Duncan House, Castlecrag facts for kids

The Duncan House is a special home in Castlecrag, Australia. It is listed as a heritage site. This house was designed by a famous architect named Walter Burley Griffin. It is also known as Duncan House Number 2. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

Meet the Architect: Walter Burley Griffin

Walter Burley Griffin was born near Chicago, USA, in 1876. He studied architecture and graduated in 1899. For a few years, he worked with another famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1906, Griffin started his own architecture business.

In 1911, Walter married Marion Mahony. She was also an architect and had worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. They both loved designing buildings that fit naturally into the land.

Designing Australia's Capital

In 1914, Walter and Marion moved to Australia. They had won a big competition in 1912 to design Australia's new capital city, Canberra. Their design was special because it used the natural hills and valleys of the area.

After some time, Walter left the Canberra project in 1919. He then decided to create a new community in Sydney. He bought a large area of land in Middle Harbour, which became known as Castlecrag. He spent the next 15 years developing this area.

Griffin's Vision for Homes

Griffin believed that houses should blend in with nature. He wanted homes to be small and cozy. He also liked using local plants in his landscape designs.

He invented a special building system called "Knitlock." This system used pre-made, interlocking concrete tiles. He used Knitlock and stone for many houses in Castlecrag.

Walter Burley Griffin also designed many incinerators (buildings to burn rubbish) in Australia. He used these projects to try out new shapes and textures. Sadly, not many of them are still standing today.

Griffin's ideas, like "open plan" living areas and using reinforced concrete in homes, were very new for his time. He was also famous for his town planning, not just in Canberra and Castlecrag, but also in towns like Griffith and Leeton. He believed a building should always feel like it grew out of its surroundings.

Building Castlecrag

When the Griffins came to Sydney in 1920, they had a big dream for Castlecrag. They wanted to create a community without fences. They imagined houses with low roofs that blended into the landscape. They also wanted curving roads that followed the natural hills.

The Griffins named the roads in Castlecrag after parts of castles. This was inspired by a nearby Gothic stone bridge and a place called "Edinburgh Rock."

The Griffins bought a large area of undeveloped land in 1921. This land became Castlecrag, Castle Cove, and Middle Cove. They planned a community where people could live close to nature.

Challenges in Building Castlecrag

The Griffins wanted to keep the natural land and native plants. They designed houses with low roofs to maximize views of the harbor. They also planned shared walkways and parks. They encouraged community activities like dance classes and meetings.

Walter and Marion lived in Castlecrag from 1924 to 1936. Most of the house designs in the area needed their approval. However, banks were often unwilling to lend money for Griffin's unique designs. This made it hard to build their dream community. Out of potentially hundreds of houses, only about 13 of Griffin's original designs are still standing today.

Griffin's houses used stone and sand-colored concrete. They were often low to the ground, matching the natural earth. The Duncan House used Griffin's patented Knitlock concrete. This material was made locally and fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The Duncan House was one of the last Griffin-designed houses built in Castlecrag. It used an improved Knitlock technology that included a special zinc coating (galvanizing) for its steel parts. This helped it last longer than some earlier houses.

In 1935, Griffin moved to India for work. He passed away there two years later. Marion returned to Castlecrag briefly before moving back to the United States.

The Duncan House Story

The Duncan House was built in 1934 for Frank and Anice Duncan. They had lived in other Griffin-designed houses before. The Duncans wanted a house that looked a bit like a Gothic castle. Mr. Duncan lived in the house for over 50 years, until 1989.

The Duncan House was designed with a square shape. Griffin believed a house could start small and be added to later if needed. Over the years, the Duncans added a bedroom, a garage, and a loggia (a covered outdoor patio). These additions were small and matched the original house.

Saving Duncan House

Frank Duncan was very involved in his local community. He was president of the Progress Association for many years. He and his wife helped start the Castlecrag Kindergarten. They also loved bushwalking, which brought them close to the Griffins.

