The NSW Government Architect, Abbie Galvin, says the state's new pattern-book approach to mid-rise apartment building could speed up much-needed housing supply in Newcastle.
Ms Galvin was guest speaker at a Property Council lunch in Newcastle on Friday where she outlined how the government was developing the pattern-book scheme.
Premier Chris Minns announced late last year that the government would publish a series of endorsed designs to speed up approvals of two-storey attached houses in new estates and three- to six-storey apartment buildings in existing suburbs.
Ms Galvin told the Newcastle Herald that Newcastle had "tremendous opportunity" to use flexible pattern-book designs in new subdivisions and "in-fill" areas.
"Even just driving around the streets of Newcastle and looking at the level of variation in housing type in what would be considered a single residential area, some of those streets around the [Merewether] surf club building went from single residential to small apartment buildings to semi-detached," she said.
The new scheme is designed to allow developers to choose a pattern from the approved designs and, in theory, enjoy a much faster assessment time from local councils.
Ms Galvin said the pattern books would seek to fulfil the government's aim for faster supply of well designed apartments which were "simple, modest and affordable".
She said neighbours and local communities would be given minimal opportunity to object to pattern-book development applications because the designs would have public and industry input.
"A pattern-book process wouldn't mean you can all of a sudden overshadow a neighbour," she said.
"The level of planning control that exists within a process still would need to be met.
"I think in relation to privacy and overlooking, as we develop the design we absolutely will be considering the impacts there, particularly on any upper-level windows.
"You try and pre-empt what some of the impacts will be, rather than ignoring them as you start thinking about the design."
The pattern book is one of a suite of programs the government is introducing to boost home building, including rezoning for more density around 38 train stations in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
The government hopes to launch the pattern books next year and establish five demonstration sites for architects chosen from an international design competition.
Some architects have criticised the scheme as a "cookie cutter" approach, but Ms Galvin told the Property Council audience that pattern books had been used to good effect to create attractive terrace and detached housing for much of Australia's history.
