Today, heritage architecture plays a significant role in grounding us with a sense of place. Laden with distinctive character and imbued with stories, heritage buildings present unique opportunities for architects to adapt and evolve them in ways that enrich their environment and history.

According to the Heritage Council of NSW and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA), “Historic buildings are not a constraint but an opportunity for creative endeavour, which results in the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.”¹

To harness these opportunities, heritage architects are embracing the cross-pollination of creative disciplines by turning to Industrial Design for exceptional outcomes.

Adding economic and liveability value to heritage architecture

Whether they’re designing for commercial, public or residential clients, heritage architects understand the delicate balance of preserving the built form while repurposing features into aesthetically beautiful spaces for the future.

The addition of contemporary features has the power to add substantial value to a heritage building as well as enhancing liveability through:

• increased natural light
• elevated fresh air ventilation
• year-round, all-weather comfort
• the creation of additional spaces
• repurposing existing spaces for contemporary living
• better outdoor-indoor connectivity and living
• contemporary operable architecture
• the opportunity to use traditional materials in innovative ways.

The role of industrial design in heritage architecture projects

With extensive experience in the heritage built environment, Tilt enables architects to pursue authentic ideas that push boundaries while preserving the building and complying with regulatory codes.

Using innovative materials and advanced digital manufacturing processes,  that elevate the user experience and give our clients a competitive advantage. From ventilation skylights and sliding roofs to custom louvres and counterbalanced garage doors—our collaborations with architects, developers, builders and homeowners preserve and enhance heritage buildings for generations to come.

A collaborative peace-of-mind process

Because of their sensitive environment and compliance requirements, heritage architecture projects require considerable planning to protect every stage as well as the architectural intent.

Tilt’s unique industrial design process de-risks the project through comprehensive design feasibility studies and prototyping services that catalyse requirements and specifications.

Critical services such as these enable the Industrial Design team to technically resolve and understand any problems in the project’s early stages. They also allow architects to visualise and interact with the architectural product solution to inform their clients better.

Bringing custom solutions for heritage architecture to life

Arguably the most essential part of a heritage architecture project is the detailed documentation and construction of the particular feature element. To ensure every design feature is preserved for future generations, we take responsibility for procuring suitable trade experts with experience in sensitive installations. We also develop the detailed documentation, coordinate trades on-site and manage a carefully considered maintenance plan.

Protecting and enhancing heritage architecture is every generation’s responsibility. Thanks to industrial design, architects have unprecedented freedom to achieve this while elevating liveability and leaving their own indelible mark for history to preserve.