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Cookie-cutter housing designs created some of Sydney’s best-loved suburbs. Now, the NSW government is getting ready to bring mass-designed housing into the 21st century.
From the Victorian terraces of Surry Hills to the art deco flats of Potts Point, many Sydney suburbs have one thing in common: they were all built from a pattern book.
A century ago, government-approved pattern books were used to build houses cheaply, quickly, and with minimal planning roadblocks. Pre-approved designs for medium-density houses were published in widely available books for architects and builders to use.
Now, the NSW government has launched a global search for top-tier architects to create a new pattern book for 21st century Sydney.
Architects are encouraged to submit designs that are “liveable, buildable, replicable, cost effective, sustainable, and that meet the needs of the industry and local communities”. The winning designs will give developers who use them access to an accelerated approval pathway, speeding up the delivery of new housing.
According to Premier Chris Minns, the pattern book could provide “a once in a lifetime opportunity for Australia and the world’s best architects to play a central role in addressing the housing crisis”.
“Pattern books have been used in NSW by architects and builders since the 19th century, and we’re committed to using these new designs to deliver more homes faster for those who need them,” the Premier said.
With builders and developers facing massive challenges as a result of post-pandemic construction blockages, the pattern book could also prove a cost-saver.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, stated that “anyone who uses one of the pre-approved designs will have access to a faster development assessment pathway which will save builders, developers and home owners time and money”.
David Borger, executive director at Business Western Sydney, welcomed the upcoming pattern book as a solution for Sydney’s acute housing crisis, while also stressing the need for public consultation and affordable design.
“People want more housing, especially for their kids that are being locked out of the market; it’s the biggest challenge facing them,” said Borger.
“The best-loved parts of cities were often pattern-book housing. That includes the Victorian terraces of Paddington, the art deco flat buildings of Coogee, and the Federation houses of Haberfield.”
“It was cookie-cutter, but it was a cookie that people loved to watch and eat,” he said.
Expressions of interest for the design competition will close in early August, with the winners set to be announced in November 2024.
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