Simplified Living – Suburban Farmhaus by Arcologic Design

Combining a play on scale with a familiar residential vernacular, Suburban Farmhaus sits as a balanced offering to the streetscape, symmetrical and muted. Arcologic Design and Lahaus reimagine the family home, creatively interpreting the council requirements of the site to allow for a growing family.

Located in Claremont, Suburban Farmhaus reinterprets the brief for a contemporary home while remaining connected to the surrounding landscape as a key functional element. The front peaked forms present to the street as a traditional formation, hinting at the home’s rural namesake. While it gestures to the traditional farmhouse, the reference stops there as the forms unfold into generous interior zones. Neatly behind the peaks sits an additional level, cleverly disguised within façade, lessening the impact of the overall mass from approach. Bringing natural materials together with a soft and complementary palette, the home feels light throughout as openings allow the natural to sit comfortably alongside the built. With architecture by Arcologic Design and interior design by Lahaus, the resulting home beautifully combines simplicity with contemporary living.

The peaked forms present to the street as a traditional formation, hinting at open gable roofed interior to match.

Collaboratively built by Sovereign Building Company and landscape design by Jem Hanbury Studio, Suburban Farmhaus is the second home designed for the same client. Having forged a successful relationship from the previous partnership and project, this home felt like a natural progression and a likely partnering. With a love of entertaining, the expansive family home sits immersed within a curated garden setting with dedicated zones for gathering and play. North facing glass and steel windows connect the interior to solar gains throughout the day and across the seasons, gently warming the spaces during winter. Leading to an edible garden, alfresco space and pool, the generous and artisanal doors further allow for connection for its owners, visually and through a natural movement across the site.

While the overall form looks deceptively as though it is only one level, to meet the brief, two levels are hidden within. A combination of clever formal gestures and a geometric approach create the ideal frontage, allowing the second level to remain unseen from the street. Across its multiple levels, the substantial home comes together as a formation of pavilions across the site. The main form sits to the rear and is clad in a more weighted stone finish, while the two front gabled forms offer separate zones and a sense of separation due to their positioning. A soft limewashed oak runs underfoot throughout, setting the tone of subtlety as it binds each of the spaces. Together with warming terracotta and cooling painted plaster throughout, the home feels open and connected.

Leading to an edible garden, alfresco space and pool, the generous and artisanal doors further allow for connection for its owners, visually and through a natural movement across the site.

Suburban Farmhaus draws on several influences to connect its owners across the site and elevate the everyday, seeing Arcologic Design and Lahaus come together to create a refined and detailed family home.