When building your dream home, here at Hamlan we don’t want you to feel restricted by your circumstances. Whether you have a disability, have a young family or are a retiree, we believe everyone deserves to live in a beautiful home that’s safe, comfortable and meets all your needs.
Over the past year, our team has developed a standard range of homes specially designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities, the ageing population and young families.
The Lifestyle Range is the first standard range of accessible homes available to the Geelong region. The floorplans were designed for comfort, safety and access, and offers an affordable alternative to an expensive custom build.
The six new floorplans come standard with ramp entries, wider entrances and hallways and more accessible rooms for easy movement. These homes also offers special features such as hoists in bedrooms, handrails for walls, accessible powder rooms and bathrooms, and accessible kitchens for those in a wheelchair.
The range has received a stamp of approval by Livable Housing Australia and meets its platinum standards — the highest possible rating under their guidelines.
Providing more building options for all homeowners
“We all lead diverse lives and we believe everyone deserves the chance to live in a beautifully designed and built home,” Hamlan General Manager Andrew Carroll says.
“Our new Accessible Range of homes have been designed so anyone can move throughout them with comfort, ease and safety.”
Fronting the range is Ambassador — Paralympic Wheelchair Racer Sam McIntosh.
Sam is one of Geelong’s biggest rising sports stars having competed in three World Para Athletics Championships and at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. In Rio, he was just shy of scoring a medal in the 100m race.
Sam, who became a quadriplegic at 17, says Hamlan’s Lifestyle Range is just another step closer to a more inclusive community for people with disabilities.
“Saving for a home is expensive for anyone,” he says. “Statistically people with disabilities can earn as little as half of what someone without a disability is earning a week; when you need to add expensive modifications to the plans to make it accessible it can quickly become out of reach of your budget.
“So when it comes to choosing a home, having a choice of houses that are already modified for you is a huge benefit to its affordability.”
Sam will compete at next year’s World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai – an opportunity for him to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
He also helped form the local not-for-profit organisation Parallel Sports Inc – an organisation that helps people with physical disabilities take part in sports. As part of its education programs, Sam runs disability awareness workshops in schools.
“For me personally, I want a home that looks as normal as possible,” Sam says.
“Not just a house that’s standardised or feels clinical when you walk into it. You want a home that’s well-designed and beautifully built because at the end of the day you want to walk into a house that feels like home.”
Meet the Hamlan Lifestyle Range namesakes
The range has six floorplans — one two-bedroom home, three three-bedroom homes and two four-bedroom homes — providing options for singles, families and downsizers.
As with all Hamlan ranges — we wanted local names to embody each design. For the Lifestyle Range, each design was named in honour of an outstanding local person with a disability.
The people who represent the Lifestyle Range floorplans are:
- Lamont 185 — a two-bedroom floorplan: David Blaik has 10 per cent vision – but for him, it’s never been out of the ordinary and has never stopped him from playing sport. David has captained the Australian and Victorian Blind Cricket teams and was an inaugural winner at the Vision Impaired Victoria Golf Open. It’s not all about the accolades – David’s also a very active member of the community, serving on many club committees, such as the Highton Bowling Club, as well as coaching many athletes over the years. David has chosen his Scottish ancestral name – Lamont – for the new Geelong Homes’ design.
- Vanda 260— a four-bedroom floorplan: Paul Fear is a young man who, with the help of his mum Vanda, fights for the rights of young people with disabilities. Paul has a severe hypoxic brain injury – he’s non-verbal and in need of 24-hour high care. For the past 17 years, his mum has been his voice and advocated for young people, like Paul, to stay out of nursing homes and live the full lives they deserve. With Paul by her side, Vanda has found the confidence to become a public speaker on the rights of young people with disabilities. Paul’s home will be named after Vanda – in honour of the work she has done for him and the community.
- Foreman 219 — a three-bedroom floorplan: Lynne Foreman has always lived by the saying, “there’s no such word as ‘can’t’”. Lynne was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) – a rare congenital condition that causes decreased flexibility in joints. She was one of the first campaigners for the NDIS under the Every Australian Counts campaign and is now one of seven Champions that were selected from around the country to represent the campaign. Lynne is also part of the Women with Disability Victoria Leadership Network Barwon Hub.
- Haygarth 233 — a four-bedroom floorplan: Deb Haygarth is a woman whose passion for helping others never wavers – no matter the challenge. Deb has Multiple Sclerosis and is a tireless advocate for women with disabilities in the community. Her volunteer work with MS Australia and Women with Disability Victoria Leadership Network has not gone unrecognised – in 2017, Deb was awarded the City of Greater Geelong Woman Living in Community Life with a Disability Award.
- Abel 230— a three-bedroom floorplan: Abel McArthur, 5, is bright, social and outspoken. But unlike many children his age, he was born missing parts of his spine, a rare congenital abnormality called Sacral Agenesis. Abel can’t walk, but his dad Aaron says that’s never stopped him from having a go. “Nothing gets in his way, nothing is stopping him from what he wants to do,” Aaron says.
- Katilyn 196 — a three-bedroom floorplan: Kaitlyn Schurmann, 19, is on her way to becoming one of Geelong’s most successful elite athletes to compete on the world stage. Kaitlyn, an elite paracyclist, has cerebral palsy. She competed at the 2018 Paracycling Road World Championships in Maniago, Italy and picked up silver in both the time trial and road race events. She has also competed in paracycling in Belgium. An inspiration on and off the track, Kaitlyn studies Commerce at Deakin University and teaches gymnastics to young children.
Conclusion
Hamlan is proud to become the first builder in the region to develop a standard range of homes for people with disabilities, the ageing population and young families.
The Lifestyle Range has been designed so that anyone can move throughout each home with comfort, ease and safety.
And the range has received a stamp of approval by Livable Housing Australia, meeting its platinum standards — the highest possible rating under their guidelines.
Fronting the range is Ambassador and Paralympic Wheelchair Racer Sam McIntosh, who is a rising sports star and an advocate for greater inclusivity.
We’re also pleased to reveal the six remarkable namesakes behind each of our Accessible Range floorplans — David Blaik, Paul Fear, Lynne Foreman, Deb Haygarth, Abel McArthur and Kaitlyn Schurmann. The floorplans — one two-bedroom home, three three-bedroom homes and two four-bedroom homes — provide options for singles, families and downsizers.
Whether you’re a first home buyer, a growing family or a retiree looking to downsize, the experienced, friendly and approachable Hamlan team are passionate about finding the right home to meet your needs.
Visit Our Homes section on our website to see all the Lifestyle range floorplans.
