Ararat House

Ararat is a modest place. As a township, its footprint is small and walkable, and after 50 years of living there my parents have a strong connection to its place and community.

If you look, beauty is found in the landscape and in the modesty of the habitation. Most houses are small, and most are made from local materials, by local people. Into this context my parents purchased a modest cream brick 1950’s house originally developed by a local builder. Prior to them living there, it had been the home of my brother and his wife – their first house. Quaint as it was, it needed work. Not only to ensure its longevity, but also to ensure it could offer them a living environment that could accommodate them through to the end of their lives.

Rather than remove the original and replace it with something new, it was our intent to perform a series of surgeries to the original dwelling – with the intent of not only respecting the imbedded carbon of the original, but also capturing the cultural and familiar history of the place.

We added a ‘good room’, new kitchen, living and dining space with veranda and private courtyard facing north, and two bathrooms to the south – augmenting the original building that accommodates 3 bedrooms. In the long term my guess is that my brothers family will one day live here again, and for that the house sets up a strategy to enable the addition of the rumpus room opening to the rear yard.

The interior design is sculpted from the materials the building is composed of – they are one and the same. The house is not covered or dressed, with early decisions about the architecture delivering a richness and intimacy rooted in place and craft to the interiors. Most of the materials in the new addition are sourced from within 100km of site. Where ‘special’ materials are used they are done so sparingly, keeping costs and carbon footprints down. Where possible we engaged local people (including my Dad) to make bits and pieces – investing local culture in the final space.

This project is designed to sustain my parents through to the end of their lives. Rather than grab rails everywhere and a stability chair in the shower, the design of the home integrates assistive features to ensure that the house serves my parents, rather than the other way around. We’ve included a tiled bench in the shower, have eliminating steps, and provided wider walkways and thoroughfares. Perhaps the innovation is simply about doing straightforward things right. This house isn’t tricky – it’s just good, with a bit of delight and joy thrown in.

Words by Adam Haddow.