Robin Boyd Designs High Street Road Ashwood

132 and 134 High Street Road, Ashwood

Architect Robin Boyd designed a supermarket and residence in 1952 in the suburb of Jordanville, now Ashwood, which lies within the City of Monash.   At the time, it was part of a Housing Commission estate that was developed between the Holmesglen and Jordanville railway stations on the Glen Waverley train line. The estate also included a Commonwealth migrant hostel from 1954 to 1969.

The design of these buildings was unique in that it used a monolithic (or Ctesiphon) system of concrete construction, where the roof and walls were one self-supporting structure. The supermarket and residence are of architectural and historic importance to the City of Monash and the State of Victoria because of the unique construction technique used, and also because they were designed by an architect of Boyd’s professional standing. His use of form and materials mark him in history as being a visionary of mid-century architecture.  The Ashwood buildings were the only use of this construction method. They were placed on the Heritage Register in 1997.

The house and shop were built in 1953-54 and cost £8000. The experimental form of construction for a commercial property is unique.