house is that?A guide to Victoria’s housing styles

what

house is that?A guide to Victoria’s housing styles

what

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2004 is the year of

the built environment>

ForewordMary Delahunty, MPMinister For Planning

2004, the Year of the Built Environment, providesus with the opportunity to celebrate Victoria’sunique built heritage.

Our built heritage is an important part of ourdaily lives – particularly our homes. To a largeextent, it is our homes that have chartedVictoria’s social, economic and cultural history.Whether from the 1890s or the 1960s, ourhomes have recognisable features that reflectthe era in which they were built.

However, heritage can only survive if it adaptswith the community. The best outcome for bothheritage and the community is to identify andpreserve heritage and incorporate it into futureplans and development. Our heritage homes areperfect examples of heritage remaining entwinedwith the community in a sustainable way.

It is important to understand and appreciate abuilding’s values and history, no matter what erait is from.

Whether you are a student of Victoria’s heritageor a home renovator, I hope you will find thisbooklet a useful and easy guide to some of themore common architectural styles of housing inVictoria.

Mary Delahunty, MPMinister For Planning

This publication is a joint project between Heritage Victoria and the Building Commissionto celebrate the Year of the Built Environment 2004, and our built heritage.

Heritage Victoria is the Victorian Government's agency for historicalcultural heritage. We are a part of the Department of Sustainabilityand Environment.

We are involved with the identification, protection and interpretation of Victoria's outstanding cultural heritage, providing information and advice, assisting decision-making and project design andencouraging appropriate development. We are architects,archaeologists, horticulturalists, planners, historians, conservators and marine heritage specialists.

We provide administrative support for the Heritage Council of Victoriaand ensure that the provisions of the Heritage Act are undertakensatisfactorily. This includes the Victorian Heritage Register, a list of protected heritage places of state or greater significance. The Register includes those places which are protected under the Victorian Heritage Act, ranging from buildings, landscapes,shipwrecks, archaeological sites, plantings, monuments and much more.

For further information please contact us:[03] 9655 6519www.heritage.vic.gov.au

The Building Commission is a statutory authority that oversees thebuilding control system in Victoria. We ensure the safety, liveabilityand sustainability of our built environment.

The Commission does this by bringing vision, innovation andleadership to the Victorian building industry. We regulate buildingpractices, advise Government and provide services to industry andconsumers.

The Commission aims to deliver:> Stronger industry leadership through: partnering and

issues leadership; industry outcomes measurement; informed consumers; building sustainability

> Better building control through: continuous practitionerdevelopment; renewal of building quality assurance; buildingknowledge management

The Building Commission is located in Melbourne and has regional offices in Ballarat, Sale and Wangaratta.

For further information please contact us:[03] 9285 6400www.buildingcommission.com.au

Introduction ContentsWhy would someone put akangaroo on the roof of ahouse? I used to wonder becausemy tram passed a house with aterracotta kangaroo on the roofand stained glass kookaburras in the window.

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Even the humblest houses outlive thepeople who build them or choose them.While city buildings rise and fall, wholesuburbs stay much as they were built. Youcan stand in the street in East Melbourneand imagine what it was like in 1900, orsee the 1920s in a street in Essendon.

As you travel out from the city you can seegrowth rings (with denser knots aroundrailway stations) as house styles havechanged over time, sometimes graduallyand sometimes with dramatic jumps. Theyreflect the attitudes and ideas in the air atthe time, and remain a built graph of thecollective unconscious of each era inVictoria’s history.

When we choose to live in a house built ina period other than our own, we usuallywant to preserve at least something of theoriginal, and this booklet can help achievethat objective. It describes the main stylesof houses still present in Melbourne,including their cultural background and keyexterior and interior features and colours.Knowing this helps us avoid mistakeswhen we are renovating, like puttinghorizontal windows in a Queen Annehouse, or terracotta tiles on a Victorianhouse.

It also gives us a deeper appreciation ofour built heritage, as we understand – forexample – that the starkness of modernismderives from a striving for purity in theyears after World War II and that kangaroosreplaced dragons on rooftops at the handsof people flushed with patriotism in theearly years of federation.

