timeless Adelaide-based Heritage BuildingGroup works from heritage designsto create sophisticated homes for & tasteful Rthe present day.ich in heritage stone villas edged with distinctive quoin cornerstone blocks, Story: Philip O’Brien Adelaide has some of the most idiosyncratic domestic architecture in Australia. And, while these older homes continue to be restored, there is an increasing trend to build new houses in a heritage style. One of the companies doing this very successfully is Heritage Building Group which celebrates its 40th anniversary of building in Adelaide this year. Heritage has been a HIA member for over 35 of those years. The company has established a reputation for quality, service and skill by providing a bespoke building service specialising in heritage-style homes. Long-established connections and collaborations with local craftsmen and tradesmen have become integral to its ongoing success. But its focus has changed over those 40 years. It did not begin as a heritage business, director James Wagner recalls. ‘The business was started in 1978 by my late father, a carpenter who migrated to Australia from Germany. It was then a general design and construction firm. The heritage side began with me about 20 years ago. ‘The demand for modern homes built in a heritage style is increasing ... They don’t go out of date’ ‘With Adelaide’s built heritage in stone, I thought that, rather than just renovations, why not rebuild the homes exactly as they were but with modern finishes and appliances?’ James employs three full-time staff – site supervisor, project manager and interior designer – along with 50 trades, of diverse skills, on a contract basis. ‘We still do some renovations but most of our work is in new homes. I source heritage mouldings and work out the general design of each house. We then use separate designers for the stonework. ‘Victorian period villas are the most requested style,’ he says. ‘Clients will give us an image or idea of the type of house they want. We then go about deconstructing the elements of that house, for instance seeing what moulds are available from that period’. 102 HOUSING SEPTEMBER 2018