Our worlds were turned upside down in 2020 when COVID-19 forced many of us to work from home with little forewarning. At the same time as the office moved to the home, most other external activities closed down. Suddenly, the home became not only the office, but the universal activity centre for our lives - the school, the gym, the movie theatre, the restaurant etc.

During this period of unprecedented change, the AVJennings Design Team in conjunction with the Marketing Team, undertook a series of investigative exercises including surveys, focus groups and workshops in an endeavour to gain an insight into the way we lived and adapted our homes as a result of the pandemic.

The outcome of this research was a C-19 responsive design prototype constructed at AVJennings’ Spring Farm community in NSW. The features of this innovative prototype have been incorporated into our RENEE 6 home currently under construction at Riverton including:

• Parcel letterbox – for increased online shopping.
• Front verandah – for increased engagement with the neighbourhood.
• Remote garage door opening App – to allow for the activation & observation of the garage door for larger deliveries when not at home.
• Keyless entry & entry light sensor – to minimize ‘touching’ prior to sanitisation.
• Sanitisation vestibule near entry with touchless tap & lighting – for handwashing and sanitising prior to entering house proper.
• Multi-purpose room with increased acoustic performance and wall strengthening – for a multitude of activities including home office, home-schooling, exercising, and musical practice.
• IT/Home Admin nook – for general computer/device activity and charging etc within the primary living area.
• Logical zoning – clearly separating living areas, master bedroom, secondary bedrooms, and multi-purpose room.

Additionally, as with all AVJennings Renee series of homes, the Renee 6 is designed to maximise versatility and better meet the changing needs of occupants over their lifetimes. As such, the home has been designed with various elements of the Gold Level Liveable Housing Design Guidelines to make the home easier and safer to use for all occupants including our aging population, people with disabilities, and families with young children.

Features incorporated into the RENEE 6 to make it more liveable include:

• A step-free path of travel from the lot entrance to the front door.
• Extra wide internal doors and corridors to facilitate comfortable movement throughout the home.
  
• Door handles and electrical switches installed at a convenient height for the mobility impaired.
• Generous circulation spaces around fixtures in bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry.
• Provision for the installation of grab-rails around the bath, shower and toilet.

The Renee 6 is the sixth home AVJennings have built in the Renee series. The sale proceeds will be donated to the Steve Waugh Foundation which supports children and their families living with a  rare disease. The home is on track to be completed in December 2021.