Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct is an exemplar of adaptive reuse, breathing new life into two Council-owned buildings constructed a century apart, alongside the revitalisation of Norman Lee Place to form a new public square in Bondi Junction.

The Boot Factory, a structurally condemned 1892 industrial building, was transformed through a carefully considered design strategy that retained its original brick walls while replacing the failed interior with a prefabricated Australian hardwood structure. By linking this building to the adjacent 1990s Mill Hill Centre, the project enabled shared amenities, lifts and services, while supporting the integration of Council functions.

The Boot Factory now provides a series of flexible spaces for community workshops, exhibitions, and events, capitalising on high ceilings, natural light and ventilation, qualities of the original building that was built before electricity. The stripped-back Mill Hill Centre accommodates offices, a seniors and community centre, a café, and multipurpose rooms, all enhanced by improved spatial clarity and daylighting.

Together, these buildings form a civic campus that balances functionality, heritage, and environmental performance. Passive strategies, such as natural ventilation, solar control and thermal mass, are supported by geothermal heating and cooling, solar energy, and sustainable landscape elements.

Crucially, the project delivers significant public benefit and operational efficiency without increasing building mass. Material selections, including glue-laminated Australian hardwood, low-VOC finishes, and recycled timber, were guided by longevity and performance. The precinct demonstrates the value of interior design beyond decoration and aesthetics, to become a vehicle that supports adaptive reuse and heritage renewal, which when done holistically, can meet ambitious environmental targets while supporting long-term civic and cultural use.

Photography by Hamish McIntosh, Peter Bennetts, and Murray Fredericks