60 / AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
‘ Flexible, well-considered design reduces the need for high-impact,
wasteful renovations, while a house that’s energy- and water-
efficient keeps its footprint minimal long after you’ve moved in.’
Caroline Pidcock, architectA
great home is a pleasure to spend time
in. Walk in the door and you are aware
of well-ordered rooms that feel generous,
are endowed with natural light and have an easy,
logical f low. Put simply, it looks and feels good.
Everything just works.
“This is the essence of liveability,” says Peter
Cotton, national practice director, Mirvac
Design. “That your home and the spaces around
it have everything your family needs to live
comfortably and well.” From these principles of
practicality and comfort, liveability extends out
to take in ‘cradle to grave’ design, which centres
on making a dwelling useable by the greatest
number of people, to the greatest extent possible,
with minimal adaptation or renovation.
“Inclusion and eco-friendliness are what it’s all
about,” says Melissa Wittig of Healthy Interiors.
“Children are easily accommodated; so are older
family members and everyone in between. A
well-designed, liveable home is accessible and
easily adaptable. It’s not too big or too small; it’s
constructed from quality materials and embraces
passive-design principles so running costs are
kept to a minimum now and in years to come.”
Liveability is a prime motivator of H&G’s My
Ideal House competition. The initiative, in
conjunction with project partner Mirvac, explores
the possibilities for contemporary home design
to encourage a better way of living.
“The winning design will be eminently liveable,”
says H&G editor in chief Lisa Green. “The intention
is to come up with a blueprint for an Australian
family home that works beautifully now and can
adapt to a household’s changing needs.”
When home design misses the mark, you soon
know about it, says Peter Cotton. “The nigglingirritations and frustrations quickly become
apparent. It’s the inconvenience of having to
squeeze past someone in the hallway, or jostle for
bench space in the kitchen when cooking. They
may seem like small things, but they affect your
quality of life.”
It’s important to consider bigger issues, too. Do
you feel hemmed in by low ceilings, poor storage
options or neighbours looking into your backyard?
If you broke a leg and needed crutches, would you
be able to use your bathroom? A spotlight on
liveability at the design stage can prevent these
problems – and numerous others – from arising.
“It doesn’t necessarily add anything to your
costs to make a home more liveable,” says Sophie
Pickett-Heaps, the chair of Livable Housing
Australia (LHA). LHA is a not-for-profit property
industry group that has devised a set of guidelines
to help architects and building designers make
new homes more accommodating for all
generations. The guidelines call for safe,
continuous and level passage from the street or
driveway into your home; wide internal doors
and corridors to allow unimpeded movement
through the home; and in bathrooms, easy access
to a shower (a level f loor).
And while efficiencies are an important element
of liveability, so is the love invested in a home
that’s well designed. “A home that’s a delight to
live in will be well cared for, with respect paid
to the embedded energy that’s gone into its
construction,” says Sydney architect Caroline
Pidcock. “Such a home is comfortable year-round,
offers a meaningful connection to the garden
and neighbourhood, and brings joy every day.
Above all, a liveable home enables a lifestyle that
is low impact but rewarding.” >ALL ABOUT EASE
It stands to reason that successful home design should
embrace ‘liveability’. It’s essential to a happy home.
Text by Sarah Pickette. Photograph by Derek Swalwell/bauersyndication.com.au.LIVEABLE HOMESH&G DESIGN