In this next instalment in the Talking Houses series, David Welsh, partner at Welsh and Major, discusses his practice’s sensitive transformation of a partially derelict, former industrial building into a pair of residences.
The Hat Factory, located in Sydney’s Newtown, is a modest building with a notorious past. Originally a hat factory, then a printery and then a well-known squat, the building was not heritage listed but had become a much-loved remnant of the once-bohemian suburbs of Sydney’s inner west. Welsh and Major has skilfully reworked the building, retaining as much of the built fabric as structurally possible and celebrating its raw beauty while creating a flexible, future-focused home for the new owners.
The Hat Factory received the House in a Heritage Context award in the 2021 Houses Awards.
The Talking Houses video series reflects the vibrant milieu of Australian residential design and reveals the unique character of each practice. Winners of categories in the 2021 Houses Awards were invited to share the stories, ideas and experience of living in each of their award-winning homes.
Talking Houses is presented by Houses magazine and supported by Living Edge.