Woolamai House
History inspired this early work that embodies Robert Simeoni’s love for the archaeology of architecture.
I look back on this project from the early 2000s – the restoration of the historic Woolamai House, plus the addition of a new wing – as a reinforcement of my interest in the archaeology of architecture. It allowed me to explore in depth the history of place prior to the conception of a design. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to further explore this idea in later projects.
Near Newhaven on Phillip Island, off Victoria’s southern coast, Woolamai House was a pastoral homestead with important links to the early history of the island.
The original house is of weatherboard construction, typical in form, with a front verandah flanked by gabled side bays. The original detailing is Italianate and of particular note is a two-storey tower with a charming gothic arch entry.
The Historic Buildings Council says “The house was built in 1876 for John Cleeland who arrived in Victoria from County Down, Northern Ireland in 1840 … The largest and possibly oldest residence on the Island ‘Woolamai House’ is a rare survivor of the substantial homestead complexes built for the Gippsland pastoralists during the nineteenth century. The house was built in several stages beginning c.1876 with additions reflecting the changing use of the house.”
The original house was built in several stages and the discernible historical evidence was particularly engaging and exciting for me, offering the chance to explore and fully understand the history and remnant traces of the home’s architectural history and relative value. The lovely Burra Charter dictum of changing “as much as necessary but as little as possible” accompanied me closely during the archaeological review and restoration process, and indeed remains with me when working on heritage projects today.
In my attempt to faithfully restore and rebuild the original house, I worked collaboratively with Heritage Victoria – searching keenly for evidence of the original building, trying to understand each piece of structure and each moment of the house’s history (imagining at times the hand of the that original carpenter at work); searching for architectural integrity and authenticity.
I remember one particularly delightful moment, during the repair of the original plaster. Seeing the lovely soft light through the plasterless lathes, I understood then what the new building required – a softness of light – and I used
the sensuality of curtains as a way to evoke the space and temper the strong light. This has been a keen interest of mine in projects since – the consideration and use of curtains as an a priori architectural element, not just as window coverings.
The main structure of the new wing was built in off-form reinforced concrete with a post-tensioned roof structure to increase span widths and to minimize the thickness of the slab required. I chose this structure for the architectural effect of off-form concrete alongside its conceptual basis as a “lost” landscape object, and for its clear capacity to act simply as a roof terrace.
I remember working closely with the tradespeople on site to create the building – seeking to find, and be influenced by, the nuance of an element, or of a moment. And, in a flip side to the study of the archaeological history of the original house, wondering how to leave a trace of the process of building and the hand of the craftsman within the new – this thought has been an architectural companion of mine throughout the years.
I valued the trust and graciousness of my client, Bruno Grollo, with whom I worked closely in designing the addition – his eye for detail and knowledge of construction were very helpful. I also valued the chance to observe firsthand the keen insights of noted structural engineer
Nat Bonacci. I remember particularly Nat’s patience with my continual visits to his office to explore (another) idea or detail.
Rather than being a structural interruption, the extension to Woolamai House was intended to respect the existing historical homestead through its scale and proportion as a landscape object. Its intertwined relationship with the site was achieved through the ambiguity of the interior and exterior, allowing the extension to take on an abstract quality that matched its notional relationship to the existing house. This is an interest and a method of engagement that remains with me today.
Woolamai House01received a commendation in the Australian Institute of Architects 2004 National Architecture Awards, with the jury describing it as “exemplary in its restraint and exhilarating in its scale and simplicity,” and with “some of the most gracious living spaces ever built in Australia.” I look back with great fondness to the design of this project, and to the process of its construction.