Located in the rugged Lower Blue Mountains west of Sydney, La Vista is a grand estate that called for careful revitalisation. Largely untouched since its original construction in 1911, the home – along with its expansive and intricately layered gardens – had stood as a time capsule for more than a century.

The Mountains has long been a desired destination. In the 1900s, the railway worker cottages were replaced by more impressive homes. Here, city professionals were attracted to these stately escapes. Sandstone foundations, hardwood details, lavish gardens and bushland views set the tone.

To breathe new life into this heritage-listed property, the clients engaged HIA member Ben Schofield of Tesseract Construction, alongside Andrew Burns and Nicholas Bucci of Architecture AND, to lead the transformation.

‘The aim was always to respect the home’s historic integrity while seamlessly integrating contemporary elements,’ says Ben, whose firm was awarded the Heritage Renovation gong at the 2025 HIA NSW Housing Awards for the project.

The works encompassed a series of considered alterations, including refinements to the garden landscape and the addition of a new pavilion. Externally, a palette of dark-toned timber and roofing provides a strong contrast to the interior’s warm layers of timber, stone and brick.

Key challenges included sourcing materials that closely matched the originals, managing extensive earthworks, and installing a rare, highly patterned, one-of-a-kind carpet. The result is a home that retains its authentic character while embracing modern technology — a carefully balanced renovation that honours the past while supporting contemporary living.

HOUSING spoke with Ben Schofield to find out more about the skills of blending history and modernity.

How did this project begin?

We started out with a small outdoor entertaining area. Then the architect Andrew Burns from Architecture AND reached out to us to be involved with the extensive renovation project. It was exciting but also a little intimidating as we were working with near completely original architecture.

There was no formal brief provided as the client was working closely with the architect. So, we made sure our communications were clear. If the owner or architect were onsite, we would discuss immediate design changes or amendments.

The owners and designer involved were not afraid to be bold in their aesthetic choices, all while preserving the original atmosphere of the home. 

Any challenges during the heritage-listed build?

There were a vast number of earthworks required. Our engineer had specified the requirement for 225mm stormwater pipes usually used in civil construction. This required the use of large machinery which needed to traverse tight access points.

But the biggest challenges involved the sourcing of near original materials. We went into the project with a mantra of ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’, meaning wherever possible we were using or repurposing original materials.

When we had to purchase new materials, we sourced replicas or the closest matching pieces. This ranged from mouldings, hand-made tiles and fixtures. This came down to even the smallest details. For example, we hand-machined each original door handle to be compatible with the modern Euro-style locks. This is one of the things I am the proudest of.

The wood originally used on the verandah was Crows Ash, which is not available to purchase off the shelf. We had to source this through suppliers who were able to find enough of the material stored and available on a property in Queensland.

Almost every room in the home is wallpapered, requiring a highly skilled decorator to install huge volumes with varied textures, including a custom mural wallpaper piece covering the entire hallway of the home. The carpet was also highly patterned and custom-made with no replacement or additions available. I’m sure you can imagine how challenging that was to install.

This project came with budget constraints. Renovating a heritage home of this scale in keeping with original style and materials can be extremely expensive. As our budget was limited, it was important to work closely with the clients and implement a ‘tiered’ renovations list. Tier one came from the original analysis of the build, and detailed what was achievable within the budget. Tier two was a further analysis of what was still hoped for and might still be worked into the budget.

How long did the renovation take?

The initial exterior works took around four months, which was mostly storm water works and external paths, working on the existing pool to create a blank space. Then it was around 18 months for practical completion.

La Vista is famous for its original garden setting, which was designed by the late landscape gardener, Paul Sorenson. Was sustainability a priority when revitalising the outdoor area?

Re-connection of the home to the gardens was extremely important to the owners. The garden had been cut off from the verandah when it was sealed in an earlier small renovation. The owners wanted to celebrate both the house and garden and wanted the transition between the two to feel seamless.

We wanted to make sure we repurposed original materials and reduce waste. All outdoor pathways were constructed using local sandstone, minimising transportation and the resulting emissions.

As the old swimming pool was to be filled in, we utilised demolition, inorganic waste including concrete and rubble further minimising the need for transportation and landfill costs.

All windows and doors in the home which face the verandah were custom re-glazed to heighten the thermal rating, while remaining compatible with existing frames. This was technically challenging but reduces the energy cost of heating and cooling the home.

HIA judges have commented on the attention, requiring ingenuity and sound craftmanship. How does that make you feel?

Now this project is complete, I am confident the original feel of the home is retained, but with the benefit of updated technology. There is under-floor heating, heated towel rails, remote access doors, security system, verandah blinds, air conditioning – all of which can be controlled using a mobile phone.

I’m so excited by this win for everyone involved. We have a close-knit team including a carpenter and two apprentices. We also collaborate with others in the Blue Mountains on joint ventures, including some exciting projects you may soon see on Grand Designs.

I’ve been a HIA member for over five years now and am proud of the team and what we have accomplished. I’ve found something I love to do and work hard to be the best I can at it. I’m always up for a challenge and this project shows that desire.

Could you explain the name of your business, Tesseract Construction?

The name Tesseract is a four-dimension geometric shape – a 4D equivalent of a 3D cube, which seems to perfectly fit my dream of building homes, not just structures. It’s as much about heart and warmth as it is about walls and ceilings.

Time to shine

Celebrate outstanding workmanship, innovation and leadership. Entries for the 2026 HIA Awards are now open and close in May 2026. Showcase your work, acknowledge your team and take your place among the industry’s best.

Enter now

First published on 11th March.