Back in 2013, Simon and Lauren purchased a 1.5-acre riverfront property that housed a 60sqm derelict sandstone chapel and cemetery. Labelled a “high-risk ruin” by the bank and warned against it by family and friends, the couple found the opportunity was “too seductive to refuse”, and over 16 months, they single-handedly turned the abandoned chapel into a modern, two-bedroom home. However, six years and two children later, Simon and Lauren had outgrown the chapel and had come to the “realisation that we would either have to think creatively about extension or sell. Selling was not an option.
“Our brief for the second project was to create a sustainable off-grid, modern family home that performs economically without compromising space, comfort, functionality, lifestyle or design. It was important to us that we create an addition that provided us all the modern comforts the church lacked (heating, space, view of the river etc) while keeping the original build the main focus,” say Simon and Lauren.
While renovating the chapel, access to the town’s water and power was non-existent and completely out of Simon and Lauren’s price range. Therefore, the couple installed solar panels to supply them with power and Simon, an engineer and plumber by trade, cleverly designed a complex filtration and pump system to filter the Hawkesbury River water to drinking standard. Already completely off-grid, the extension needed to adhere to these conditions, so Simon began considering passive housing due to its amazing thermal efficiency and performance.
“We really wanted to create a historically sympathetic, sustainable and luxurious family home that celebrated the rich history and beauty of our little pocket of the globe,” says Lauren. “Simon also insisted on using premium materials and craftsmanship to ensure our new addition would easily last another 150 years.”
Passive housing has become popular due to the construction’s super-efficient thermal properties.
Construction materials are key to a passive house but due to budget constraints, Simon worked closely with LogikHaus, a startup looking to bring quick, cost-effective, prefabricated passive house panels to the market. The was the first project for LogikHaus — Simon and his tradie mates provided the labour while LogikHaus provided the materials. With a combination of thick insulation, triple-glazed windows and almost a kilometre of tape, the new extension stays at a comfortable temperature all year round, no matter what the weather is like outside.
“Our own aesthetic aims to be contemporary and timeless,” says Lauren. “It is important that we don’t try to replicate the original features of the church. Our design is influenced by our need to keep the old and the new easily distinguishable and not blur the lines between the historic features and the new additions … the property dictated the design in every way.”
Preservation of the chapel was always the main consideration throughout the extension design. The modern building would stand alone from the chapel, not to compete with it but to fade into the background and allow the chapel to remain the hero. But whether or not to physically link the two buildings was what kept Simon awake at night. His main concern was not damaging or interrupting the facade of the chapel.
Inspired by architecture that bridges the new and the old, such as the Adelaide State Library, Simon and Lauren chose a glass walkway to connect the chapel and the modern extension. While functionally protecting the family from external elements as they travel between the two buildings, glass wouldn’t conceal the chapel’s original facade. In collaboration with Palmers Glass, the linkway doesn’t just connect the old and the new, it pays homage to those who will forever grace the property, with every name of those buried in the cemetery and the years they passed etched into the ceiling panel. “The link between the two buildings generated the most heated discussions and focused problem solving, and resulted in something we are truly proud of,” say Simon and Lauren.
Now with a sibling 150 years its junior, a cantilevered, copper-clad, passive house sits lovingly beside the sandstone chapel. With a three-bedroom, two-bathroom extension and views that truly capture the Hawkesbury River location, Simon and Lauren have not just one, but two dream homes. “We have a deeply spiritual connection to the property and now to the memories made building our house. Every morning, we look out over the river with gratitude for being able to call this place home and the opportunities and lifestyle it has afforded us. Best of all, with its own onsite cemetery, we never have to leave! Just roll us down the hill and add a headstone!”
