The future face of Sydney revealed with pattern book designs released

The Minns Labor Government has today revealed six outstanding designs that have been selected as the winners of the NSW Pattern Book Design Competition, helping deliver more well-built homes, faster.

This competition was established to speed up the delivery of homes after the NSW Government inherited a housing supply crisis that has led to Sydney losing twice as many young people as it is gaining, putting us at risk of becoming a city with no grandchildren.

These designs will also deliver homes faster by providing anyone who uses the endorsed pattern book designs with an accelerated approval pathway – meaning builders can get on site faster, and people can move into new homes sooner.

Winning designs, comprising three terraces and three mid-rise apartments, will help shape the future face of housing across New South Wales.

The winning designs were picked because of their accessibility, adaptability to changing lifestyle needs, affordability and environmental sustainability. They respond to the unique Australian climate, including a focus on indoor and outdoor living and how to incorporate shade and ventilation.

These designs will also be brought to life and built on a selection of five NSW Government-owned sites from Homes NSW, Landcom and Sydney Olympic Park Authority, so that the public can walk through and experience them first-hand.

The NSW Pattern Book Design Competition was overseen by a five-person jury of international design professionals, chaired by NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin and endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects.

Now the public is invited to find its favourite, with the most popular design to be announced early next year. The community will be able to vote on the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure website, with voting to open this month.

All five professional winners will now work with Government Architect NSW to refine their designs and ensure they meet required standards for inclusion in the NSW Housing Pattern Book.

The Pattern Book is all part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so young people, families and workers have somewhere to live.

The NSW Government will launch the NSW Housing Pattern Book of housing designs in mid-2025, and anyone who uses one of the designs will have access to the fast-tracked planning pathway.

In the professional category, the terrace winners are:

• Housing is a Verb – a collaborative team including Other Architects, NMBW Architecture Studio, TARN, Winsor Kerr, Andy Fergus and Tony Isaacson - NSW and Victoria.
• Officer Woods Architects with Jennie Officer – Western Australia

In the student category:

• In Common Studio – Madeleine Gallagher, Poppy Brown, Kangyun Kim, Paris Perry, John Suh and Catherine Taylor from The University of Sydney, NSW

In the professional category, the mid-rise winners are:

• Andrew Burges Architects – NSW
• Neeson Murcutt Neille, Finding Infinity and Monash Urban Lab – NSW and Victoria
• Spacecraft Architects – New Zealand

For more information on the Pattern Book Design Competition and to choose your favourite design please visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/housing-design/nsw-housing-pattern-book/pattern-book-design-competition/shortlisted-finalists-and-jury.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said:

“The Design Competition called for world class, high-quality designs and the winners have certainly delivered.

“These beautifully designed mid-rise apartments and terraces are the future of housing in NSW.

“The designs are innovative, adaptable and functional. More importantly, incorporating these designs into the NSW Housing Pattern Book will help us deliver more homes faster.

“I look forward to seeing these designs and more come to fruition as part of a finalised NSW Housing Pattern Book next year.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“The Pattern Book Design Competition attracted the best of the best architects and students from Australia and around the world.

“These homes will have access to a fast-track pathway, which means the delivery of more, well built homes, faster.

“We have less housing diversity today than we did 100 years ago, the Pattern Book along with our fast-track DA process will go a long way reintroduce that diversity back into our streets.

“Bold and innovative ideas for terrace houses and mid-rise apartments are critical for increasing the supply of housing in NSW and will help fill the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartment buildings.”

Government Architect NSW Abbie Galvin said:

“The quality of entries was extremely high both at the Expressions of Interest stage and among the shortlisted candidates.

“This made the task of selecting the winning designs very challenging.

“The architects behind the six entries stood out from a tough field of architects from Australia and around the world with their thoughtful, innovative and well-integrated designs.

“The homes in their designs will enhance living standards, be an asset to our neighbourhoods and can be readily adopted across NSW.

“Now that the jury has made its choice, it is over to the public to choose its favourite.”