Property Development Creates Vibrant Community
The Guildford Hotel development is a shining example of how property development can reconnect and invigorate local communities.
Following a devastating fire in 2008, Fratelle Group was tasked with bringing together owners, tenants and the local community to re-establish the Guildford Hotel as a cultural and social hub for the historic town of Guildford.
The final stage of the Hotel redevelopment is due for completion within weeks Рthe completion of a caf̩ and commercial tenancy to the rear of the hotel as well as apartments that are currently in the planning stages.
With the Guildford Hotel embedded deep within the history and layers of Western Australian legends, Fratelle Group Director Kylee Schoonens felt the importance this building also had in the hearts of locals and the minds of historians.
“As part of the original investigations worked with experienced heritage consultants to complete heritage impact statements and a consultant team focussed on maintaining as much of the existing built fabric as possible. This allowed us to interpret the final design outcomes with the support from the Heritage Council, City of Swan, and the National Trust,” Schoonens said.
“We wanted to retain as much of the original historic building fabric as possible from before the fire. The bar bench tops you see now were actually fire damaged jarrah beams that were too damaged to use as structural elements. We also re-used jarrah flooring – which endured the fire and five years of exposure to the elements – as wall cladding,” explained Kylee. Original handmade brick from convicts in the original construction; that collapsed following the fire have been used as paving in the beer garden.
“It was definitely an integrated build and connected approach with the building owners, the local communities and the tenants. It was necessary for such a successful final result to have everyone working together from the outset of the project, to create a real point of difference in Perth’s hospitality scene, and to bring the hotel’s historical story into the 21st century.”
The final stage of the Hotel redevelopment is due for completion within weeks Рthe completion of a caf̩ and commercial tenancy to the rear of the Hotel.