Anderssen House, Mountain Lane, Pretoria North: photo's

Abstract

A set of four photos of the exterior of the Anderssen House (1939). The house is a thatched, timber house for Dr. F. G. Anderssen who had just returned from America in the late 1930’s – the only timber house Eaton ever designed. According to the current owners (2009), who had met with Dr Anderssen when he was still alive, his young American wife had no doubt influenced the decision on aesthetics. Very different from the later Anderssen House, built in 1949 in the East of Pretoria. The lofty living-room area of this first Anderssen House is similar to the double-volume Studio Van Wouw (1938) and the studio for Alexis Preller, Ygdrasil (1944). The first time he applied this articulation of hierarchy through the use of double-volume and exposed trusses, was in the 1932 farmstead for Mr Hill near Lunsklip. A similar demarcation of hierarchy would be applied in other houses, although not a full double volume. On the northern side, the double volume living space is expressed in a double height window. A projecting frame protects the opening – recalling House Tosi. Similar to House Tosi also, is the clear demarcation of servant and service spaces – articulated yet again with a spinal wall that ties everything together – similar to his previous linear typologies. Refer also to the timber and thatch detailing in the residential work of Gordon Leith. The current owners, Mr. and Mrs. Stenekamp have looked after the house devotedly over the years – hence its good condition. See the notes Harrop-Allin made on the house and a comparison with the Van Wouw House. (1975:75)