David Harvey Architect, Illustrator and Historical Advisorto this publication

Timeline > 08

Housing Styles In Detail:

Early Victorian > 10

Mid Victorian > 12

Late Victorian Boom Style > 14

Queen Anne > 16

Edwardian > 18

Californian Bungalow > 20

Early Modern > 22

Modern > 24

Tips for Sustainable Renovation > 26

Further Information > 27

08

Colonial >

Neo Gothic >

Early Victorian >

Italianate >

Tudor >

Mid Victorian >

Late Victorian/Boom Style >

English/Arts & Crafts >

Queen Anne >

Federation >

Edwardian >

Californian Bungalow >

Spanish Mission >

Art Deco >

Early Modern >

Austerity >

Modern >

Triple Fronted >

1780

1790

1800

1810

1820

1830

1840

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

TimelineA new architectural style emerges whenseveral buildings share similarcharacteristics, often influenced bybuilding practices and by the mood ofthe times such as the confidentboldness after the gold rush. Periodssometimes end abruptly, such as in thedepression of 1892 or the two worldwars, but more often they flow from oneto another with long overlaps.Characteristics of older houses cansometimes be seen in contemporaryhomes, and for many styles, there is nodefinitive beginning or end - the datesgiven here are when the main thrust ofeach style occurred.

There is usually a delay between thecommencement of a style and itswidespread adaptations in generalhousing. It is also rare to find examplesof houses from before 1851 in Victoria.

Please note that this booklet does notcover all known housing types in Victoria,but rather, looks at the most common.

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exterior colours >

Light Stone

Earth

Brown

BrunswickGreen

Biscuit

LightCream

Terracotta

PurpleBrown

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EA

RLY V

ICTO

1840>1860

11

renovation notes >> roofs natural galvanised colour, or painted to match slate, or colours like maroon or cream> verandah roofs often painted in alternating vertical bands, with eau-de-nil (pale green) undersides> external walls generally variations of cream and brown with trims matching wood colours18

40>1

860

Early VictorianAustralian houses built between1840 and 1860 are relativelysimple, whether terraced orfreestanding. Usually sited closeto the footpath, they have one ortwo rooms across the front, withone room sometimes projectedforward in freestanding houses.Their appearance is formal butplain, with simple or noverandahs and restrainedornamentation.

outside >> pitched, hipped roofs of slate or

corrugated iron

> red brick or rendered brick walls, oftenpainted to look like more expensive materialssuch as stone; or square-edgedweatherboards

> tall, narrow windows simply placed in the middle of each room

> limited ornamentation

inside >> moulded skirtings and architraves, but

ceilings often unadorned, with any ceilingroses and cornices fairly small and limited to front rooms

> timber lining boards

> hessian with wall-paper

garden >> fences made of simple pickets with straight

cut, arrow, round or spade head tops;capped corrugated iron fences sometimesused on side streets

> a great variety of vegetables and fruit treesrather than ornamental plants were used

10

21

exterior colours >

LightCream

Fawn

Light Stone

DeepBrunswickGreen

Pink Beige

Light Buff

VenetianRed

LightPurpleBrown

20

MID

VIC

TO

RIA

1860>1875

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renovation notes >> external walls brown or red brick, with white or cream at corners and openings> rendered walls left natural grey, painted or lime-washed; timber versions painted to match stone

colours or various creams> trims, roofs and verandahs use the same darker, stronger colours as early Victorian style > interiors painted in harmonious bands of lower wall, upper wall, ceiling, with smaller strips

of highlight colours on cornices1860

>187

5Mid VictorianWhile retaining a similar form toits earlier Victorian precursors,this era of house design isdistinguished by a greater level ofornamentation. There is anincreased use of stucco onexterior surfaces, while decorativebrickwork is prevalent infashionable houses of the period.Verandahs, particularly those withtimber frames, are common andoften incorporate cast ironlacework and patterned tile floors.

outside >> timber houses used square edged

weatherboards or wooden panels simulating block stonework

> decorative brackets appear under eaves

> some use of multiple window frames

> red and blue stained glass beside entry doors

inside >> large and elaborate skirtings, architraves,

cornices and ceiling roses

> walls and ceiling painted in harmoniousbands of colour

> timber lining boards stained or painted

> paint or wall-paper or hard plaster

garden >> fences feature more complex picket heads,

while cast iron palisade pickets withbluestone or rendered brick plinths andcolumns are starting to appear

> this period was dominated by the planting ofconifers and fast growing evergreen trees

