HERITAGE INSIGHTS

When new architecture meets old in Sydney or Melbourne, the gap between them is never just empty space — it’s a design tool. A recess, screen, or setback makes it clear what is historic and what is new, allowing each to be understood on its own terms. Like a pause in music, separation gives weight to what comes before and after, encouraging reflection rather than confusion. Far from wasted space, these gaps honour history, sharpen design, and let contemporary interventions co

Managing Change, Not Freezing Time Municipal rules aren’t new. As The Past and Future City (Stephanie Meeks and Kevin C. Murphy, 2016) reminds us, even ancient Assyria had planning edicts: If ever any person living in the city pulls down his old house and builds a new and the foundations of that house encroaches on the royal processional way, they shall hang that man upon a stake over his own house. By comparison, even the prickliest design review in Melbourne or regional Vi