An Unfinished Experiment in Living: Australian Houses 1950-65

Geoffrey Leslie London, Philip Goad, Conrad Hamann

Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

Abstract

Architect-designed houses of the period 1950-65 proposed an innovative response to the social, economic and climatic conditions of post-war Australia. At the same time they embraced the aesthetic, technological and egalitarian aspirations of modern architecture.

An Unfinished Experiment in Living traces the emergence of this architectural phenomenon in Australia, documenting the full range of its expression: from the post war optimism of the early 1950s through to the affluence of the 1960s.

This book is a catalogue of the most significant houses of the period. It includes comprehensive plans and period photographs of 150 houses from around Australia, such as Wahroonga (NSW), Deakin (ACT), Rostrevor (SA), Frankston (Vic), South Hobart (Tas), Darwin (NT), Mount Lawley (WA) and Sherwood (Qld). It puts forward new research founded on the premise that the most significant houses of the 1950s and 60s represent an unfinished and undervalued experiment in modern living. Issues such as the open plan, the changing nature of the family, the embrace of advances in technology, the use of the courtyard, and the orientation of the house to capture sun and privacy, were valuable and critical lessons.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationPerth, Western Australia
PublisherUWA Publishing
Number of pages450
ISBN (Print)9781742586694
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2017

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