Built in 1921 Simla had its last renovation in 1988 converting it from a four bedroom apartment into seven affordable units. In 2012 the Spicers group bought Simla and engaged Rowena Cornwell and her team from Coop Creative to convert this 1920s building into eight luxury apartments along with a conference room.

Simla was a seminal project for both Petro Builders and Coop Creative. The project was made possible from the outset by a client who believed in the value of the preserving the existing building and trusted the architect to produce a design solution that was both sensitive to the richness of the existing building and accommodating of the buildings revised purpose.

The fluid relationship between site manager and architect was critical in achieving a finished result that honoured both the character of the original building and the broader design intent of the project. This project serves as a great example of what can be achieved when there is mutual respect, trust and open dialogue between architect and builder.

The material change of use from a residential to commercial premises required the existing building to be brought to a standard that is compliant with current building regulations. Site Manager Stefan Franke was instrumental in negotiating the complexities of fire regulations, achieving acoustic separation between the rooms and ensuring compliance with accessibility requirements. Stefan’s broad understanding of Rowena’s design intent allowed him to effectively balance the demands of compliance with broader vision of the project.

The rear extension followed a more conventional modern building program of steel reinforced concrete columns and suspended slabs.

Simla was an ambitious project which served as a learning experience that was shared by Coop and Petro Builders. We would like to thank Spicers and Coop Creative for the opportunity to work on such a beautiful building which has enriched Petro Builders with new knowledge and skills.