The Modern Home
For many years the modern home has been at odds with dominant contemporary views of what heritage should be. However, little by little, it is gaining the recognition it deserves. Modern architectural heritage is a crystallisation of radical experimentation, technological advancements and shifts in social values and cultural identities. Below is an exploration of a handful of extraordinary Mid-Century architectural gems and pockets of modernist innovation in Victoria.
The Post-War period saw the clearing of large Victorian mansion estates for residential subdivision which continued into the 1950s and 60s, particularly in suburbs such as Toorak, Beaumaris, Hawthorn, Bawlyn North, Caulfield and Kew. Zones of inner suburban land became desirable destinations for new Mid-Century homes, due partly to the closure of large institutions and the continual growth of public transport lines. Following the high demand for housing in the post-war period and the easing of restrictions on materials and size imposed on housing developments during the 1920s, there were many attempts by governments and organisations to solve the housing crisis. The Small Homes Service, concentrated within the outer-eastern and south-eastern suburbs, was established in 1947 by the RVIA alongside the Age Newspaper. The initiative enabled prospective homeowners to purchase copies of plans and specifications for a two or three-bedroom house in brick veneer or timber, designed by some of Melbourne’s notable young architects for a mere￡5. Other initiatives turned to mass production and prefabrication to densify Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
Avoiding restrictions on conventional construction materials, architects thought outside the box, turning to unconventional materials such as concrete block, steel frames, strawboard panels, plywood and sprayed concrete. Developments were made by architects such as Peter McIntyre in developing new construction systems, such as the bow-string truss system. These modernist homes were typically flat roofed structures with a strong horizontal emphasis, exposed brickwork or concrete exteriors and innovative shading devices integrated into the architectural form. Whilst some architects experimented with stacked L-shaped volumes, others abandoned rectilinear geometry altogether. Architects were beginning to consider orientation and climate, designing buildings that worked with the natural topography of the land rather than against it. These homes challenged residential trends which relied on small compartmentalised rooms and separated living spaces. Their interiors, which celebrated natural textures and finishes, still capture our imagination today.
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Heide II
Heide II was designed for art patrons and collectors John and Sunday Reed on their large estate on the banks of the Yarra at Bulleen. Completed in 1965, the spacious house is made up of intersecting L-shaped linear forms, white terrazzo floors, timber lined ceilings and window trims and monumental Mt Grambier limestone blockwork walls which extend beyond frameless glass panels into the surrounding landscape, blurring distinctions between inside and outside. The interior spaces in Heide II are riddled with hidden surprises, such as a sunken lounge fitted out with raw textured wool carpet and a colossal fireplace.
Modernism in Studley Park
Areas of land along the Yarra River, which were previously subjected to a flood easement resulting from the devastating Melbourne floods of 1934, were released for sale after the war. Architects took inspiration from the lush bushland and steep topography, which naturally lent itself to modernist split level sections and cantilevering forms. This resulted in an unusually dense pocket of architecturally designed, modernist homes in the now heritage listed precinct. Architects such as Robin Boyd, Chancellor and Patrick, Roy Grounds, Graeme Gunn, Daryl Jackson and McGlashan and Everist have all contributed to this extraordinary pocket along the Yarra River.
The Pettigrew House is one of Boyd’s earliest residential designs, completed in 1946. The L-shaped cream brick dwelling presents to the street with a blank wall and embraces the surrounding bushland with a large expanse of north facing glazing, consisting of continuous banks of casement sash windows. This first floor addition was added in 1950 by Kevin Pethebridge.
The L-shaped form of Robin Boyd’s Date House is nestled within a steeply sloped site. One can look straight through this light and airy split-level house into the bushland fronting the Yarra River.
McGlashan and Everist’s Guss House (1961) floats over an undercroft car-parking space with a rear courtyard enclosing a colossal eucalyptus tree.
Harry Ernest designed three houses in the Yarra Bend area, similarly experimenting with floating horizontal volumes.
Built in 1966, Robin Boyd’s Lawrence House and Flats comprises a complex of three separate residences, a house and two flats, all connected via a covered walkway. The complex is constructed in a pier and infill system with face brown brickwork. A dark coloured flat roof with a recessed fascia and box gutters seems to float above a complex facade, with bands of brickwork separated by irregular recessed strips of full height glazing. Internally, the bands of brickwork function as inset built-in walnut shelves.
