The Tahija Foundation in collaboration with the Banda Cultural Heritage Foundation are working to renovate the former official residence of the Deputy Governor General of VOC in Banda Neira which was initially built when VOC made the island as their headquarter prior to relocation to Batavia (present day Jakarta). For the renovation, the Tahija Foundation funded a research to seek out period references of building, appliances and accessories, and then carried out the renovation according to existing guidelines on renovation of heritage buildings.

The project is expected to complete (including inner courtyard and rear portion of the building) by the end of January 2011. It is unfortunate that one of main thrust behind the renovation, Mr. Des Alwi passed away just days after reconstruction of the main building concluded in early November 2010. The Tahija Foundation aims to promote the approach of research and historical based renovation in future efforts to renovate other period buildings in Banda Neira and elsewhere.