| Historical notes: | The House
Simpson-Lee House I Wahroonga was commissioned by Professor Geelum and Mrs. Sheila Simpson-Lee and designed by Arthur Baldwinson in 1957. Construction took place in two stages, the first during 1958 and again in 1962. The house was small and built in two stages as it was built utilising loans available under the University Housing Scheme.
The house represents the evolution of Baldwinson's thinking beyond his earlier European influenced designs into a more site-responsive, locally adapted Modernism which in this case, particularly flowed through the co-operation of literate, informed clients (Robert Moore Assessment, 2000).
The design of the house reflects the needs and sensibility of the clients and their own sophisticated understanding of architecture even though they had no formal architectural training. The Simpson-Lees originally were drawn to the work of Sydney Ancher however Geelum's sister who worked for the Institute of Architects suggested they might like the work of Arthur Baldwinson who also happened to work with Geelum at Sydney University.
Professor and Mrs Simpson-Lee have lived in the house since it was built. Professor Simpson -Lee has passed away but Mrs Simpson Lee remains in the house and it is retained much as it was when it was first built, including the majority of the contents. The garden has also been maintained as was originally designed.
The Architect
Arthur Baldwinson (1908 -1969) is one of Australia's first generation of prominent modernist architects who experienced the European modernist movement first hand. From 1932 until 1937 Baldwinson spent time in London where he worked for Maxwell Fry and as a full time assistant to Walter Gropius, developing a unique and intimate understanding of the theories of modern architecture. This experience of working in London with two of the early twentieth century's most important architects, greatly influenced Baldwinson' s design philosophy for the remainder of his professional life working in architecture.
Baldwinson returned to Australia in 1937 determined to plant the flag of 'the new architecture'. Before the 1939-45 War he played a pioneer role in the formation of an Australian MARS (Modern Architecture Research Society) group, the Design and Industries Association (DIA) and the design of modernist houses drawing on his London experience.
During the 1939-45 War, Baldwinson worked for the Commonwealth Aircraft Factory designing and constructing buildings for the manufacture of the Beaufort Bomber. By 1943, he was Chief Architect for the Beaufort Division. Baldwinson later developed an all-steel pre-fabricated 'Beaufort' house for post-war sale to the Victorian Housing Commission in 1946. He also had his own practice and in 1938 designed the ground breaking Collins house at Palm Beach. According to Greg Holman ( Author of Thesis on Baldwinson) only the Prevost house by Sydney Ancher exhibited a similar level of understanding of the modern movement at time.
Commencing practice with Eric Gibson, an engineer in 1946, Baldwinson soon began designing what became known as the "Artists" houses. He designed houses and studios for Douglas Annand, William Dobell, Max Dupain, Geoff and Dahl Collings, Alistair Morrison, Brett Porter, Elaine Haxton, Desiderius Orban and Russell Drysdale. He concluded his partnership with Gibson in 1950 and formed a partnership with Charles Vernon Sylvester-Booth in 1953; later Charles Peters joined them in 1956 to form Baldwinson, Booth and Peters. This practice lasted until 1958. Their Hotel Belmont, in the Newcastle suburb of Belmont won the 1956 NSW RAIA Sulman Award for a public building. Baldwinson also designed the Mandl House, Wahroonga (1953) and the Simpson-Lee House, Wahroonga (1958) during this partnership. Supported by his teaching salary, Baldwinson designed and built his own residence at 79 Carlotta Street, Greenwich (1954). Baldwinson formed a new partnership with recent Sydney University graduate Geoffrey Twibill which was to last until late 1959.
In 1960, Baldwinson closed his formal practice but continued to work on commissions. He designed the Hauslaib House, Point Piper (1960), the Pennington House, Whale Beach (1960), the Robinson House, Castle Cove (1963) and his last completed house for the artist Desiderius Orban, Northwood (1968)
He became a Senior Lecturer in the University of Sydney architecture faculty In 1952 where he remained until his death. In his later years, Baldwinson devoted himself to teaching and travel. In 1969 he died in Sydney from congestive heart failure.
A member of the first Australian generation of modernist architects, his contemporaries include Roy Grounds (1905-1981) and Frederick Romberg (1910-1992) in Victoria and Sydney Ancher (1904- 1979) and Walter Bunning (1912-1977) in NSW. Their respective Australian architectural careers in modernism began in the late 1930s.
Baldwinson's palette of materials was consistent throughout his practice: bagged brick, weatherboard or horizontal tongue & groove cladding, irregular ashlar-laid sandstone and concrete. Although his practice was occasionally involved in commercial commissions, his greatest accomplishments lie in the adaptation of the principles and materials of European modernism for the small-scale suburban Australian house. He helped to pioneer free-plan concepts, the 'scientific kitchen', flat roof treatments and function-derived placement of windows and doors. (RAIA Nomination)
Baldwinson is an important Australian architect, taking his place with the best of twentieth century Australian architects, such as Sydney Ancher and Harry Seidler. |
