Simon House, Mount Eliza, Modernist residential architecture in Mount Eliza, Australia

Simon House is a modernist residential building with a symmetrical square layout centered around a swimming pool on a single level. The structure contains five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two garages, plus kitchen, dining, and living areas arranged around the central pool and terrace.

Built in 1963, Simon House was the first project taken on by Guilford Bell and Neil Clerehan when they opened their South Yarra office. The clients were Clerehan's partners, and the design combined both architects' Modernist approaches. It won the Victorian Architecture Medal in 1964.

The house blends Japanese architectural influences with California modernism through natural materials and extensive glazing that frames views toward the bay. This fusion shapes how the interior spaces connect with the surrounding landscape.

The house is a private residence at 33 Daveys Bay Road, Mount Eliza, so it is not open for public visits; the layout can be understood from the street and from published plans. One garage was converted into a main entrance and living room, and a second garage was built opposite the existing one, altering the original circulation.

The central swimming pool serves not just as a water feature but as a spatial connector between indoor and outdoor areas of the residence. This positioning allows all rooms within the house to maintain visual connection to this core element.