The NSW Government is running an international design competition to seek ideas for the NSW Housing Pattern Book to guide the creation of new low- and mid-rise housing in New South Wales (NSW).
Architects and designers from around the world have been invited to take part in the design competition to redefine the future of housing.
The Pattern Book Design Competition calls for bold and innovative ideas for terrace houses and mid-rise apartment buildings for the 21st century.
Selected competition winners in the professional category will have the opportunity to have their designs brought to life and built on a selection of government owned sites.
The competition is led by Government Architect NSW and aims to engage the best architectural minds to develop housing ideas to support more diverse housing choice and help fill the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartment buildings.
What happens next
The competition jury shortlisted 15 professional and 6 student finalists, out of 212 submissions, to progress to stage 2.
Shortlisted finalists have until mid-October to prepare their detailed housing designs.
The jury will be looking for designs that are liveable, buildable, cost effective, sustainable and meet the needs of the industry and local communities. They will evaluate the final entries against the design objectives of the Government Architect NSW Better Placed: an integrated design policy.
Winners will have the opportunity to work with Government Architect NSW to refine their designs for inclusion in the NSW Housing Pattern Book.
Expression Of Interest (EOI) submissions
We received 212 submissions into stage 1 of the competition.
We'd like to thank all applicants who took part in helping to change the way we plan and build homes for our future communities.
Professional entries
Student entries
International entries
Domestic entries
Millard Place Terraces. Image credit: Richard Glover. Image source: WMK Architecture 
Darlington Brickworks. Image credit: Brett Boardman. Image source: Glyde Bautovich 
Eclipse Residences. Image credit: McKean Photo. Image source: CKDS Architecture 
Highbury Bay. Image credit: Simon Whitbread. Image source: Squillace Architects (SQA) 
Portman Street Terraces. Image credit: Ross Honeysett. Image source: CO-AP Architects
Frequently asked questions
The competition will be conducted in two stages: an open expression of interest (EOI), followed by a detailed design submission for shortlisted finalists.
The stage 1, EOI is now completed. The selection criteria for stage 1 was based on demonstrated capability, portfolio, methodology and entrant profile, as per the EOI brief. In Stage 2, shortlisted finalists will submit detailed designs in their chosen category with the winners announced later this year.
The shortlist includes 15 professional and 6 student finalists, who will be paid a fee to participate in the Stage 2 Design Competition. The competition winning architects (professional category only) will be eligible to build their design as a demonstration project in collaboration with NSW Government organisations.
Up to 5 sites across greater Sydney are being committed by Homes NSW, Landcom and Sydney Olympic Park Authority for the development of the built demonstration projects.
Competition winners will also have the opportunity to work with GANSW and be paid to refine their designs into patterns for inclusion in the Pattern Book.
A jury will choose up to 5 winning professional designs (a winning design for each demonstration site) for public exhibition and design development. One student category winner will also be selected.
Winners will be chosen based on evaluation criteria explained in the Stage 2 Design Competition Brief.
The community will have an opportunity to vote for their favourite competition design when finalists are announced later this year.
The NSW Housing Pattern Book is a comprehensive collection of building designs, design elements, and development principles that guide the creation of new housing.
It serves as a valuable resource for developers, architects, building designers, planners, and community members, offering a common design language, construction methodology, and guidelines for creating high-quality, sustainable, and context-sensitive housing.
By providing consistency in design and outcomes, the Pattern Book significantly reduces the time and effort required for the design and planning stages of housing projects.
The NSW Housing Pattern Book streamlines development by offering adaptable pre-designed solutions, significantly reducing the time and effort required during the design and planning phases of housing projects.
Developers who use the endorsed pattern-book designs will have an accelerated approval pathway. This means builders can get on site faster, and people can move into new homes sooner.
The pattern book will also lead to more flexibility. Pattern book developments are often easier to maintain and adaptable to changing needs. This is because the design intent and building typologies are well-defined.
The pattern book can promote consistency in design, but developers can also adapt patterns to meet a specific community context. This could include:
- adjustment of the room sizes and numbers to suit user needs
- considering environmental factors
- choice of material and roof form to suit neighbourhood character.
The development of the Pattern Book will involve the community in the design process, to ensure housing designs meet the needs of NSW diverse communities.
It also offers sustainable, cost-effective design, encouraging:
- the use of energy-efficient materials and construction methodologies to minimise energy bills
- green/passive building techniques to naturally heat and cool homes
- water-conservation measures
- reduced wastage in construction.
The NSW Housing Pattern Book will include both low- and mid-rise housing – known as the missing middle. There is a need for more low- and mid-rise housing to fill the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartment buildings to suit people's changing lifestyle needs.
The contemporary home designs will be suitable for NSW’s climate, allow for natural light and aim to include community spaces for shared meals and neighbourhood activities.
Low-rise housing
Low-rise housing is 1–2 storey buildings that include dual occupancies (2 dwellings on the same lot), terraces, townhouses, and manor houses (low-rise apartment buildings).
Mid-rise housing
Mid-rise housing is 3–6 storey apartment buildings or mixed-use buildings with ground floor shops and apartments above.
Our households are changing, and we need to build more housing to meet these changing needs.
The NSW Government is focussed on supporting the development of homes where people want to live. Building up, rather than out, not only saves money but it helps create housing supply – which promotes affordability.
We need more well-designed low- and mid-rise housing to fill the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartment buildings to suit people's changing lifestyle needs.
Building homes in well-located areas, close to transport hubs and town centres, can help reduce the cost of living by improving access to walkable amenities, cost-effective transport options, and a variety of housing and employment opportunities.
The low-rise housing pattern book will be available in mid-2025.
Thank you to our valued partners Homes NSW, Landcom and Sydney Olympic Park Authority for their part in delivering the Pattern Book Design Competition build sites.
For more information about the Pattern Book Design Competition, email [email protected]