Mardo Constructions have converted a heritage listed electrical substation into two massive town houses at North Ryde in Sydney.

The renovation has also included the addition of three new modern townhouses on the 1500m²site.

Known as “The electricity substation that never was” the original structure was built in 1916 to supply the Ryde area with electricity.

Once plans were approved the local council requested that brickwork for the new townhouses match the original structures as closely as possible. Mardo Constructions selected Bowral Murray Grey bricks as they carried through the dark brick tones in the original brickwork very well.

The substation sits at the front of the site (with full electrical substation signage still intact) with the addition of three well designed town houses by architect Hugh Slatyer at the rear, all blending sympathetically in colour and tone to the original substation.

According to Dorothy Goncalves, director of Mardo Constructions, the project is a classic example of using modern day bricks to blend with the old in construction.

“With the solidarity of bricks together with the colour and texture of Murray Grey’s we think this was a great choice to complement a heritage building.

“This brick selection helped us to achieve a contemporary usage in the new buildings while adding an exciting blending element to the original structure.

“We think this is a great way to preserve heritage buildings, using bricks, while creating contemporary usage.”

Dorothy added, “We also added an interesting treatment so that the brickwork did not appear “heavy” by extending one brick, recessing one brick and extending a third brick from the overall line of the brick, walls.

The two extended bricks were painted in a heritage cream to match the windows and doors of the substation and the recessed middle brick was painted a charcoal grey to match the aluminium windows and doors of the new townhouses.

Architecture & Design Team

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