Highly Commended: St Hilda’s at the Timber Design Awards

We are thrilled to share that St Hilda’s Anglican Church has received two awards at the 2023 Timber Design Awards: ‘Highly Commended’ in both the Commercial and Public Building category and People’s Choice category. Blending heritage construction with new timber gothic innovation, the project was brought to life through a collaboration between the church community, First Light Studio, Black Sheep Construction and Tilley Group. Congratulations to all those involved.

Judge’s Citation:

Highly Commended

“Replacing the earthquake prone façade designed by renowned architect Frederick de Jersey Clere in 1910 with full height glazing and a anodised aluminium golden tessellated veil is an exciting and bold move. The result is a light filled, warm and welcoming space for the congregation and wider community. New curved Pinus Radiate glulam portals pay homage to the existing dark timber gothic arches. The new timber portals and reused existing timber elements have created a larger modern congregation space with a revitalised connection to the street.

This small but impressive project utilised timber specifically as a solution to some delicate structural issues which enabled a historically sensitive building to retain its integrity while taking on a new outward facing appearance and also improve its ability to survive earthquakes.  Tying together the old and the new was achieved using New Zealand timbers tastefully connected with the existing structural system to create a new and improved space for the building users.”