Almost everyone knows what colonial and craftsman homes look like. Architecture buffs probably know prairie or Queen Anne-style homes as well.
Armenian? Maybe not.
But travelers along Worthington Road in Genoa Township have received a tutorial on Armenian home design — with a bit of Armenian history thrown in — as central Ohio businessman Ty Safaryan and his family have built "Armenian Estates."
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"Armenian Estates was developed to honor our Armenian heritage and roots," said Safaryan, owner of several central Ohio businesses, including Twins Buick GMC and Fine Line Auto Body. "The name reflects our pride in our cultural background and serves as a tribute to the history and traditions of the Armenian people."
Work started on Armenian Estates more than two years ago, but the development has come into sharper focus this summer. Two imposing homes and a pool house stand on the 20-acre lot, which is marked by a large sign and gate and several statues of Armenian historical figures along the entrance.
"Most are kings and queens of Armenia, the most famous being King Tigran who ruled from 95 – 55 BC (and) who also happens to be who I was named after," Safaryan said. "Vardan Mamikonian was a military leader who fought the first religious war defending Christianity against the Persians in 451 AD. All these statues are replicas of statues that are in Armenia."
Set well off the road are the two homes, a pool house and the pool, also guarded by several statues.
"The pool house is a replica of the Temple of Garni, which was built in 77 AD," Safaryan said. "We have a statue of David of Sassoun by the pool seen riding a horse. Hayk Nahapet is in the middle of the property holding a bow, who is the legendary founder of the Armenian nation. To the left of Hayk, there is a statue of Mother Armenia, which symbolizes peace through strength, and Mother Armenia Gyumri to the right."
The two homes are characterized by a formal appearance that draws on both Western and Middle Eastern traditions.
With a white masonry exterior, the two-story homes have flat, or largely flat, roofs; formal entrances featuring a carport topped with a terrace; a belt course (a horizontal row of raised masonry between the first and second floors); and largely symmetrical designs with rows of rounded windows.
"What was most important in the design of the property was to give it an Armenian look," said Safaryan, who emigrated as a young man from Armenia in the mid-1990s.
"We had ideas of how we wanted to design each house according to our tastes, with the help of interior and exterior designers and architects; thus, the end result is having two homes that both are similar in size but look very different," said Safaryan, who credited the Granville contractors Terra Nova Builders as "instrumental" to the project.
Each house is more than 12,000 square feet, plus more than 6,000 square feet of finished lower level space and more than 2,000 square feet of garage space, according to plans submitted to the Delaware County Building Safety department. Inside, both homes are notable for their grand formal entrance with curved double staircases.
Two more houses are planned for the development, which Safaryan, who is active in Armenian American affairs, plans to use for Armenian events.
"We teach our children that we are very fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world, but to also be proud of our Armenian heritage and culture, and the way we designed the property will remind them and our future grandchildren of it," he said. "Armenian Estates was built for a place of gathering for the Armenian community as we hope to strengthen and grow in the future."