Name: Vet Round House
Location: University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The Round House was designed as an “observation box” by Professor Leslie Wilkinson in 1920. It is one of his earliest works in Australia and exhibits an English Vernacular style rather than a Mediterranean style. The building is octagonal and has a steeply pitched roof topped by a ventilating lantern. Inside, there is a central pit to enclose the livestock and an elevated gallery, complete with writing slope, from which students can view veterinary procedures. The building had some maintenance in the 1980s. However by the early 21st century the building was in bad order.
For this project, the history and significance of the building was investigated; old plans and photographs collected. The structure of the building was investigated including the need for steelwork introduced in 1954 which visually cluttered the magnificent timbered roof space. The building has been comprehensively repaired and reconstructed, but in a way that is as invisible as possible and which retains its vernacular patina. For the work, a builder was chosen who was able to source and cut Forest Oak shingles to match the original specification.
