Don't miss a special @home on Sunday 13 September when we will explore twentieth century modernist residential design. Canberra is one of Australia’s best places to discover mid-century modern and modernist residential architecture. The city’s rapid development during the post-war decades created opportunities for architects to experiment with new ideas about contemporary living, landscape, materials and construction.

Many of the suburbs in Canberra contain distinctive houses demonstrating the influence of the International Style and post-war modernism, with work by some of Australia’s most significant architects alongside accomplished local practitioners. With its planned neighbourhoods, generous blocks, mature landscapes and remarkable concentration of modernist houses, Canberra has even been compared to Palm Springs, California—another city celebrated for the way mid-century architecture sits within a distinctive landscape.

On Sunday 13 September we invite you to visit two modernist homes:

House 1: Fitzgerald House

Designed by the architect John Camden Fitzgerald for his own family home, Fitzgerald House in Campbell is an example of modernist residential architecture that emerged in Canberra during the city’s rapid post-war expansion.

The house reflects the opportunity architects had when designing for themselves to explore modern ideas about domestic life, planning and the relationship between a house and its site.

Its understated architectural expression, functional planning and emphasis on natural light and connection to the outdoors are characteristic of Canberra’s mid-century houses, where thoughtful orientation and relatively simple materials were used to create comfortable homes suited to the local climate and landscape.

As the architect’s own house, it also provides an insight into Fitzgerald’s personal design philosophy and his contribution to Canberra’s lesser-known modernist architectural heritage.

House 2: Rivendell

Rivendell, designed by Laurie Virr for his own family, is a distinctive example of the more individual and environmentally responsive residential architecture that developed in Canberra during the 1970s.

Rather than treating the house as an isolated object, Virr’s design responds closely to its site, using its planning, orientation and relationship with the landscape to shape the experience of the home.

The house reflects an architectural approach that valued natural materials, passive environmental principles and informal living spaces, while maintaining the clarity of planning associated with modernism.

Don't miss out on what is sure to be a popular tour. CLICK HERE to book now.

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TOUR DETAILS

Date: Sunday 13 September 2026
Locations:
House 1: Fitzgerald House, Campbell ACT
Time: 10.30am - 11.30am
House 2: Rivendell, Kambah ACT
Time: 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Please note that the address and meeting point will only be forwarded to ticket holders in the days immediately before the tour.
Tickets: $60 (Early Bird - ends 7 September) / $65 (Public) / $50 (AAA Members)

Don't miss your opportunity to meet the owners of these homes and experience these privately owned residences, numbers are limited. Book your place on the tour, CLICK HERE.

The weekend of 13 September is also a wonderful time to experience Canberra, coinciding with the opening weekend of Floriade, the city’s annual celebration of spring.

As Canberra emerges from winter, its gardens, streets and established suburbs come alive with blossom and colour, providing a particularly beautiful setting for exploring the city’s architecture.

A weekend combining a tour of modernist home design with a visit to Floriade offers visitors an opportunity to experience two sides of Canberra’s design heritage—the carefully considered architecture of the national capital and the landscape and garden planning that have always been central to its identity.

• Article: Vanessa Couzens
• Image 1: Fitzgerald House, designed by J.C.Fitzgerald [Photographer: Vanessa Couzens]
• Image 2: Rivendell, designed by Laurie Virr [Photographer: Shannon Battisson]
• Image 3: Floriade 2026 website