Having entered a new phase of her life - less work /more life - Jane wanted to focus on friends and family, supporting the community, engaging with politics, keeping active and singing with the 12 members of her local community choir.
NIGHT CHANGES AMA FULL
The aim was to design a living /dining zone that could open fully to the garden, to maximise entertaining space, make full use of the northern orientation and hopefully re-ignite Jane’s love of gardening. The original old cottage had an cosy, but space inside was tight with minimal indoor/outdoor connectivity.
Ultimately Jane wanted a fully renovated, future-proofed home, as she didn’t want to move again. The build was to be architecturally interesting, practically driven over aesthetics - “to create a ‘warm feeling’” rather than being a personal statement. Jane’s brief was for a sustainable, adaptable, long-term, low-maintenance home that would be as energy efficient as possible, but above all, “a beautiful space”. The terrazzo was to symbolise a splash of drama, a nod to her partner (“a bold person who loved colour, particularly red and green”), who initially owned the cottage, but who had passed away suddenly. The plan was for a complete renovation of her two-bedroom, single-storey terrace cottage, to ensure she could continue to reside in her chosen community. Jane, the owner of Yarra Bend, came to us with two things, a considered forward-thinking objective, and a small piece of beautiful green terrazzo. A new laundry/shed building is positioned at the rear of the garden to separate the utilities from the main house to create more internal living space. Upstairs there is a bedroom, a central bathroom and multi-purpose room overlooking the north facing rear garden. The double story addition maximises the full 4.5 metre width of this narrow block, with kitchen, living, dining room connecting directly to the external areas at each side. The courtyard, (with a Japanese Maple Tree), provides fresh air, open sky and greenery, and serves as a link transitioning between the old and the new. The front two rooms have been reconfigured with the old front bedroom divided to become a dedicated study (facing out to the street) and a bathroom, while the second bedroom now has a pop-out bay window projecting into a central courtyard garden. In response to the suburb’s heritage overlay, the old part of the house has been externally enhanced and respectfully renewed. Yarra Bend House is the alteration and addition to a single-fronted terrace cottage in Clifton Hill, Melbourne, with an internal renovation at the front and a new double storey at the rear. I know if I can stay here, I’m in a good place.” Jane, owner of Yarra Bend House. I’ve lived here for thirty-five years and I have lots of friends and neighbours and I feel very supported. “Clifton Hill is my longterm, chosen community. Having people remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible also avoids the costly option of institutional care and is therefore favoured by policy makers, health providers, and by many older people themselves (World Health Organization, 2007).” Ageing in place related to a sense of identity both through independence and autonomy and through caring relationships and roles in the places people live. As reported: “‘Ageing in place’ was seen as an advantage in terms of a sense of attachment or connection and feelings of security and familiarity in relation to both homes and communities.
The results found that older people wanted choices about where and how they age in place. The report illuminated the concept in terms of functional, symbolic and emotional attachments, and meanings of homes, neighbourhoods, and communities. Every day I wake up and look at something and think, that is such a beautiful piece of detail.”Īn academic study, published in The Gerontologist, examined the concept of “ageing in place” - a popular term in current ageing policy (defined as “remaining living in the community, with some level of independence, rather than in residential care”). I loved the whole experience and felt bereft when it was finished because I loved having the contact with Austin Maynard Architects and the builders, Dimpat. Their initial suggestion of a central courtyard resonated with me and felt right, I knew I could trust their decisions. From very early on I knew I could trust Austin Maynard Architects with this project. “To say that I am ecstatic about the end result would be a huge understatement.