The Heritage Studio has been an integral part of NBRSARCHITECTURE since the mid 1970s. Over the years the team has grown and evolved; their dedication and enduring connections with clients and projects remaining a key element of the Studio.

The team is comprised of heritage consultants, architects and historians offering a well rounded and diverse range of technically specialised skills for the Studio draw upon. The Studio provides the following services; heritage assessment, preparation of conservation management plans and heritage impact statements, specification of conservation works, design advice for adaptive re-use and implementation of site requirements.

The Studio is led by Samantha Polkinghorne. With over 20 years’ experience across Australia, the UK, the Middle East and Asia, Samantha is passionate about conserving, protecting and giving new life to buildings of cultural significance. As a registered architect she brings to heritage consultancy a depth of knowledge and a deep understanding of those processes involved in the conservation and protection of the cultural values of a place.

Please direct all enquiries to Samantha Polkinghorne.

The NBRS Heritage team is made up of architecturally trained consultants who have extensive experience dealing with the issues that arise in conserving and adapting heritage sites. Site specific issues need to be taken into consideration when managing what is important about a Place; the NBRS Heritage team brings to each project a depth of understanding in design and conservation practice.

NBRS adopts the principles of The Burra Charter: The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance 2013 and the Guidelines of the NSW Heritage Office to assist clients and their consultants in the identification and management of heritage issues. Conservation management can take many forms, from detailed assessment of cultural significance through to providing practical advice in understanding what the constraints and opportunities are when looking to adapt an existing building.

Heritage Assessment involves the analysis of physical and documentary evidence to determine whether a place meets the criteria for heritage listing. Once gathered, the information is evaluated against the standard set of seven heritage criteria used in New South Wales (or the relevant area) to define what it is about the place that is important. This information is then used to guide decisions about the place.

The architectural process of adapting historic sites for new purposes and providing a new use in a manner which achieves design excellence and is sensitive to the cultural significance of the place.  One aspect of this process involves guiding the skilful integration of building services and changes to significant building fabric to satisfy current building standards.

Conservation works involve the provision of technical knowledge to guide the reconstruction, restoration, maintenance or repair of original building fabric, and includes the preparation of details and specifications using appropriate materials and traditional techniques. This specialist knowledge supports the protection of the building and the cultural significance of a place in the context of physical change.

The art of telling the story about what is significant about a place to the people who visit it, with the aim of promoting an understanding of the heritage values of a Place and why we need to conserve them. Interpretation methods include, but are not limited to, conservation works, signage, artwork, public programs and publications, heritage trails, websites and the like.