The Arts and Crafts movement is often recognized as the architectural movement that was contemporary that was global. With each country having distinct names and variations of this style, Arts and Crafts prospered equally in Europe, Britain, the USA and Australia.
When Arts and Crafts appeared in Australia in the late 19th century, the country was ripe for change. Not just were Australians coming from the 1890s depression, but in 1901 the Australian colonies were federated, making Australia its own commonwealth. The country was looking for its own quintessential style which was less austere compared to British structure of the past and much more about work, comfort and displaying the beauty of raw materials.
Of course, strong British influences failed apply to this time in Australian structure, as numerous architects emigrated from England. Close ties with the United States also demonstrated significant. This new frontier considered in a more holistic, honest and unornamented house that reflected family architecture and values for the average Australian.
Many contemporary Australian architects put longevity and sustainability high in their list when designing a home. No wonder they draw inspiration from the architects of this Arts and Crafts time, as the houses of the time still stand glorious — a real testament to the craftsmen and their work.
See whether any components in these five great examples of Australian Arts and Crafts architecture speak to your design tastes.
1. Chadwick House. One in a group of 3 houses, the Chadwick House was designed in 1904 by architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear, who constructed the house for himself and his family. Desbrowe-Annear was instrumental in introducing open-plan residing into residential projects and often incorporated modernist Australian thoughts with Gothic resurrection principles to his work.
The home’s unpretentious exterior is coated in two distinct substances — the lower section in beveled timber boards, and the top in roughcast panels. The vertical wood layouts on the U-shaped balustrades on the veranda extend until the gables, displaying the builder’s Gothic-inspired ideas.
Desbrowe-Annear considered the extreme shifts of Melbourne’s climate when designing the house. He concealed ventilation ducts in most of the ceilings and put windows to catch the winter sun and summer breezes. He took inspired English designs and made them work for Australia’s sunburnt landscape long before sustainable structure was fashionable.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Hayhayleyley
2. Ailsa House. This home’s architect, Bertrand Waterhouse, was a well-known Sydney architect who obtained most of his inspiration from British architects C.F.A. Voysey and Baillie Scott. Waterhouse considered in designs of unnecessary encumbrances.
The Ailsa House, designed in 1908, offers a Normal illustration of Waterhouse’s Arts and Crafts style. This house includes a foundation. Sandstone is the bedrock for the majority of Sydney — it’s distinctive earthy qualities and was often utilized in buildings of this age.
Growing up by a single-story kitchen into 2 stories at its gabled entry, this house is made up of a collection of steep gabled roofs, roughcast outdoor walls, protruding balconies and shade-stone arched openings. On each altitude, bays and balconies deliver built-in seating. Like lots of Waterhouse’s houses, the Ailsa House is adorned with exposed timber ceiling beams and wainscoting from the main inside rooms.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sardaka
3. St. Ellero, Appian Way. At the onset of the 20th century, businessman George J. Hoskins bought 80,000 square meters (nearly 20 acres) of land in Sydney. In partnership with designer and builder William Richards, Hoskins had a vision to build beautiful houses and rent them out to individuals with social standing. Richards designed several of the houses on this site; 2 (including St. Ellero) were designed from the Arts and Crafts style.
Typical features of this season stand out, like the white roughcast rendering, pebble dash walls, low roofline, sandstone around the windows and doorways, and repeating chimneys.
Many architects of this time shared with the belief that by embracing certain construction materials — like wooden barrels at the beams and bare stone and brick — you disclosed the building’s true beauty.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons user J Bar
4. Craignairn. Architect Howard Joseland constructed this house in 1909. He migrated from England to Australia, with very little fondness to the Victorian structure he left.
Joseland’s houses were designed for the climate. He positioned verandas for summer shading on sides. He liked to display the substances he used. His interiors were filled with rich paneling made of local timber.
Craignairn is a superb illustration of Joseland’s layout principles. This project is an imposing two-story brick home with stunning rock features on the pillars and around windows. Originally the roof and the balconies were made from oak shingles — a brand new element that came from america.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Clytemnestra
5. Devon. Designed by owner-architect Arthur Leslie Bayley in 1923, the Devon house technically falls outside the Arts and Crafts era, but it is still a striking case of the period in Australia.
In 1904, 101 acres of property was subdivided in Sydney’s Centennial Park — and every storyline came with a caveat. To guarantee a high standard of construction, no wooden structures or terraces were okay. Instead, only brick or stone was to be utilized, with just slate or tile roofs. The Devon house demonstrates how an architect may follow these standards with amazing results.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sardaka