CRAIGMILL
13 Raheen Drive KEW, BOROONDARA CITY
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
The residence Craigmill, at 13 Raheen Drive, Kew, is significant to the City of Boroondara. Constructed in 1969, the house and landscape were designed for Harold Stewart by renowned architect Neil Clerehan.
How is it significant?
Craigmill is of local architectural, aesthetic and associational significance to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
Craigmill is a key example of late twentieth-century domestic architecture by one of the foremost architects of the time, Neil Clerehan. The suburban response to privacy and horizontal treatment of the residence have been well executed and are characteristic features of his designs. While 'Craigmill' is not the most recognised of Clerehan's works, it is a notable example of his design methodology in transition, illustrating the evolution of the architect's development through the embrace of Regionalism and response to environmental conditions. The influence of the property in Clerehan's early work is seen through his employment of a large front setback, elongated forms that follow the site's topography, orientation to the north and a limited palette of natural materials. (Criterion D)
The residence derives its aesthetic appeal from the raw expression of a refined and minimal material palette. Brick piers support the slender flat roof of the carport and dwelling, which sits recessed in the site allowing views across the roofline. Other features include the slender slot window openings in the brickwork, a slenderness translated into the proportions of the main entrance. The restraint showed by Clerehan in his design caters to a clear plan and functional spaces whilst taking advantage of the environmental conditions of the north-facing site. (Criterion E)
Craigmill is of significance for its association with architect, Neil Clerehan, whose modernist designs in domestic architecture and public commentary for over three decades make him one of the most influential Melbourne architects of the post-war period. He has received a number of awards for his work and made significant contributions to the architectural profession in Victoria for a long period from the 1940s to the present day, through design (particularly the suburban house), publishing, writing and community work. In 2008, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Architecture from the University of Melbourne for significant contributions made to the community. Craigmill is significant in Clerehan's body of work as a notable example of how Clerehan was able to adapt his ideals to a new property and context in the municipality through the embrace of Regionalism. (Criterion H)
-
-
CRAIGMILL - Physical Description 1
The subject site is a double-storey late twentieth-century residence, with open carport, situated within its own grounds. The sloping site is shaped like an elongated trapezoid, fronting the street to the south and with northern views over the Yarra River. The dwelling runs east-west boundary-to-boundary, presenting as a single-storey open rectilinear form and leaving a wedge of the site as the main interface to the street. The building is unassuming in its consistent material palette which belies the complexity of the program and clarity of the plan.
On alternating planes, the flat metal roof deck consists of an L-shaped section which sits higher than the straight section. 12 x ½ inch timber fascias wrap the roof, while sets of skylights provide light to the kitchen and laundry, on the upper roof and to the entry and dressing spaces of the main bedroom, on the lower roof.
The treatment of the street facing elevation is a contrast of openness and closure, with the double space carport to the east, supported by cream brick piers. To the west, the only opening in the brick wall is for a full height window to the laundry. Sitting in front of the primary facade is a walled court, for the discrete storage of bins. The entrance is set back adjacent to the carport, with the narrow door and central handle butting against the wall, with the glazed panel providing visual access into the house. Behind the carport is an opening between the roof decks and a garden interface to the structure behind, and leading to the side entrance down the stairs and around the side of the building.
As the building stretches away from the street it steps down the slope, with the brick walls becoming double height, culminating in the north facing balcony and study at street level and a paved terrace below.
Narrow full height window openings become the key facade treatment and leave the building fabric understated yet functionally responsive.
The original letterbox structure, with timber cross beam, name and number are still in place however have been overgrown centrally with a sprawling melaleuca tree pushing the western structure over. In addition, the original timber letterbox itself has been replaced with a steel one. The grounds have been planted where land was available in the front setback.
Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Individual Site Assessments 2012
Author: Boroondara Council
Year: 2012
Grading: SignificantBoroondara - Municipal-Wide Heritage Gap Study Volume 4: Kew
Author: Context
Year: 2018
Grading:
-
-
-
-
-
D'ESTAVILLEVictorian Heritage Register H0201
-
STUDLEY HOUSE (WREN HOUSE)Victorian Heritage Register H0789
-
RAHEENVictorian Heritage Register H0515
-
-