Why good design is key to faster approvals and better properties

Gardens woven into the fabric of apartment complexes. Buildings constructed with local, long-lasting materials that fit seamlessly into their setting. Interior layouts adaptable to a growing family.

At a time when supplying more housing is critical, and planning authorities across Australia are slashing red tape to allow it to happen faster, good design is emerging as the key to the future.

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“Everyone is now seeing that thoughtful design gives planning authorities more confidence to approve projects more quickly,” says Ana Sa, principal and global sector leader residential of architecture firm Woods Bagot. “For developers facing expensive time constraints, it can mean faster consent, better sales and rising values, and reinforce their brand.

“For buyers, off-the-plan apartment sales are a big leap of faith, and we’re seeing them becoming more knowledgeable about the importance of good design; they’re not easily impressed by a fancy render of a swimming pool. And people living nearby want a good-quality addition to the neighbourhood and the public realm.”

One of Woods Bagot’s buildings in South Melbourne, the nine-level, 38-apartment Emerald Place, is a good example. Despite exceeding the Design and Development Overlay by two storeys, it snared planning approval in a record four months.

Similarly, in Sydney, the highest residential high-rise, Greenland Centre, was approved to exceed the maximum height because its design included community space.

And with new fast-track planning processes recently passed in both states, good design will be put even more squarely in the headlights.

“We know we need more homes, and we need them now – that’s why we’re making sure high-quality and well-designed townhouses and apartments get the green light sooner,” says Victorian minister for planning Sonya Kilkenny. “Better design helps projects move through the planning system faster and gets more homes built sooner.”

Sa defines good design as projects that connect meaningfully to place, as Emerald Place does, and demonstrate longevity through the use of the right materials, like another Woods Bagot Melbourne project, Piccolo House in Fitzroy, that uses pre-cast concrete, hand-laid brickwork and metal detailing.

Others sit well within a landscape, like the greenery-led Elsternwick Gardens, and all are designed with a collaborative approach to make sure everyone is happy.

Richard Burne, a brand strategist in his early 50s, who bought in the eight-level, 49-unit Piccolo House in Fitzroy in 2023 and moved in last September , says design was central to his buying decision.

“Woods Bagot is known for quality and taking real care in what they deliver, which gave me a lot of confidence buying off the plan,” he says.

“We were moving from a large house, so a sense of space and privacy was important, with only one adjoining wall in our apartment. Its low-maintenance nature, both in terms of layout and finishes, has made a real difference, and good design, for me, is about longevity. There’s less upkeep, less wasted space and everything feels intentional.”

Whereas some less reputable apartment developers saw all the national fast-tracking of approvals as a free kick to enable them to push through less desirable buildings, it’s turning out that design, instead, has been crowned the new king.

“It’s the foundation of good planning,” says Nicole Bennetts, national head of advocacy at the Planning Institute of Australia. “And good design is particularly important when you’re looking at high and medium density.”

At architecture studio BVN, principal Phillip Rossington says the key is often early engagement with authorities’ design advisory panels, so all parties can work together to achieve the best possible designs for both the building and the public realm, within the limitations of the sites.

He points to BVN’s design of the 67-storey, 479-apartment Greenland Centre in the Sydney CBD as a great result rising from the consultation process.

“We included creative community spaces and, because it was so high, we needed to design a usable balcony,” Rossington says. “The City of Sydney bought into that idea and really helped and as a result of such an innovative idea, they changed the legislation. It’s been copied many times since.”

Bates Smart director of architects Guy Lake also believes good design is paramount and can lead to much faster results.

“We’ve seen a bit of a flight to quality recently,” he says. “If a project is so costly, then developers often realise it can be a false economy to go for the cheapest architectural solution.

“They have so much money on the line, they see the value of paying more for a good architect and design, given the scale of projects and risk profile.”

As for Woods Bagot, Sa points to Short Lane in Surry Hills, Sydney, as an example of how well a project can be embedded into the landscape, with its gardens woven into the structure, and to the build-to-rent Mason & Main in Merrylands as an excellent case of authenticity, as its facade references the nearby brickworks.

Many developers have proved themselves anxious to embrace the fresh importance of design for the fast-tracking of their projects and their likely success. To this end, Urban Property Group engaged SJB to design its $415 million, 14-storey mixed-use tower, Mayfair, in Sydney’s Penrith.

“We wanted to deliver something to Penrith that it hasn’t seen before,” says Urban design director George Massoud. “So we held a design excellence competition so we could deliver the best possible product that added value to the public domain and the building itself, with quality spaces and retail on the ground floor.

“With our two previous projects in Penrith, designed by DKO, we had really good feedback from the broader community and purchasers, who love the spaces they’ve bought into. It makes perfect sense to elevate design now with this next building.”