Passchendaele LIA Refurbishment

Client: Department of Defence
Location: Northern Territory
Project: Passchendaele LIA Refurbishment
Completion Date: August 2023
Completion Time: 25 Months
Value: $12.8M

The Larrakeyah Passchendaele Refurbishment was a restoration project that paid homage to the historical significance of a building within the Larrakeyah Barracks precinct.

Designed by architect Beni Burnett and originally constructed in 1939, the project sought to preserve the historical significance of the Passchendaele building while meeting the contemporary needs of a Defence Living-in accommodation (LIA).

The refurbishment fostered the preservation of heritage values and the original design principles featuring climate-focused elements like louvres, open air spaces and cross ventilation for cooling and sustainability. Internal layout changes reconfigure sleeping areas and improve the layout of common areas for optimised social interaction, while preserving significant heritage features like the southern staircase.

Barpa was engaged to carry out the works due to its extensive experience with heritage-listed buildings, as well as on the Defence precinct.

The scope of building works included the demolition and rebuild of all walls, roofing and windows, new bathrooms and wet areas, replacement of all flooring, paint and patching of walls and ceilings, and the replacement of all doors. All works had to conform to a heritage management plan as well as Defence requirements.

The project received a Commendation for Heritage Architecture and the EmAGN Project Award at the 2025 NT Chapter Architecture Awards. The jury noted the project's success in balancing contemporary needs with heritage values.