Old Central Fire Station25 Murray Street, Perth
Reading the fabric of one of Perth’s significant civic places through conservation, investigation and repair.
Heritage conservation safeguards more than buildings.
It preserves the material evidence, craftsmanship and shared memory through which a city understands itself.
The Old Central Fire Station is one of Perth’s significant civic places. Its sandstone walls, terracotta tiled roofs, timber verandahs, decorative work and Federation character form part of a remarkably intact heritage building whose significance extends well beyond its physical fabric.
Dezine ID’s work focused on the conservation assessment of a deteriorated balcony timber post, capital moulding and associated building-envelope interfaces, with the investigation extending into roof drainage, flashing, masonry and concealed timber conditions.
Understand first. Intervene second.
Conservation work at a place of this significance requires a different mindset from conventional repair.
A deteriorated timber member, cracked element, displaced roof tile or failing junction cannot be considered in isolation. Each condition must be understood in relation to the history of the place, original construction, later interventions and the cause of deterioration.
The Conservation Plan therefore becomes an active working document, guiding what should be retained, repaired, strengthened or, only where necessary, replaced.
Observe · record · diagnose · conserve.
Understand significance
Establish what matters, what fabric carries significance and why it should be retained.
Investigate the fabric
Opening-up and close inspection reveal concealed decay, failed junctions, moisture paths and previous interventions.
Diagnose the cause
Respond to causes rather than appearances, particularly water movement, drainage and material failure.
Minimum necessary intervention
Retain significant fabric wherever practicable, repair locally and replace only where deterioration is beyond reasonable repair.
Record the work
Document what was found, why decisions were made and what intervention occurred for future custodians.
Looking beyond the surface.
The investigation identified that deterioration to the timber post tenon was unlikely to be an isolated timber failure. Evidence indicated long-term moisture ingress associated with adjacent valley guttering, flashings and concealed roof drainage interfaces.
The report concluded that the timber deterioration should be regarded as a consequence of building-envelope failure rather than the primary defect, making rectification of moisture ingress the first conservation priority.
Repair before replacement.
The preferred heritage outcome is conservation repair of existing significant timber fabric wherever sufficient sound material remains.
Where detailed investigation confirms deterioration beyond practical repair, like-for-like reconstruction may be appropriate using matching timber species, replicated mouldings and traditional detailing.
Address the source before the symptom.
A process of judgement, not cosmetic renewal.
Good conservation allows a place to continue its life while retaining the material, workmanship, evidence and stories that give it significance.
- Eliminate moisture ingress before timber works
- Retain original fabric wherever practicable
- Repair before replacement
- Use compatible materials and methods
- Reconstruct like-for-like only where required
- Photographically record all stages of work
“Understand first, intervene second.”