Timelessly elegant and rather niche in an Australian context, American Colonial architecture is seldom seen across Australian suburbia. While certainly sitting amongst the built environment, the quintessential American home is few and far between in comparison to the architectural stylings seen amongst Australian streetscapes.
The rarity of the style on the continent makes for a rather intriguing project by the name of Buruma House. Designed by Colin Watson of Watson Young, the Wonga Park home was created for a commercial client who constructed the majority of the dwelling himself.
Watson Young specialises in commercial developments. Residential projects are qualitative for the practice, and are only undertaken once or twice a year.
“I don't chase houses. I only do it for commercial clients, so I’ve only done a handful every year, and that’s always been the intention,” Watson says.
“I get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction, as I work on them myself to a degree. It keeps me sane. The commercial world is dollar-driven and defined by time. It’s nice to remove yourself from that and step back and help couples realise their vision.”
Watson was able to acquaint himself with his client through undertaking a number of commercial projects for his landscaping company. The client and his wife approached Watson with a handful of photos and an idea as opposed to a brief, and so the design process began.
“I’ve got a place in Utah so I was fairly across what he was after, and that’s where it derived from. We picked up on colonial forms, which are often sprawling homes with an abundance of verandahs,” Watson says.
“I knew how to put it together from a materiality point of view, the rest was planning it. We had to make the spaces feel warm and family-driven as opposed to giant living and dining rooms that are cavernous and hard to furnish.”
The home is designed in two separate wings, with a central living zone linking the areas. There are verandahs located to the north west and east, allowing the occupants to enjoy views looking outward towards the countryside irrespective of the weather.
If there was ever a desire made known by the client, it was to create an intimate, family-driven home. Living spaces are divided in order to create warm and inviting spaces. A colonnade sits between the living and dining rooms, with the living room boasting a vaulted, timber-lined ceiling with faux trusses. In-laying rugs, mantelpieces and joinery help to increase affinity. The home additionally comprises a cinema room and wine cellar, with the cellar comprising a vaulted brick ceiling.
The external facade is a mix of stonework, timber and other key elements. A stone plinth wraps the house, with a black tiled roof furthering the dark external palette. Bluestone tiling lines the verandahs, with weatherboard sitting above. The cedar shingles were hand-stained by the clients to achieve the desired shade.
The meticulousness and care shown by Watson while devising Buruma House indicates just why the architect opts to only design a small selection of residential dwellings each year. The home itself is a luxurious, warm abode characterised by its intimacy and American colonial stylings.