Graeme Gunn’s Molesworth Street Townhouses (1986) in Kew are one of Gunn’s most celebrated multi-residential projects. Built in a pale grey concrete block, the robust, parapetted cuboid volumes contrast against dark coloured timber canopies which extend over cantilevered balconies.
The Biancardi House was designed by German emigré husband and wife firm Gerd & Renate Block in 1958. The multi-faceted house was strategically angled in a way that took in views of the Yarra River, with large areas of glazing broken up by masonry panels laid in an unusual basketweave pattern. The house is now largely concealed by contemporary development.
Russian emigre architect, Anatol Kagan’s Bell House is a modestly sized cream brick dwelling constructed in 1950 juts out in an assertive cantilever. The home has been carefully restored by Kennedy Nolan to remove inappropriate alterations and improve the connection with the backyard.
Modernism in Mornington Peninsula
Another area which became a testing ground for innovative Modernist residential design was Mornington Peninsula. Modern holiday homes evoked simple relaxed living with low maintenance materials and spaces that encouraged communality. Interiors were fitted out with foldaway tables, serving benches between the kitchen and living area and natural stone and hardwood finishes. Externally, entry points were arranged to avoid formal entrances and large sweeping balconies embraced views to the sea. A strong emphasis on informality was essential to the design of these modern holiday homes. The Ranelagh Estate planned in 1924 by Walter Burley Griffin saw a concentration of innovative homes by well known modernist architects, including Roy Grounds, Frederick Romberg and Robin Boyd.
The work of Frankston based firm, Chancellor and Patrick, is the most prominent within Mornington Peninsula. The McCraith House, constructed in 1955, exemplifies the firm’s work at its most experimental. The home is composed of a triangular tubular steel framing system with a striking butterfly roof form.
Roy Ground’s heritage listed Ramsay House perched on a steep cliff above Ranlagh Beach, Mount Eliza was constructed in 1937. The modest little timber framed home is arguably the first modernist homes in Victoria, introducing an honest expression of materials and minimalist approach to detailing. The complex split level form was an innovative approach to managing the steep topography of the site. Sixteen years later, Grounds designed Frankston’s iconic Henty House (colloquially known as the Round House), which completely broke away from rectilinear geometry in order to take full advantage of surrounding views.
Another renowned architect whose work introduced modern forms to areas of Frankston in the Post-War period was, of course, Robin Boyd. Examples of his work in the area include the Pelican Myer house (1956) and the Tal Tal House (1951) both in Mount Eliza, the Marriott House (1954) in Flinders and the Farfor Flats (1968) in Portsea. The Farfor Flats complex was made up of four small flats grouped in pairs, each with an unusual internal arrangement in which a long semi-enclosed outdoor space, in place of a central hallway, separated the bedrooms and bathrooms from an open courtyard and small galley kitchen. An open plan living area was pushed to the rear of the flats, enclosed by wide floor to ceiling glazed sliding doors to the rear. These open onto a patio sheltered by dramatically angled verandahs. The central outdoor ‘spine’ was sadly enclosed in an early 2000s restoration.
Boyd’s Marks House in Mount Martha features a whimsical walkway extending from the open plan living area to a floating platform deck, affording views onto the sea. The platform mirrors the humble timber piers found throughout the Mornington Peninsula area.
Preserving the Modern Home Today
These Modern homes continue to pose some challenges from a heritage perspective. As planning scheme requirements often lay emphasis on the public realm, the interior focussed nature of these homes are often overlooked or placed under threat due to their unassuming streetspace presence. Another challenge with conserving modern architecture, is the limited lifespan of some modern lightweight cladding materials. In many cases, the importance of form, function and social value may surpass the importance of preserving physical fabric. Engaging a heritage architect is an important step to reviving these Mid-Century gems. Whilst so many of these homes have fallen victim to demolition and inappropriate additions, heritage architects will approach change with an understanding of the architect’s original intentions and an in-depth knowledge of appropriate material substitutions.
Wexhaus’ Lyrebird house is a complete renovation of a uniquely-designed architect’s home that was built in the ’70s. The house was large enough that no extension was needed. Wexhaus underwent the exercise of redeploying the spaces to better suit our current lifestyles, as well as that of the owners. There was a lot of restraint practised in the execution of this reborn brutalist house. Many characteristic elements, like the timber open tread staircase were lovingly adapted to meet current standards.
