GRIMWADE HOUSE
28-54 DUNDAS STREET RYE, MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Grimwade House was designed by McGlashan and Everist and constructed in 1961-62 for Geoffrey Holt Grimwade (1902-1961), his wife and their four daughters. Geoffrey Grimwade was a highly influential Victorian business leader, who helped establish the Institute of Public Affairs, and who has been described as one of the ablest businessmen of his generation. It was built as a retirement home that could also serve as a holiday house, on a large block of land at Rye , hidden from view by the extensive natural bush of melaleucas and casurinas. It is located on a sandy ridge about half kilometre from Port Phillip Bay.
The house, designed on a ten foot module, comprises five flat-roofed pavilions, linked by covered ways, which create a variety of sheltered outdoor courtyards between the wings. The walls are constructed of vertical western red cedar boards weathered to natural grey, rubble limestone quarried on the site, extensive floor to ceiling glass and sliding panels, with the main bedroom wing having a generous breezeway with flywire panels on one side. The main wing has vermiculite ceilings and clay tile floors, while the other wings have Stramit (a wheat straw board) ceilings and vinyl floor coverings. Rattan blinds are used throughout the house. Apart from lawn and areas paved with stone and clay tiles immediately around the house, the site has retained its natural bushland.
The house, which shows the influence of Japanese architecture, is designed to sit comfortably within the natural bush landscape. It shows a creative and radical approach to siting, form, planning, and use of materials - limestone quarried on site, the clay tiles linking indoor and outdoor areas, use of western red cedar externally and internally, allowed to weather to a natural grey. Its separate pavilions are sited to create different sheltered courtyards or outdoor rooms, and to provide for maximium flexibility and privacy. The paved area extending in clay tiles from the main living area into the garden helps to blurr the distinction between inside and out. The sunshading allows winter sun to penetrate but excludes summer sun, and natural ventilation is abundant, with a large flyscreened breezeway linking the living and main bedroom wing.
The Grimwade House was published in Architecture in Australia in 1964, following the awarding of the Victorian Architecture Medal for 1963 in the same year. It led directly to other commissions, including John and Sunday Reed's house at Aspendale, and then Heide II, and established McGlashan and Everists' reputations as designers of beautifully sited, elegantly minimal houses with a distinctly Australian character and setting.
Geoffrey Grimwade's untimely death in 1961 prevented the house becoming his retirement home, but it continues to be owned and used by the Grimwade family.
How is it significant?
The Grimwade House is of architectural and aesthetic significance to the state of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The Grimwade House is of architectural and aesthetic significance as a particularly outstanding and largely intact example of a house by accomplished Victorian architects McGlashan and Everist, illustrating key directions in domestic architecture in the 1960s.
The Grimwade House at Rye is of architectural significance as an influential work of McGlashan and Everist, emerging young architects at the time.
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GRIMWADE HOUSE - Plaque Citation
Designed by McGlashan and Everist and constructed in 1961-62 for Geoffrey Grimwade and his family, this house is of architectural and aesthetic significance as an outstanding and influential work of these accomplished Victorian architects.
GRIMWADE HOUSE - Permit Exemptions
General Exemptions:General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions. Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.Specific Exemptions:General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface component. General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan endorsed by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it. Note: The existence of a Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan endorsed by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria provides guidance for the management of the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain works specified in the management plan. General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable. Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A person proposing to undertake minor works may submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be contacted.GRIMWADE HOUSE - Permit Exemption Policy
The Grimwade House is substantially intact, with most interior and exterior finishes being as originally designed. Exceptions are the kitchen cupboards and bench tops. The kitchen cupboards, which were painted white are now stripped back to timber. The bench tops have had the original laminex finish replaced to the present timber finish. The unusual plan comprising five linked pavilions, and exceptional care in siting mean than any additions to the site needed to be designed carefully.
No specific permit exemptions are recommended for the building because of the high level of intactness and exceptional care in siting and design.
However, if subdivision of the larger original allotment is approved and a new driveway is required from the road, the new driveway to the house, and associated changes to the landscaping should be planned so that the house remains obscured from view until the new accessway joins the existing looped driveway close to the house. It should generally be of similar width and character as the existing accessway. Screening planting for the driveway should match the existing native species on the site.
ADDITIONAL PERMIT EXEMPTION
New driveway:
Construction of a new driveway to Dundas Street near the northern boundary of the registered land, provided that the new driveway is generally of similar width and character as the original accessway, and that the house remains obscured from view until it connects to the existing looped driveway close to the house.
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DEVINE BROS LIME KILNVictorian Heritage Inventory
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St Andrew's Church of EnglandNational Trust
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Grimwade HouseNational Trust H2209
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