Heritage Consultants

Balancing design and heritage for a richer future.

Origin Architecture is a small consultancy practice, headed up by Amanda Hinds, and situated in Newcastle, servicing the Hunter & Sydney regions. With over 25 years’ experience in heritage and the construction industry we provide a comprehensive range of practical heritage and architectural services including:

You can always build new but you can’t replace heritage.

Heritage Consulting:

Heritage advice
Local heritage Studies
Adaptive reuse
Building conservation surveys
Design Guideline Preparation
Heritage nominations (Local & State)
Conservation Management Plans (CMPs)
Heritage feasibility reports
Heritage interpretation

Architectural Design:

Our clients include private property owners, architects, local councils, state government departments, body corporates & religious institutions.

The retention of heritage buildings creates a city with a richer tapestry in the built form …….it gives the city deeper substance.

Amanda Hinds

BA (Arch), BArch (Hons), MBA (Glasgow)

Amanda established Origin Architecture in 2017. She has experience working in a mix of local council, state government and in private architecture practices. She has worked with Macedon Council as their Heritage Advisor, spent several years at Heritage Victoria and has worked in a selection of private practices -with varying focuses including heritage advice and consulting, alterations and additions, and medium density design.

Amanda is passionate about all things heritage and architecture and has been involved with various organisations including the Geelong & Newcastle Historical societies, The Scottish Civic Trust, and The National Trust of Australia (NSW). She is currently the Secretary of the National Trust – Hunter Branch.

The magic happens in architecture when new meets old & the conversation that then ensues.

Frequently Asked Question's

1. What makes Origin Architecture & Heritage different?

We are a small client centred practice with a strong background in design, which when coupled with our understanding of heritage and planning requirements, means we can greatly assist clients towards achieving their design goals within a heritage framework.

We can advise clients and architects who are wanting to push the boundaries of modern design within a heritage context BEFORE they lodge, in order to give them a better chance of success in the approval process.

We also enjoy the challenges presented by adaptive reuse of period buildings in general and are happy to advise clients who are looking for functional solutions in blending the old and the new, even where heritage requirements are not in place.

Our passion is demystifying heritage for both the architect and the client in order to better inform them and make for a smoother process towards achieving their desired design outcome.

2. What are heritage impact statements and why do I need one?

If your project involves a local or state heritage listed item, is in or is adjacent to a heritage conservation area or item then most Councils will require a Heritage Impact Statement (HIS). The HIS is a document that forms part of the Statement of Environmental Effects (SOEE) which must be submitted with your development proposal for DA approval or certification.

A HIS identifies and evaluates potential impacts of a proposal against the heritage values of a listed place or area. HIS’s will vary in complexity dependent on the nature of the proposal & the number of heritage items or areas that may be affected by the proposal. The main points that a HIS is required to cover include:

Why is the item or area of significance?
What impact will the proposed works have on the significance of the item or area?
What specific measures are suggested to counteract any negative impacts of the proposal on the item or area?
Where necessary, why more sympathetic solutions are just not viable?

3. How do I find out whether heritage requirements will affect my property?

With respect to local heritage an easy first step is to check the Local Environmental Plans (LEP) for your specific Council – just refer to their website. Commonly Heritage is found under Schedule 5 in the written documents by locality, & alternatively there is a map version in the NSW Planning Portal that distinguishes heritage items, areas, archaeological and landscapes. Another option is to check the State Heritage Register for NSW which is maintained by Heritage NSW. A link is below in ‘Heritage related sites’. Both local and state heritage ‘places’ can be found here.

Alternatively contact Origin Architecture & Heritage – we deal with heritage checks on a regular basis and can navigate the various sites in no time which will help to inform the decision-making process for your proposal.

It is definitely best to find out any heritage implications early on in your project as they can have a major effect on which avenues to pursue.