In 1988, Mr. Duncan decided to sell the house. The local community wanted to save it and turn it into a museum. Mr. Duncan supported this idea. This desire to save the Duncan House led to the creation of The Walter Burley Griffin Society. People thought the Duncan House was one of the best-preserved Griffin houses. It still had its original unpainted walls, kitchen, and bathroom.

However, enough money couldn't be raised to buy the house at auction. It was sold to a private owner. Even so, The Walter Burley Griffin Society continued its work. They helped people learn more about the amazing designs of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. A drawing of the Duncan House is even on the Society's newsletter.

The house was given a permanent protection order in 1993. Some parts of the house have been updated since then. In the 1990s, the area around Duncan House was named a Griffin Conservation Area.

What Duncan House Looks Like

Its Location

The Duncan House was originally built at the back of its property, next to a nature reserve. It is one of three Griffin-designed houses on The Barbette street. The other two are the Wilson and Creswick houses. All three were placed to give great views of Middle Harbour. The Duncan House even had roof access from the garden, where Mr. Duncan enjoyed the views until 1989.

Building Materials

The house is a single-story building. It is made from stone blocks and "Knitlock" concrete blocks. The Knitlock blocks have special galvanized (zinc-coated) steel inside them for strength. This was a newer improvement in Knitlock technology.

Griffin designed the house to be small and square. The corners have strong, rough stone pillars. The walls between these pillars are smooth concrete blocks, colored like sandstone. The roof is flat with no eaves (overhangs). The windows are rectangular with painted wooden frames.

The house has casement windows with diamond-shaped glass panes. There are also French doors with the same design that open to the garden. Being close to nature was a key part of Griffin's design. He even helped choose Australian native plants for Castlecrag.

Unique Style

The Knitlock walls have curved ribs, like vertical fins. These are topped with decorative, curved "crenellations" (like the tops of castle walls). These castle-like details give the house a unique, almost Gothic look.

The diamond-shaped window panes are set at a 70-degree angle. This creates cool chevron patterns on the French doors and windows. These patterns also remind us of pointed arches, another Gothic style. While some elements might seem like Art Deco, Griffin's use of natural stone and his focus on blending with the landscape created a special mix of elegance and earthy feel at Duncan House.

Inside the House

The inside of the house has timber floors. The inner walls have rough stone at the corners and smoother Knitlock concrete blocks elsewhere. The ceilings are plaster-lined. They were originally white but are now an ochre (earthy yellow-orange) color.

Even though Duncan House is small, it feels large inside. This is because Griffin used folding doors. These doors could open up to combine smaller rooms into one big living area. A square bedroom was added to the back of the house in 1943. It was designed to match the original house. In the early 1990s, the windows in this extension were replaced to match Griffin's original chevron design.

The living area had a simple fireplace in the corner. It used the rough stone as a hearth (fireplace floor) and had a rough stone mantelpiece. The original bathroom had green fixtures in 1989, but these were replaced in 1993. The original mosaic floor tiles in the bathroom were also replaced. The kitchen still has its original double zinc sink and cabinets. The kitchen floor was replaced in 1993.

Repairs and Changes

The flat concrete roof of the house had some problems. Water would drain into pipes inside the house, but these pipes leaked. Water also damaged the castle-like crenellations on the outside. In 1993, major repairs were done to fix water damage to the stone, concrete, and timber.

To protect the roof, a steel structure was built inside the house to support it. A new ceiling was added below this structure. A slightly sloped metal roof was also built on top of the original concrete roof in 1993. This helps keep the house dry. The current windows are replacements, but they look just like the originals.

Some additions were made to the house after World War II, like a garage and loggia. These were built from rough stone blocks. Around 1993, these older additions were replaced with new extensions.

The new extension brings the house closer to the street. A carport is now at the front, facing the street. These new parts were designed to match the original house. They have a flat roof, stone-like corners, and chevron-patterned French doors. The walls are painted a sandstone color.

Condition of the House

As of 2006, when the house was listed, its walls had dark stains. Some of the roofline decorations were missing, and mortar was falling out of the joints. The timber window frames were rotting, and the roof was leaking. The steel bars inside the roof slab were also rusting. Repairs have fixed many of these issues.

