Ararat House by SJB

SJB director Adam Haddow brings a conceptual and functional approach to the renovation of a 1950s brick worker’s cottage in country Victoria for his parents to enjoy and find solace in.

A deeply personal project, Ararat House has given architect Adam Haddow the opportunity to explore what a forever home looks like later in life. He reveals how designing for retirement is perhaps less about practical measures and more about emotion. “Mum and Dad lived in the same house for 50-something years – a house that Dad built – just outside of town in Ararat on 10 acres of land bordering a national park,” he says. “They were reaching their 80s, so it was time for them to find a place in town that was a little more manageable and easier to get around.”

“The architecture of the home is much more about what the building is like to be in … rather than what it looks like.”

A family affair in every sense, the home in Victoria’s High Country was previously owned by Haddow’s brother and his parents entrusted him with total control, “except for budget,” says the architect with a laugh. He comments that the original dwelling was quite ‘mean’ in its form, with small rooms and low ceilings. “It was somewhere to keep the rain off your head – it had a nice garden with some nice fruit trees, but that was about it.”

Ararat House sits quietly on the street, its modest brick facade seamlessly blending into the surrounding vernacular of architectural styles and mostly small homes. “The architecture of the home is much more about what the building is like to be in … rather than what it looks like,” says Haddow. While the existing property itself was rundown, the architect aimed to “edit it” rather than rebuild, respecting the embedded carbon of the original home and thoughtfully incorporating its cultural history.

“From a sustainability point of view, it’s important not to just demolish everything and start again, but when you have a building that doesn’t actually have any architectural quality, I think it’s more about cultural memory.”

The home is fundamentally connected to place, crafted by a son and a local builder using local materials. “This was part of the challenge, as it had cultural memory as much as architectural memory,” says Haddow. One portion of the pre-existing yellow brick of the original home is retained, as is the verandah post that Haddow’s brother’s children used to play with. “From a sustainability point of view, it’s important not to just demolish everything and start again, but when you have a building that doesn’t actually have any architectural quality, I think it’s more about cultural memory.”

The renovation focused on re-creating what Haddow’s parents loved about living outside of town. “Part of that was about visually editing out the neighbours, so that when you are in the house you almost don’t see anyone else,” he says. To achieve this, Haddow went with a different approach, avoiding the standard renovation of keeping the front and demolishing the back.

“This house … faces south, and Ararat is either very cold or very hot, so you need to ensure the living room and the spaces people occupy the most face north.”

“This house is different because it faces south, and Ararat is either very cold or very hot, so you need to ensure the living room and the spaces people occupy the most face north,” he notes. “This meant that we had to keep these spaces facing the street, so we created privacy through a walled garden and landscaping, which means you can be at the front of the house without anyone seeing in from the street.”

Naturally, Haddow made other structural changes to ensure the home is suitable for his parents as they enter the next phase of their lives. A new kitchen, living and dining space with a verandah and private courtyard face north, while two bathrooms have been added to the south. The ensuite has been altered for greater accessibility, able to accommodate a wheelchair and a seat in the shower.

“The bricks inherently have a quality of place, and we used an oxide in a render to get those beautiful pink and grey undertones that you get in the Australian bush.”

Ararat House’s material palette nods to its Victorian High Country location. The facade is made of red bricks from Krause Bricks, which were produced 10 minutes away and extend inside the home as flooring, complemented by spotted gum floorboards in other rooms.

“The bricks inherently have a quality of place, and we used an oxide in a render to get those beautiful pink and grey undertones that you get in the Australian bush,” says Haddow. Similarly, the carpet ties the home to place as Ararat is known for wool production. The furniture is almost primarily found pieces. “We discovered the lights over the dining table at a flea market, and most of the other furniture were things we found or Mum and Dad already had and we had them refinished.”

A dark green and soft eucalyptus palette in the bedrooms is reminiscent of swaying gum trees, while the pink and red in the living room recall the hues of native flowers and sunburnt rock.

However, perhaps most poignant is how Haddow used textures and colours to evoke memories of his parents’ previous home in the bush. “The house Dad had built was surrounded by beautiful bushland,” reflects Haddow, recalling “the beautiful greys, pinks and greens of the flowering gums and the hues of the tree trunks.” A dark green and soft eucalyptus palette in the bedrooms and the ensuite is reminiscent of swaying gum trees, while the pink and red in the living room recall the hues of native flowers and sunburnt rock.

Walking through Ararat House, the shifting shades create a distinct mood – the cooler colours in the more private zones imbue a sense of calm and privacy, while the warmer energetic tones in the living areas feel more engaging. “You don’t notice it, it’s not jarring, but it definitely does change your mood,” says Haddow.

There’s beauty to be found in the memories it evokes, the connection to Ararat’s rural landscape and the small parts of the original dwelling that have been kept, restored and celebrated.

A thoughtful reimagination of a home rich in heritage, Ararat House is humble and unpretentious on the surface. However, looking beyond its simple facade, there’s beauty to be found in the memories it evokes, the connection to Ararat’s rural landscape and the small parts of the original dwelling that have been kept, restored and celebrated. “I am most proud of the fact that Mum and Dad love the house,” says Haddow. “It’s a house I can see them living in for many years.”

Architecture and interior design by SJB. Build by Craig Dowling. Landscape design by Amanda Oliver Gardens. Artwork by Peter Smets and Anna-Wili Highfield.