“Our needs were simple; our aspirations idealistic,” says architect Robert Dickson of the first house he built, for himself and his young bride. “Maximum living space for work and play; minimum sleeping accommodation for just the two of us.” And thus we have a concise summary of his architectural approach.
Born in 1926 and educated at the University of Adelaide, Dickson is an iconic South Australian architect responsible for a wide-ranging oeuvre spanning hospitality and multi-res projects, educational facilities, council chambers, commercial buildings, town centres and urban design.
But it is his residential work that is the most engaging – beautifully crafted structures, each lovingly detailed and filled with honey-coloured timbers, warm-hued brickwork, built-in furniture and expansive openings that capture each vista. This collection charts Dickson’s student days at Claridge, Hassell and McConnell, his partnership with Newell Platten, and the establishment of his own practice. He has a distinct aesthetic – pared-back and refined without being minimalist, infused with a warmth and connected to the landscape. They are spaces that privilege purpose over novelty.
Alongside archival and contemporary photography and hand-drawn plans, Dickson explores in precise, accessible prose the briefing, design, construction, challenges and successes of each project. And the tales are fascinating – charming anecdotes of how to build a space for comfortable, contented, long-term occupation.
Robert Dickson, Wakefield Press, 2010, 256 pp, $89.
