The exterior view of a terrace design by Officer Woods Architects featured in the NSW Housing Pattern Book. Image: Choirender.
World-class housing designs with fast-tracked approval potential are being made available for a gold coin, with the NSW Government launching a pattern book to speed up the delivery of new homes.
Eight low-rise terrace, townhouse and manorhouse designs aimed at families, young people and downsizers have been selected as part of the NSW Housing Pattern Book, with a significantly reduced price tag hoping to ease the burden for potential homeowners and builders.
Professional custom architectural designs for homes can exceed $20,000, however the price of those chosen for the pattern book typically total $1000 a piece.
But the government will further subsidise the designs for the first six months, making them just one dollar to purchase.
“I am excited to be able to share these patterns that can be used by the development industry, architects, planners, councils and communities,” NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin said.
“The pattern book offers practical and sustainable designs that can be adapted to suit many neighbourhoods, positively contributing to the character of a street.
“We are making it quicker and easier to build new low-rise homes that offer housing diversity for the whole community.”
The affordable, sustainable and easy-to-build designs can be adapted to suit different room formations and layouts, with a complementary landscape pattern also included to help homeowners design a garden that maximises biodiversity and suits the climate they live in.
“For too long, too many people in NSW have been locked out of the housing market by rising costs and a system that made it too hard to build. We’re changing that,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.
“This is a practical step to make the housing system fairer – and make sure NSW remains a place where the next generation can afford to live and thrive.”
But it’s not just the premade designs which are set to make the process smoother, with a new 10-day approval pathway developed to fast-track these homes, creating the opportunity for construction to begin within 10 days of an application being made, subject to all appropriate assessments being completed.
“We’re accelerating these designs with their own approval pathway so those wishing to build can get an approval in one week,” NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said.
“The NSW Housing Pattern Book takes the guesswork and the delay out of home building.”
The complying development pathway will be available from 30 July.
To find out more about the NSW Housing Pattern Book or to view designs visit the Planning NSW website.