12

21

exterior colours >

PaleCream

Light Stone

Brown

Maroon

LightCream

Biscuit

Eau-de-nil

LightPurple

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LA

TE V

ICTO

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1875>1892

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renovation notes >> where visible, slates on roofs often laid in patterns, sometimes multi-coloured> external walls red or brown brick, with white or cream at corners; rendered walls usually left natural grey> trims similar to earlier Victorian styles, but colours stronger and more vivid> complexity of ornament and colour diminish from front to back of house18

75>1

892

Late Victorian Boom StyleAs wealth and confidenceincrease, houses still resembleearlier Victorian types in form, butassume a much grander, ornateappearance incorporatingelements of the Italianate andfiligree styles. Freestandinghouses usually have oneprojecting room while terraceshave a flat front wall but tallornamented parapets andprojecting wing walls at each endof the verandah. Both types, butparticularly terrace houses, aresited fairly close to the street.

outside >> Italianate elements such as rendered walls,

tall parapets, arches and moulded ornaments

> multi-coloured and tuckpointed brickwork;timber versions used wooden blockspatterned and painted to look like ashlarstone

> dense and even spread of ornamentation,including intricate iron lacework and complextiled patterns on verandah floors and entrypathways

> increasing use of triple windows and blue andred coloured glass beside entry doors

> doorways and windows sometimes arched

inside >> lavish internal ornamentation

> more varied, complex and stronger colours

> complex paint and wall-paper schemes

garden >> fences commonly palisade-style with cast

iron spears on stone plinths and ornamentedend piers of stone or cast iron

> similar to Mid Victorian with bold and strapfoliaged plants such as Yuccas, Aloes, Canna,Alocasia, Wigandia, Croton, Cordyline,Draceana, Musa, bamboos & ferns

14

21

exterior colours >

LightStraw

Manilla

Red Oxide

Red Brick

LightCream

Pale Green

BrilliantGreen

OliveGreen

20

QUEEN

AN

NE

1895>1910

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renovation notes >> strong colours, textures and ornament applied fairly evenly over the whole building> red brickwork with flush joints and unglazed ‘Marseilles’ roof tiles> weatherboards on timber version usually painted cream, buff or brown> gable ends and stucco often given a natural grey wash or painted cream> timber mouldings to gable ends painted dark brown or sometimes cream,

other woodwork painted cream, brown or green 1895

>191

0Queen AnneDerived from English andAmerican styles that revivedelements from the architecture ofQueen Anne’s reign (1702-14),these picturesque houses aredeliberately complex, creating akind of vigorous grandeur. Mostare freestanding and set wellback from the street, but terracedversions do exist. Plans invariablyhave one room projected forward,often with others projectingsideways from the main body ofthe house.

outside >> steeply pitched roofs, with at least one gable

end facing the street and often an octagonalturret

> widespread ornamentation, includingterracotta ridge cappings, finials, dragonsand gargoyles; fretted freize panels and postbrackets, turned verandah posts, chimneycornices and terracotta pots

> leadlight windows and fretwork featuringpatterns ranging from geometric toextravagant art nouveau designs

inside >> ceilings often divided into panels ornamented

with plaster straps and shallow patterns withart nouveau motifs

> frequent use of timber panelling on lowerwalls in front rooms

> fire-places and ingle-nooks. Walls with picturerails and sometimes wall-paper, pressedmetal or painted plaster

garden >> fences usually timber pickets with fretted

picket heads

> palms were very popular and native treeswere beginning to be used

16

21

exterior colours >

PaleCream

Red Oxide

VenetianRed

Red Brick

LightCream

Light Straw

Eu-de-nil

MidBrunswick

20

ED

WA

RD

IAN 1901>1916

19

renovation notes >> roofs usually slate, terracotta tiles or corrugated iron (often painted terracotta)> gable ends ornamented with rough stucco, left natural grey or painted cream, and battens painted dark brown> verandahs increasingly feature timber fretwork rather than cast iron lacework ornamentation

1901

>191

6EdwardianAlso known as Federation style,houses built at this time draw onboth Victorian and Queen Annefeatures. They follow a similar planto Victorian houses, but are setfurther back from the street. Manymid-Victorian ornaments are stillused, but houses are less grandthan in the Boom Period, due tothe impact of the depression of1892.

outside >> lofty, steeply-sloped hipped roofs with wide

eaves, behind prominent, front-facing gableends

> walls of red brickwork with flush joints, withcream-painted render to bases and gable endsor in bands on larger buildings

> timber versions use ashlar blocks painted stonecolours, or square-edged bull-nosedweatherboards, painted cream

