Awarded by the AIA: Reddam House North Shore Honoured for Heritage Design
June 2025
We’re proud to share that Reddam House North Shore by AJC Architects has won the Heritage Award at the 2025 NSW Architecture Awards.
Located on the land of the Cammeraygal People of the Eora Nation, this project exemplifies how adaptive reuse can meet contemporary needs while honouring the past. In collaboration with Inspired Education Group and Built, AJC transformed the iconic Harry Seidler-designed Simsmetal House into a state-of-the-art K–12 campus.
The design preserves and celebrates the building’s original modernist character while introducing world-class learning spaces for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. Original slab soffits were left exposed to maintain the building’s texture and integrity, while new breakout areas, performance spaces, science and tech labs, and a rooftop terrace with views of Sydney Harbour offer an inspiring and flexible learning environment.
Sustainability was a key focus, with daylighting, ventilation, low-embodied energy materials and native landscaping integrated to support long-term environmental performance. The building itself now serves as a teaching tool, embedding sustainability into the curriculum.
This award recognises the power of architecture to connect history with future-focused design. Congratulations to everyone involved — Inspired Education Group, Built — and thank you to the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects for honouring projects that respect heritage while shaping what’s next.
Skilful integration of an educational program into a former office building—Simsmetal House from 1971 by Harry Seidler and Associates—has given a new use and a new life to this locally-listed heritage item. The success of the project relied on the early involvement of AJC Architects, who identified the potential of north-facing terraces, roof-top areas and relatively flexible floor plans as positive features, providing a firm foundation for the successful adaptive reuse to its new K-12 educational purpose. Careful consideration was given to the necessary remediation of a defining feature of Seidler’s architecture—the brick-formed brise soleil facades to the east and west. While substantial work was required to remediate these facades, working in collaboration with the Seidler office has ensured the design integrity of the originals have been retained. AJC understood the significance of the original building and have shown how heritage-listed offices can be successfully transformed for other uses.
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