• Wilson House, Aranda (1973)
  • Conan-Davies House, Aranda (1968)
  • McDonald House, Cook (1970)
  • Multi Manor I for Manor Homes (1970)
  • Manor House I for Manor Homes (1970)

Roger Pegrum

Roger Pegrum—architect, town planner and writer—was born in Malaya in 1938, the son of a British Admiralty civil engineer. The family settled in Canberra in 1948, and he graduated in Arts from the Australian National University and Architecture and Town Planning from the University of Sydney.

Pegrum worked as an architect with the Commonwealth Department of Works from 1960-63 and 1965-67, where he designed the light fittings on Anzac Parade, primary schools at Hughes and Garran and various alterations and additions at Old Parliament House, including the entrance portico on the front façade.

In 1968 he set up in private practice with twin brother Anthony (1938-2001). His Wilson House in Aranda (1972) won the RAIA (ACT) C S Daley Award in 1974 and the 25 Year Award in 2005. It is one of the finest Sydney School houses in the ACT.

Pegrum left Canberra to become Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Sydney (1974-86). He returned to Canberra to take up the position of Commonwealth Government Architect (1986-88), responsible for architectural design standards. Pegrum continued to make a significant contribution to Canberra’s built environment. Later commissions included the Faculty of Asian Studies at ANU (1994) and the Chancery at Government House, Yarralumla (1995). His own house in Reid (2005) won the 2006 Canberra Medallion.

Houses

Pegrum’s contribution to Canberra’s suburban environment is significant, with over 40 private commissions spanning five decades. No other architect in Canberra is more closely associated with the late 20th century Sydney School, and certainly no other individual architect has had such an impact on the character of Canberra’s bush suburbs such as Aranda.

Pegrum’s houses are characterised by the use of site-sensitive form, scale and materials to complement their surroundings. They typically use a limited palette of materials:

  • walls often bagged and painted brick or Bowral facebrick flush jointed
  • western red cedar windows and sliding doors
  • dark stained timbers
  • flat metal roofs with concealed gutters or steeply pitched tiled roofs
  • deep overhang for sun protection
  • the use of split-level planning on sloping sites
  • planning formed around courtyards

Manor Homes

In 1970 Pegrum was approached by local builder John Ainscough to design a range of project houses that would compete with the offerings of Sydney company Pettit & Sevitt. They called the venture Manor Homes, and four exhibition houses designed by Pegrum were built in Hoseason Street, Mawson. The range included a modest split-level house, a homestead-style house with deep verandahs, and a modern, open-plan design. Dozens of these houses were built throughout Woden Valley, inner Belconnen and Weston Creek in the early 1970s.

Houses

  • Walker House, 43 Cobby Street, Campbell (1963)
  • Ryan House, 58 Rosenthal Street, Campbell (1968)
  • Lewis House, 34 Tompson Street, Garran (1968)
  • Sautelle House, 19 Richardson Street, Garran (1968)
  • Hickson House, 86 Pridham Street, Farrer (1968)
  • Kluken House I, 10 Janari Place, Aranda (1968)
  • Pegrum House I, 11 Stone Place, Garran (1968)
  • Conan-Davies House, 28 Araba Place, Aranda (1968)
  • Hardy House, 6 Marawa Place, Aranda (1969)
  • Barratt House, 47 Skinner Street, Cook (1969)
  • Crawford House, 29 Shackleton Circuit, Mawson (1969)
  • Falk House, 18 Araba Place, Aranda (1970)
  • Slee House, 29 Waite Street, Farrer (1970)
  • Braddick House, 13 Gidabal Street, Aranda (1970)
  • Macdonald House, 8 Moss Street, Cook (1970)
  • Macdonald House, 46 Mirning Crescent, Aranda (1970)
  • Kimpton House, 16 Araba Place, Aranda (1970)
  • Project house designs for Manor Homes (1970)
  • Wight House, 42 Rapanea Street, Rivett (1971)
  • Boldeman House, 17 Woodgate Street, Farrer (1971)
  • Milne house, 34 Esperance Street, Red Hill (1971)
  • Lancaster House, 5 Steinwedel Street, Farrer (1971)
  • McKeown House, 35 Mirning Crescent, Aranda (1971)
  • Price House, 107 Gouger Street, Torrens (1972)
  • Five townhouses, 3-11 Rymill Place, Mawson (1972)
  • Cumpston House, 42 Araba Street, Aranda (1972)
  • Wilson House, 38 Mirning Crescent, Aranda (1973)
  • Maher House, 15 Marrakai Street, Hawker (1973)
  • Walker House, 31 Ambalindum Street, Hawker (1973)
  • Carter House, 55 Brereton Street, Garran (1973)
  • Diener House, 39 McEachern Street, Melba (1973)
  • Pegrum House II, 19 Euree Street, Reid (2005)

With the Department of Works

  • Hughes Primary and Infants School (1962)
  • Lighting, Anzac Parade (1963)
  • Garran Primary and Infants School (1964)

Other works

  • Federal Police guard boxes (1972)
  • Faculty of Asian Studies, ANU (1994)
  • Government House Chancery, Yarralumla (1995)

Publications

  • The Bush Capital, Hale & Iremonger, 1983. Second edition, Watermark, 2008
  • Details in Australian Architecture, RAIA, 1984
  • Details in Australian Architecture Volume II, RAIA, 1987
  • Australian Government Architects, RAIA/AGPS, 1988
  • A Very Great City One Day, Barallier, 2018

Source

  • Nathan G Judd, A Canberra Architect: Roger Pegrum, Echo, 2021
  • Roger Pegrum, A Very Great City One Day, Barrallier, 2018
  • Tim Reeves and Alan Roberts, 100 Canberra Houses, Halstead Press, 2013

Image credit

  • Drawings of Multi Manor I and Manor House I by Peter Swalling, courtesy of Roger Pegrum.