Course brings fresh eyes to State’s architectural heritage

With the passing of Joan Green OAM in March, it is timely to reflect on a lifetime of service to the community and generous giving to areas such as the arts and, as this article outlines, architecture.

When the Green family children were growing up in northern Tasmania in the 1960s and ’70s, they were already immersed in caring for heritage buildings.

Through their parents, Dick and Joan, they were exposed to building conservation and to discussions with architects and builders. Together they pored over plans that would see some of Tasmania’s most cherished heritage buildings protected and revitalised.

Dick and Joan Green were deeply involved in the National Trust. Initially, it was the vision of Dick Green AM, a solicitor who would go on to become Mayor of Launceston, to co-found a Tasmanian branch of the Trust to preserve and restore Franklin House, built in 1838.

“We helped at working bees at Franklin House and Clarendon House over many years with other passionate volunteers,” Caroline Johnston, one of Dick and Joan’s children, said. “We were there on the ground.”

Members of the Green family In the years that followed, Dick was instrumental in achieving the incorporation of the Australian Council of National Trusts and served as the longest continuous member of its Board from 1965 to 1983. Joan Green OAM was also heavily involved in heritage projects and managed the Clarendon House volunteer group for over 50 years.

But the family’s interest in, and passion for, the State’s heritage buildings does not stop there.

The formative experience the Green children had visiting historic buildings and being exposed to the important roles of architects and builders is now being extended to students at the University of Tasmania’s School of Architecture and Design.

In 2019, the Dick and Joan Green Family Architectural Design Studio Award was established, a donor-funded university unit which runs every two years, alternating with The Green Family Award for Tasmanian History.

“We wanted to do something quite tangible and we decided that something that embraces the majority of the students in a class would be best as it would provide a broader impact,” Caroline said.

“After talking with the Dean at the time, we decided we’d prefer to connect up students and experts in the field, either architects or builders or materials specialists.”

In 2021, the innovative teaching and learning unit enabled a three-day field trip to visit historic buildings in Hobart, Richmond, Oatlands and Longford. Significantly, the class of 40 students were accompanied by architects involved in the buildings’ restoration and renovations.

“There was a heritage flavour but with what (course coordinator) Dr Andrew Steen calls ‘New Heritage’ – actually relooking at what you can do with a building. It seemed a really good way of helping the students with their learning,” Caroline said.

Dr Steen said the field trips and the opportunity to interact with architects involved in the various projects couldn’t have happened without the donation.

University of Tasmania School of Architecture and Design students at Brickendon in Longford Image: Andrew Steen

The students used their new insights and skills to reimagine the disused upper floors of Launceston’s historic building at 111 Wellington Street, once hotel accommodation known as the Elephant & Castle and now known as the Pizza Pub.

“The mid floor and attic have not been used for some time,” Dr Steen said. “Some records suggest the owners used to live there in the mid 1800s.”

Twelve of the student designs were chosen for a public exhibition, ‘New Castles’, held in September 2021 at Launceston’s Brickworks, and a book was also published as a result.

Design solutions to reinvigorate the space ranged from the introduction of interior cabinetry and pods to more dramatic interventions like those of student Saki White-Sugito who peeled back walls to expose the historic brick, removed the attic ceiling, and introduced white polycarbonate materials. Saki said she was particularly inspired on the field trip by architects working in Hobart on a small renovation to a heritage residence at Arthur Circus in Battery Point, and by the hotel renovation at the Henry Jones Hotel.

Due to COVID restrictions, not all of the Green family members were able to attend the New Castles exhibition, but students produced a thank you video and other materials that showed the family what they had produced and how the donation had benefited them.

“As young people in Tasmania you become fixated on moving to a bigger place to escape the intimacy. However, this experience allowed us to gain an appreciation for studying at UTAS and really demonstrated the power of supporting each other in a small community and the opportunities that come as a result,” Saki said. “As such, the Green family must be thanked.”