Murray Street Crisis Accommodation

Murray Street Crisis Accommodation

Project Data

Client

Communities Tasmania

Architects

Philp Lighton Architects

Duration

5 months

Value

$3.5 million

Completed

Dec 2020

This project involved redevelopment works at the former Waratah Hotel and bottleshop to transform the building into medium-to-long-term crisis accommodation for men.

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The redevelopment features 24 single-occupancy units, including own bathrooms, over two floors of accommodation. There are two DDA compliant units in the building.

The ground floor consists of a communal dining area, commercial kitchen, communal lounge, gymnasium and administration/support services area for the building operator.

A considerable amount of demolition work was involved in preparation for the redevelopment, including stripping out of previous accommodation floors and the hotel facilities on the ground floor.

Due to the age of the existing building, an unanticipated discovery of hazardous materials, coupled with in-ground latent conditions provided a few challenges for the project team.

In designing the redevelopment, the architect did not want to detract from the original look for the building, so brickwork from the demolition works was cleaned for reuse to maintain the original aesthetics.

A combination of Modwood and metalwork privacy screening is a feature around the outside of the building.

With the transformation of the former hotel, this new facility provides medium to long-term accommodation options for crisis accommodation provider Bethlehem House. The redevelopment further expands on their facilities at another site, offering more spaces for those in need.