Key Changes Over Time

• 1934: House was built.
• 1943: A bedroom extension was added.
• Later: A loggia and garage were added.
• Around 1990: The original house's doors and windows were replaced, keeping the original design.
• 1993: Permission was given to remove the old loggia and garage and build new extensions. Leaks were also fixed.

Why Duncan House is Important

Historical Importance

The Duncan House is historically important because it's a great example of Walter Burley Griffin's work. He was a very important architect around the world. It's also one of the first houses built in Castlecrag in the 1920s-1930s. It's rare because only about 13 of Griffin's original houses in Castlecrag are still standing.

The house shows the ideas of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin for the Castlecrag community. They wanted houses built from local stone and concrete that looked like stone. They wanted homes to fit in with the natural land and Australian plants.

Design and Technical Importance

The Duncan House is important for its beautiful design and clever building techniques. It perfectly shows Griffin's ideas and materials. It's a small house, but perfectly designed. It uses his special Knitlock concrete, which has ribbed and decorative castle-like features. Yet, it feels connected to the earth with its heavy, rough stone corners.

The unique roof and floor designs also made the house sit lower to the ground than most homes. It's technically special because it was the last Griffin-designed house built in Castlecrag. It also used an improved Knitlock with galvanized steel, which was a new idea at the time.

The Duncan House looks great in its setting, blending with the slope and backing onto a reserve. Its chevron-patterned French doors open right into the garden. This way of connecting the house to nature was ahead of its time.

Community Importance

The house is important because it's linked to the Griffins, who also lived in Castlecrag. It was also the home of Mr. Frank Duncan for over 50 years. The Duncans were friends with the Griffins and were very active in the community.

When Mr. Duncan decided to sell the house in 1988, it inspired the creation of The Walter Burley Griffin Society. The community wanted to save the house as a museum because it still had many original features. Even though they couldn't buy it, the house inspired the Society to help people understand and appreciate the Griffins' amazing work.

Duncan House was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it met several important requirements:

• It shows how cultural history developed in New South Wales.

The Duncan House is a great example of Walter Burley Griffin's designs using local stone and Knitlock concrete. The Castlecrag area, planned by Griffin, is historically important for its new idea of working with nature. This project also helped save miles of foreshore along the harbor.

• It is strongly connected to important people in New South Wales history.

The house is important because of its link to Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. They were architects famous both in Australia and worldwide. Griffin designed Australia's capital, Canberra, and many buildings in other cities. He was also personally connected to the house as a friend of Mr. Duncan and a resident of Castlecrag.

• It shows great design and technical skill in New South Wales.

The house is beautiful and shows Walter Burley Griffin's vision for buildings in Castlecrag. The original house sits modestly and in harmony with nature. Frank Duncan left the house in 1989 with its original look and feel, plus his own additions. The house is technically important for using Griffin's special Knitlock concrete combined with stone.

• It has a strong connection with a community or group in New South Wales.

The Duncan House is important because it inspired the creation of The Walter Burley Griffin Society. It was also the home for over 50 years of Frank Duncan, who was a friend of Walter Burley Griffin and commissioned the house. The Duncans were active and valued community members, and the house connects us to the original Castlecrag community and the people who remember them today.

• It can teach us about the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

The house can teach us about unusual building methods from the 1930s. The use of Knitlock concrete, how the floors were laid directly on the ground, and the flat concrete roof can all give us information about these unique building techniques and how they have lasted over time.

• It is a rare or uncommon part of New South Wales history.

The house is a rare example of a Griffin-designed house that still exists in Castlecrag. It was the last Griffin-designed house built there. It's also a rare example of Knitlock concrete that was strengthened with galvanized steel.

• It represents the main features of a type of cultural place in New South Wales.

The Duncan House is a great example of Walter Burley Griffin's architectural work. It shows how Griffin and his wife, Marion Mahony Griffin, imagined a community in Castlecrag where people lived together in homes that respected and blended with nature, rather than dominating it.