Queensland
Serving as the genesis of the partnership between Brian Donovan and Timothy Hill, the 1991 commission for the C House marks a pivotal moment in the history of Donovan Hill Architects. This project laid the foundation for the partnership and established one of Queensland’s most celebrated architecture practices. Their innovative approach to civic-minded architecture propelled them to national acclaim, with Donovan Hill becoming the most nationally awarded practice in Australia during the mid-2000s.
This internationally acclaimed house, completed in 1998, is the embryonic work of a practice whose legacy still resonates a quarter of a century later.
The commission of C House coincided with the formation of the Donovan Hill partnership, a practice that set a new standard of expectation for Australian architecture. Importantly, the building demonstrated new possibilities for Australian architecture based on, among numerous other ideas, landscape morphology rather than a cultural idea of landscape. It introduced ideas of building as terrain, edited from the site and responding to climatic diagrams and the simple human need for prospect and refuge.
The C House is simple and complex, rather than simplistic and complicated. It can be described as a masterful long-section diagram considered in three dimensions. Masonry terrain establishes a journey and platforms for room-making. Then, timber elements conceived as joinery fine-tune spaces for comfort.
Most captivating about this house is the detail, which is exquisite and necessary at once. Walls and external fabric are crafted as furniture and concrete elements feel eternal. The architects have learned from previous eras – Palladianism, Japanese craft, the Arts and Craft movement, late modernism – and have applied scholarly knowledge with careful innovation to an Australian condition.
Almost all Australian architects will reference ideas and details from this building, whether they are aware of it or not – we all have learnings both deliberate and tacit which have come from the work of Brian Donovan and Timothy Hill.
The wondrous C House has significantly changed the trajectory of Australian architecture and Australian architectural practice.
Internationally recognised as one of the most influential houses of the 20th century, the C House’s impact on architectural discourse and practice cannot be overstated. The C House embodies Donovan Hill’s pioneering exploration of the outdoor room typology, a concept that continues to be redeployed by architects throughout the country. Symbolising Donovan Hill’s visionary approach to architecture, the C House serves as a landmark in Donovan Hill’s enduring legacy, epitomising their unwavering dedication to the built environment through innovation and a deep understanding of the human experience.
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