> return L-shaped verandahs, roofed withcorrugated iron and ornamented with iron laceor timber fretwork

> windows often made up of several tall narrowframes with small square sashes andsunshades supported by timber brackets

inside >> Victorian ornaments such as plaster cornices,

ceiling roses, skirtings and architraves still popular

> stained glass in front windows, featuringgeometric and curvilinear shapes andsometimes native plants or birds

garden >> fences commonly timber pickets

> palms were used & occasional native plantings

18

exterior colours >

Cream

Buff

MissionBrown

Indian Red

Pale Green

Slate

Grey Green

Royal Blue

20

CA

LIF

OR

NIA

N

1910>1930

21

renovation notes >> roofs usually terracotta tiles or, if corrugated iron, painted red or green> walls red brick with flush joints, and brown or green-stained shingles at gable ends> timber walls painted cream, buff and stone with verandah trims in tones of brown or dark green> windows either double hung or casement, with panes in small rectangles or diamonds or featuring

Art Nouveau or Arts & Crafts patterned stained glass> verandah brackets, flat roof rafters, roof eaves brackets and verandah details often ornamented

with curvilinear carving> ceilings divided into panels with plaster straps, patterned in front rooms but plain in back rooms19

10>1

930

Californian BungalowWith variants that includeIndian and Tudor revival as wellas the Californian original, theserugged and cosy looking housescombine Arts and Crafts conceptswith the ideal of the simple housein a natural setting. More rusticthan preceding styles, most aresingle storey with a simple L-shaped plan and set well backfrom the street.

outside >> vast gabled roofs, with chimneys

on outside walls

> red brick or, bull-nosed weatherboard walls

> massive brick or rendered verandah piersand balustrades

> small, squarish windows usually grouped infront rooms and often in ‘bow’ shaped projections

inside >> stained timber panelling to head height on

interior walls, with painted plaster above

garden >> fences commonly crimped wire with looped

tops or timber pickets or, less often, brickfences similar to verandah balustrades

> variegated and colourful shrubs and smallertrees gained popularity; hedges andstandard roses became common

20

21

exterior colours >

White

Ochre

Lime White

AppleGreen

Rose Pink

Terracotta

Indian Red

Dark Brown

20

EA

RLY M

OD

E

1930>1940

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renovation notes >> brickwork usually cream, red or brown with darker highlights> external paint colours cream, white, off white, stone, terracotta, dark brown> Art Deco zigzag patterning in brickwork on eaves, stepped arches over entry porches and chimneys > occasional use of clinker bricks in feature panels

1930

>194

0Early ModernAfter the Great Depression ofthe 1930s, single storeydetached houses predominate.Set well back from the street onfairly large blocks, they exhibit asimplicity of style that reflectsboth economic stringency andthe move towards modernism.Building forms are simple andfairly austere with limitedembellishment, although theinfluence of a number ofdecorative styles such as SpanishMission, Georgian Revival and ArtDeco is apparent.

outside >> bold and assertive forms made up of simple

block shapes

> ornamentation limited to the front porch,chimney and occasional brickwork patterning

> design emphasis on the horizontal, especiallyin window frame patterns

inside >> Art Deco or other design motifs on glass

doors to living and dining rooms, and incornices and ceiling mouldings

> decorative paint schemes with lighter tones

garden >> front fences, commonly brick some with

decorated wrought iron panels featuring ArtDeco zigzag motifs and matching gates

> wide areas of lawn were used with narrowperimeter garden beds having trimmedhedges and small shrubs; drivewaysinvariably had two wheel strips

22

21

exterior colours >

Cream

SalmonPink

LightCream

Red

White

Ochre

AppleGreen

Black

20

MO

DER

N 1945>1970

25

renovation notes >> columns, balustrades and other necessary but incidental elements made as thin as possible> cream or salmon pink bricks; render or fibre cement walls painted white or cream> timber or steel window frames often painted white> colours used in small areas, usually primary red, yellow or blue, sometimes green, orange or pastels.19

45>1

970

ModernModernism in 20th Centuryarchitecture is broadlycharacterised by open planningand simplicity with bold geometricshapes and little or noornamentation. Modernarchitecture was activelyencouraged by young avante-garde architects. The style isprincipally distinguished by havingalmost nothing in common withtraditional houses.

outside >> squarish proportions, tending to the horizontal

> flat roofs

> walls made of rectilinear geometric shapes

> occasional bold, curved elements like a spiralstair, driveway or garden wall

> wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windowscombined with blank walls and smallwindows like punched holes

