Houzz Tour: Life Next to the Runway
An Australian couple passionate about aviation convert a runway hangar into their home and accommodation for travelers
Emily Hutchinson
July 5, 2016
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff. I am always on the lookout for homes with that extra wow-factor to feature. I love hearing all about the design process behind these projects.
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff. I am always on the lookout for homes with that extra... More
Not many of us would look at an airport runway and see it as a perfect building site, but for pilot Brad Welch and his partner, Alex Suarex, this was the ideal location for their home. The couple asked architect Maurice Patten to help them realize their dream. Patten created a space for living and entertaining, where travelers and friends passing through Australia’s Mudgee wine region often come to watch the planes come and go. “Although it’s really just a place for a man who loves living with his toys,” Patten says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Pilot Brad Welch and Alex Suarex and their dog, Sam
Location: Mudgee Airport, New South Wales state, Australia
Size: Six bedrooms, seven bathrooms
Architect: Patten Design
The runway where this home is located is still in use by Mudgee Airport, allowing for local and sometimes international flights. Maurice Patten started designing the project in 2011 and finished in 2015, and he had to work with the local council to satisfy flight path restrictions and for connection to water and electrical services for the house, which he says was the biggest challenge.
Who lives here: Pilot Brad Welch and Alex Suarex and their dog, Sam
Location: Mudgee Airport, New South Wales state, Australia
Size: Six bedrooms, seven bathrooms
Architect: Patten Design
The runway where this home is located is still in use by Mudgee Airport, allowing for local and sometimes international flights. Maurice Patten started designing the project in 2011 and finished in 2015, and he had to work with the local council to satisfy flight path restrictions and for connection to water and electrical services for the house, which he says was the biggest challenge.
Patten outlined suitably sized sites that could be developed by the council and sold the idea to it based on the project acting as a gateway building to the airport. He was allotted a plot, and water and electricity were brought in from town a mile away.
Exterior walls, water tanks and roofing: Colorbond
Funding for the project depended on the money homeowners Brad Welch and Alex Suarex made from their businesses. They decided to make the home also function as accommodation, where they regularly host pilots and other aviation enthusiasts, along with those visiting the surrounding wine region. They also run a small three-plane aviation company called Observe Air. “Aviation is our passion and Brad has been a pilot for over 30 years,” Suarex says. “The hangar stores the planes and allows us to operate Observe Air.”
Dining and living room furniture: King Furniture; kitchen: Taste; lighting: Tangent
Dining and living room furniture: King Furniture; kitchen: Taste; lighting: Tangent
The house is also a great place to entertain and live in, Suarex says. They both enjoy meeting and accommodating new people, and they have their privacy with a spacious bedroom when they need it.
Artwork: Pro Hart; gas fireplace: Lopi; tiles: Nerang
Artwork: Pro Hart; gas fireplace: Lopi; tiles: Nerang
To make the home extra cozy during the colder months, underfloor heating was installed beneath the polished concrete floors. Most of the furniture and decor came from friends and family.
The couple’s passion for aviation is also integrated into the design. This wall alongside the staircase is decorated with a mural of aircraft Welch has flown. “The single stringer stair with glass balustrades and floating handrail is also flight-like,” Patten notes.
There are six bedrooms in the house. The couple’s bedroom is one of Suarex’s favorite rooms. The attached lounge area gives them extra space to move around and there’s a beautiful view overlooking the runway.
There are different types of bedrooms for every type of guest. Each boasts a view of the runway and wine region. The rooms are also fitted with mini kitchens and bathrooms, to feel more independent from the rest of the house.
Of course, living next to a runway is handy when you fly regularly and own your own planes. The hangar is Welch’s favorite space; it features orange-painted barrel vault trusses spanning 30 yards. Pictured here are two of Welch’s three aircraft: a Partenavia P68 twin-engine observation aircraft and a Pup kit plane. Functions are also held in the large space, and Patten added chandeliers for some luxury.
Patten says he’s most proud of the fact that his clients consider the project a beautiful place to live, and that he was able to get the local council on his side.
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when we come to australia, we'll want to stay with you!!
Way to go guys! Worked hard for, and now living, the dream. Wishing you many long years of joy and prosperity ahead.
Looks fabulous. Is it available as a B and B for fly in