Kelly House, Kewdale

Statement of Significance

• The site is of historic value for its association with experimental design and construction methods expressed by builder Kevin Kelly.

Physical Description

N/A

History

Kevin Kelly was a carpenter from Victoria Park, Western Australia, who obtained his builders ticket in order to construct a family home in 1966. His daughter, Ms Janice Hill, recalls his ‘inventive mind’ always experimenting with dome shapes, starting with small scale models, and increasing to a small workshop before finally building the family home. The home was an elliptical dome residence constructed of a thin concrete shell supported on brickwork under walls, and brick piers. It has five parabolic arches reminiscent of Roy Ground’s design for The Shine Dome (1959), Canberra
Although superficially similar to commercial designs from the 1960s (e.g. the Binishell), the place is an unusual example of the tradition of the designer owner-builder in Western Australia, demonstrating Kevin Kelly’s aesthetic sensibility and his considerable skills in design and fabrication. The place demonstrated a high level of technical achievement in residential construction.

Subsequent to this residence, Mr Kelly constructed a very similar house at Barragup, near Mandurah.

The place was demolished in 2014.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: N/A
Authenticity: N/A

Condition

Very Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.