> house often raised above ground on thincolumns, so that it seems to float

inside >> flat plaster walls with minimal cornices the

only ornament

> small architraves and skirtings in eitherstained or painted wood

garden >> occasional front fences in brick, sometimes

with wrought iron panels

> front yards were wide and covered mostly byneatly trimmed lawns with wheel strips in thedriveway and narrow perimeter garden beds

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Chances are sustainabilitydidn’t enter your mind whenyou were pursuing thatQueen Anne or Early Moderngem you had your heart seton. But now the sale contractis signed and sealed andrenovations are on theagenda, it’s time to thinkenergy-wise.

Whether you have bought an existinghouse whose style you want to preserve,or you are hoping to convert a periodpiece using contemporary design styles,there are many things you can do to live ina more sustainable home. You may haveto think more carefully than someonebuilding a new house, and ensure that youmaintain key heritage features. Picking upjust a few of the following suggestions canhelp you save money, make your homemore comfortable and help theenvironment, whilst maintaining thecharacter of your house:

> choose north facing rooms whenplanning your open living areas (even ifthat wasn’t their original purpose)

> use pergolas and deciduous trees onthe north side of your house to shade itduring summer while letting winter sunthrough

> reduce your exposure to east/west sunwith thick plantings or screens

> add or extend eaves and/or verandahs

> install shutters

> install self-closing exhaust fans

> insulate roofs, walls and floors

> Install water-saving fittings and considera rainwater tank and solar hot water asan option

> build shade walls of material with highthermal mass (eg stone, brick orrammed earth), which take a long time towarm up and a long time to cool down

> place tight-fitting pelmets over curtainsand blinds to reduce heat loss on coldnights

> retain existing mature trees and shrubsfor natural shade and protection –mulch and use drip irrigation to savewater

> install door and window seals toeliminate draughts

Don’t forget to reuse or recycle buildingmaterials wherever you can:

> use them in your own renovation

> offer them to other renovators

> use discarded stone or beams to makeborders for the garden

Your architect or builder may be able tosuggest other energy-wise features youcan include in your renovation plans, or visit www.5starhouse.vic.gov.au

health & safety >Asbestos was widely used as a buildingmaterial from 1919 until the early 1980sand exposure can cause permanentdamage to your health. Do not allowanyone to start work on your renovationuntil you have established if there is anypresent in the existing building.

For information about asbestos, speak toyour local council, architect or RegisteredBuilding Practitioner.

Lead paints were also commonly used upto the 1980s, and can be toxic andharmful. There are many products andtechniques to prepare finishes; ask yourhardware supplier about the safestmethods for your home.

Always use a Registered BuildingPractitioner if your renovation project isvalued at $5000 or more. Planning lawsapply throughout Victoria and you mayhave to apply for a permit – for moreinformation, contact your local council.

reference >The information in this booklet is onlyintended as a guide and there are manycharacteristic variations in every homeacross Victoria. For historical, factual andtechnical information, please visit yourlocal library. Some suggestions for further reading include:

Architecture in Australia A History by J M FreelandPenguin Books Australia, 1972

Australia’s Home by Robin Boyd Melbourne University Press, 1952

Identifying Australian Architecture by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving and Peter ReynoldsAngus & Robertson, 1989

Guide to Melbourne Architecture by Philip GoadWatermark Press, 1999

The History and Design of theAustralian House by Robert IrvingOxford University Press, 1985

Our Inter-War Houses by Bryce RayworthNational Trust of Australia, 1991

online >For direction and ideas about buildingand renovating, please visit the followingwebsites:www.buildingcommission.com.auwww.archicentre.com.auwww.consumer.vic.gov.au

For more information about heritage in Victoria, please visitwww.heritage.vic.gov.au

Information Victoria provides a wealth ofinformation about the history of Victoria,and general information about our State.A variety of material and free brochuresare available from their Melbourne store at 356 Collins Street, or onlinewww.information.vic.gov.au

2004 is the Year of the Built Environment across Australia.

YBE Victorian OfficeLevel 27 Casselden Place, 2 Lonsdale StreetPO Box 536E Melbourne VIC 3001[03] 9285 6331www.ybe2004.vic.gov.au

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Tips for Sustainable Renovation Further Information

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Building Commission & Heritage Victoria © Printed on recycled paper Produced by IRIS Design Agency [03] 9696 3822