Baker House (Bacchus Marsh)
| Baker House | |
|---|---|
 Exterior of the house in 2012, showing the rounded cylinders made of stone | |
Interactive map of the Baker House area | |
Alternative names | Boyd Baker House |
General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type |
|
Architectural style | Modernist International |
| Location | Long Forrest Road, Bacchus Marsh, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°39′13″S 144°30′03″E / 37.65361°S 144.50083°E |
| Year built | 1964–1966 |
Completed | 1966 |
| Renovated | 1968, 1970, 1979 |
| Client | Michael and Rosemary Baker |
| Technical details | |
| Material |
|
| Floor area | 90 m2 (970 sq ft) (Baker House only) |
| Grounds | 14 ha (35 acres) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects |
|
| Website | |
| boydbakerhouse | |
 Floor plan | |
  Location on the western outskirts of Greater Metropolitan Melbourne | |
Official name | Baker House |
| Type | Registered place |
| Designated | 10 May 2007 |
| Reference no. | H2118 |
| HO55 | |
Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| References | |
| [1] | |
The Baker House, sometimes called the Boyd Baker House, is a house located in remnant bushland in the Bacchus Marsh area, on the western outskirts of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. The house, designed by Robin Boyd in the Modernist International style, was built in 1966 as a family home for Dr Michael Baker and Dr Rosemary Baker. The property was subsequently repurposed for use for private functions.
The house and two other buildings on the 14-hectare (35-acre) site were added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 10 May 2007 in recognition of their architectural significance,[1] having remained relatively untouched since their construction.
Description
Drs Rosemary and Michael Baker, both mathematicians came to Australia from England after Michael was appointed to the University of Melbourne at Point Cook as a mathematics lecturer. The Bakers acquired the 129-hectare (0.5 sq mi) site for approximately A$4,000. Michael Baker recalled,[2]
"I constructed the perpendicular bisector between [the] university and Point Cook, measured off the maximum commuting distance, and traveled out. Long Forest, near Bacchus Marsh, was the first bit of bush I came to."
Boyd was given a relatively-loose instructions by the Bakers who wanted as much space as possible and did not have any specifications on materials or character. Boyd was influenced by Dr Baker's affection for geometric calculations, that led to a regimented and formal architectural expression;[3] and came up with two schematics—two long symmetrical cylinders and a courtyard plan. The latter was built, commenced in 1964.[2]
Made of locally-quarried stone, the 90-square-metre (970 sq ft) house is square in plan, surrounded by twelve stone cylinders topped by a shallow pyramid roof, while at the centre lies a large courtyard beneath a flywire roof. Due to its remote location, the site was not connected to water or electricity. The design incorporated the collection and storage of rainwater via several of the stone cylinders as house water tanks. The house also featured a large school-room for the owners' four home-schooled children.[3][4]
Internally, the private functions and services of the house line the walls with small windows onto the courtyard, leaving large open-plan spaces along the perimeter of the building. The perimeter walls are fully glazed, opening onto deep verandas that allowed for circulation inside the house.[5] The main living space was originally heated by a large fireplace, however this proved to be ineffective, and several extra wood burning heaters were subsequently installed throughout the house.[6]
Key influences and design approach
Boyd put much effort into considering the unique conditions of Australia and subsequently developed a style "related to Australian materials and conditions, to [the] light and its connection to Australian landscape". References to the work of Walter Burley Griffin were evident with large living spaces or courtyards that became the centre of the house. The influence of Louis Kahn was also evident in the floor plan, where Boyd created a sense of formality in the layout through the use of a perfect square. The use of such geometry also reflects Dr Baker's profession as a mathematician and was described as "a plan of noughts and crosses".[7]
Concrete was the planned construction material; however, the house instead utsed locally-quarried stone, adding to the rustic qualities of the house, drawing on Colonial influences in the design. Boyd described the process as "like designing a house for Robinson Crusoe."[8] At the time of construction there was a large emphasis on the texture, warmth, and weathering of materials, influencing the use of stone both externally and internally, the straw ceilings, and the bare concrete floors. These tough and low maintenance materials reflect the conditions of the surrounding Australian bushland.[9]
Contemporary use
Used initially as the Baker family's private residence, the house was subsequently used for private functions.[3] The house and adjoining structures were sold in 2006 for more than A$1.11 million,[10][4] and sold again[a] in 2024 for approximately A$1.5 million.[12]
Dower House and Library
After its completion in 1966, another house was commissioned for the owner’s mother-in-law, originally known as the Elizabeth Strickland house, and commonly called the Boyd Downer House. Using the same local stone, Boyd designed a smaller house again with a square plan, although instead of the rigid geometry of the Baker House, the Dower House features a freeform stone wall running throughout.[4]
In 1979, the owners commissioned Sir Roy Grounds, Boyd’s former partner, to design a small library on the site. His design complements those of Boyd through use of similar materials whilst contrasting with the formal style of the two houses.[13] The design of the library / studio enabled it to be used without electricity; although it was connected sometime after 2006.[4]
Gallery
View of the internal courtyard
One of the open living areas
Bushland surrounding the house
See also
Notes
References
- 1 2 "Baker House, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H2118, Heritage Overlay HO55". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Boyd Baker House". ArchJourney.org. n.d. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Sutherland, Isla (16 March 2023). "Robin Boyd midcentury masterpiece for sale". Architecture, AU. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Baumgart, Marcus (16 March 2023) [2007]. "Robust retreat: Boyd Baker House revisited". Architecture, AU. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Ron; Goad, Philip. The Robin Boyd "Baker" House. Architel.TV. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ↑ "The Boyd Baker House: A Mid-Century Gem Nestled in Serene Bushland". Co-Architecture.com. 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "IOU: Robin Boyd". IOU. 29 May 2007. ABC.
- ↑ Boyd, Robin (1970). Living in Australia. Sydney: Pergamon Press (Australia). p. 123. ISBN 0-08-017540-6.
- ↑ Goad, Philip (October 2010). "On the influence of Robin Boyd". Monument Magazine. 99: 20–28.
- ↑ Chancellor , Jonathan (31 August 2014). "Modernist Boyd Baker, Bacchus March property passed in". Apartments.com.au. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ Heagney-Bayliss, Melissa (31 March 2023). "Mid-century masterpieces: Robin Boyd time warp homes hit the market". The Age. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- 1 2 "305-307 Long Forest Road, Long Forest, Vic 3340". Realestate.com.au. August 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Boyd Baker House". Habitus Living. n.d. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
External links
- Boyd Baker House website
- Robin Boyd Foundation
- "The architecture of Robin Boyd" (contains images of Baker House). The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- "New Normal Returns: Melbourne Design Week x Boyd Baker House, Long Forest" (contains an aerial view of the property). New Normal. 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2026.