Wahroonga Townhouses | Heritage Listed Site

The Wahroonga Townhouses are located behind the award-winning heritage listed Rothiemay House. This townhouse development demonstrates how careful architectural design can balance heritage conservation, environmental protection and new residential development within a sensitive site.

Zoning
The site is zoned R2 Low Density Residential, requiring a measured approach to density while responding to both heritage and ecological constraints.

Constraints & Opportunities
The property contains the heritage-listed Rothiemay House along with areas of critically endangered Sydney Blue Gum High Forest (BGHF). The site is rectangular, gently sloping away from the street, with a northern aspect to the rear. These conditions presented significant constraints, but also a unique opportunity to create a development that both protects and enhances its natural and historic setting.

Design Strategy
The architectural design adopts a battle-axe community title subdivision, positioning six contemporary townhouses to the rear of the site. The new dwellings are carefully sited to respect the heritage curtilage of Rothiemay House while preserving and integrating the BGHF under a Vegetation Management Plan. Internally, the homes are generous in scale, with two-storey voids and large openings that capture northern light and frame views into the surrounding forest, creating a strong connection between built form and landscape.

Approval Pathway
The Development Application, lodged with Ku-ring-gai Council, was ultimately approved by the Land and Environment Court (LEC). The scheme was supported by Council’s heritage incentive provisions (now clause 5.10) under the Local Environmental Plan (LEP), which enabled additional development potential in exchange for the substantial conservation and ongoing maintenance of the heritage-listed item.

Outcome / Value Proposition
This project highlights how strategic architectural design can unlock development potential on highly constrained land. By aligning heritage conservation with ecological protection and contemporary living, the scheme delivers a sensitive, compliant and high-quality outcome that adds long-term value to both the site and its broader context.

Architectural Services
Our engaged services extended to preparing the concept design, architectural documentation and project management of the consultancy team for the Development Application (DA), Construction Documentation and site attendance during construction.

Architect | McCullum Ashby Architects

Multi-Dwelling | Ku-ring-gai Council

Site Area = ~4,849m² | 6 dwellings | 12 car spaces

Keywords | Wahroonga, multi-dwelling, townhouses, subdivision, heritage, LEC.