Tuesday 28 October 2014

Meeting the architects

One of the most pleasant outcomes of participating in Brisbane Open House was how it led to a wonderful meeting with the architects who designed our home. Apparently, the newspaper publicity about the A.F Dawson Residence earlier this month was enough to pique the interest of 82-year-old architect Peter Heathwood to pay me a visit.

And what an enormous privilege it was to meet Peter Heathwood, who also brought along the charming Michael Cardillo, a second year cadet during the time the house was built. Michael's handwriting was even on the original plans. He eventually became a partner in Heathwood's architectural firm which exists today as Heathwood, Cardillo,Wilson, although both Peter and Michael are now retired.

You know it will be a nice visit when your guests bring cake, which they did. They were simply delightful and we had a good old chat!


It was quite a special moment to have the people who conceived the design of the house come back after 51 years. They were very comfortable with the home and could talk with great ease about the design features and materials used in the home...like it was built yesterday. They were impressed at how well the home had fared for its 50 plus years.

I had a number of questions about whether or not certain things were original to the house. It was namely the use of lattice for the verandah/patio screen and balustrade, as it seemed at odds with the modernist style of the home.


I can confirm the lattice is indeed original. It was used as a buffer on the western side of the house to provide protection from the sun. The lattice pattern was also repeated for the balustrade. It is also consistent with many of Peter's other homes which used forms of screening. Michael visited the house just after it was built and remembers it quite well.

Michael said the house is very much how all of Peter's homes were built. The AF Dawson Residence is one of Peter's 'tent designs' which is quite evident when you enter the home with the central pole in the middle of the house.

Comfort and climate were the overriding imperatives in his homes. His philosophy was a home should provide shelter and his homes were designed for the best possible comfort in our sub-tropical climate. And it is a very comfortable home in which to live!


Interestingly, Peter designed all the interior and exterior Perspex light fittings himself because he said you just couldn't get decent light fittings at the time. He was chuffed they were still in the house. The yellow light shades outside were to repel mosquitoes and minimise the bugs which are attracted to white light.

The best line of the day was when Peter entered the refurbished 1980s kitchen and exclaimed, "Well, this is certainly not our work!" You'd understand why if you saw our country style kitchen which is completely out of kilter with the rest of the home.

The kitchen benches would have been much higher and would have had white Laminex bench tops which curved up the splash back and then there was a shelf  for condiments before the overhead cupboards would start. The cabinetry was originally maple plywood with black d-mould handles similar to the cabinets in our bedrooms.

Peter said to give him a call when we renovate the kitchen, as he would be able to help us out. That job has obviously jumped up in the priority list...especially given Peter's age... Stay tuned!

14 comments:

  1. It's so exciting that you've found out from the architects about the original kitchen. It will make your kitchen renovation so much easier if you have Peter to help you blend new technology with original design intent. How many people have that opportunity? Fantastic!!!

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    1. Unbelievably lucky! They were so friendly and helpful. We are very grateful to have all this information as we restore the house! xx

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  2. Great to hear he designed for the brisbane climate . So many units going up now ,lots of glass and balconies with no thought for our climate , not even fans either. So the end result is both discomfort and expensive air conditioning

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    1. Yes, the house was designed to suit the site and the movement of the sun during the day. Bedrooms are cool at night while living areas are comfortable during the heat of the day. The windows are large to encourage cross ventilation, while the soffits are extra wide to protect from the heat and summer rains. It achieves well climatically for a house from this era. Xx

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  3. This post brought tears to my eyes. It is the perfect story. What gentlemen. Renovate that kitchen. Pronto!

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    1. We are just so lucky. They were so generous with their time and information. Some architects wouldn't have given us the time of day. I wish I could have filmed the visit. It was like an amazing piece of history happened. And they said the house next door to us is a Griffin and Knowles house...so I naturally thought of you. xx

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  4. I just love that you were able to meet with the architect, I more than love it, I am so jealous! This just will never be possible for us with a home so old, but I just love this story, and that he remembered so much about your home. Just amazing! xx

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    1. Oh thanks so much Nicole. Yes sadly you'll never meet the architect of your home but you can still have a lot of fun finding out about the previous owners who add to its rich history. I was surprised at how much information I found out about our 1928 Queenslander...I knew we came full circle when distant relations contacted us about the home and completed the puzzle for me. xx

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  5. Wow, that is so cool. To be able to ask questions of them and have them view their handiwork after all these years is pretty amazing.

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    1. Hi Bea. Thanks so much for your comment. It was incredibly cool and one of the best things to happen to me as a home owner. xx

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  6. How amazing that you got to have this meeting and find out about the original design details and the kitchen and so on. You must have been overwhelmed with it. It will really add to your experience of renovating and living in this house won't it. Just think all this caused by going to look at some furniture. Shows that you never know where life will lead doesn't it. xx

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  7. It's great that you could meet the architects of your home 51 years later. They were so polite and helpful. They have excellent memories.

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  8. What a fabulous afternoon for you Anita.

    Jennifer xx

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  9. ...and it was likely to have been as exciting and as memorable for them as it was for you!

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