THE SANCTUM BALMAIN

12 LOFT STYLE APARTMENTS

Built on the former school grounds of the Christian Brothers at Balmain, The Sanctum is a living example of how the new can blend with the existing. While still retaining the existing facade, the existing old school building facing Thames Street was masterfully converted into 12 loft style apartments.

The structure now provides all who attended and administered the school with a living memory of the former Christian Brothers School’s 100 years of history. This development shows how with a little patience and building expertise it’s possible to blend a higher living density while still retaining a consistency with the existing built environment. Surrounding the old school building we constructed three new apartment buildings providing an additional 22 apartments, each with pitched roofs designed to complement the style of the original schoolhouse.

The old school building originally had one floor above ground, with 6 metre high ceilings in between. We were given the joyful task of installing new floors, walls, windows and doors. At the same time that the front facade was being restored the rear wall was being removed. The rear of the building now consists of covered walk ways, private courtyards, external stairwells and new doorways for the 12 two-leveled loft style apartments.

Access to the site was only available using Thames Street which is a lane way. Construction had to start from the opposite side of the Thames Street access way while construction of the underground parking had us virtually propping up the entire old school house along its rear western boundary.

A lift provides access to all the lofts as well as to both car park levels and most of the apartments. The majority of the apartments surround two internal courtyards that have been carefully landscaped and designed to retain each owner’s privacy.