treated timber and all timbers in the refurbishment were selected to complement the original timbers.

Ms Williams is the immediate past president of the Central Coast Branch of the Building Designers Association NSW chapter and is an active member of the Gosford Councils' Building Liaison Committee which consists of a panel of independent professionals that comments on Councils' policies and procedures.

Email, 11 Nov 2011 Steven Mitchell, Timber Development Association Website, 11 Nov 2011 LAW Building Design