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The Design Review Group releases newsletters examining how a design standard can help achieve high quality results in an estate with a design code.

Developer approvals - newsletters

Freestanding retaining walls

Well done, retaining walls can add substantial value to a lot's sale price.  Done poorly they can reduce value.  This bulletin explores the options for freestanding retaining walls for residential lots.... more.

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Visual qualities of roof cladding materials

Two visual qualities of roof cladding materials - profile and visual busyness - affect the character of individual houses and the character of estate's streets. Design standards can help achieve a desired character in your estate.... more.

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Specifying roof pitches

The pitch of a house roof impacts the aesthetic appeal of a streetscape.  Requiring a 25 degree roof pitch is an easy way to make an estate more attractive. This bulletin discusses the pros and cons of different pitches.... more.

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Water efficient gardens

Sometimes a lot owner will create a front yard to be the lowest maintenance possible, while still complying with the design standards.  The right standards can help achieve water efficiency and attractive front yards.... more.

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Better compliance

How can one best achieve a high degree of compliance with an estate's design code? In this article, we explain how to get better results for the developer, lot owner and estate community.... more

Under construction streetscape

A case for prefabricated houses

Traditionally, an Australian house is built on-site from small pieces of material, but on-site construction methods are increasingly supplemented by off site fabrication,  Should an estates design code allow prefabricated houses?... more.

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Putting garage doors in their place

A typical suburban house has a double garage accessed from the front of the lot. The garage door is often the largest element in the front façade. However, it typically provides very little visual interest. As designers and developers of residential estates, how do we stop garage doors dominating the front of the house and dominating the street?... more.

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Side fences on corner lots

A high fence on a corner lot gives privacy to the side of the house and the backyard.  What is the best option for fencing a secondary street frontage?... more.

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Storing water on a house lot

Design standards can encourage the use of water tanks, reduce potable water consumption and reduce the capacity of the storm water system.  Explore the methods of storing water on a lot here... more.

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Design for climate

Australia has eight climate zones. To achieve energy efficiency and thermal comfort, what design standards are appropriate for each climate zone?... more

Breezes design code

Designing efficient and attractive water infrastructure

Over 70 % of water used in Australian urban households does not need to be potable.  What are the options for water infrastructure in residential estates, and how can design standards help achieve efficient and attractive water infrastructure?... more.

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Roofs and walls series

Aesthetics

Some design codes require specific roof and wall colours. Colors of roofs and walls may be an important part of a neighbourhood character.... more

Energy efficiency

Some design codes require specific roof and wall colours for energy efficiency.  How can a design code  encourage lot owners to achieve energy efficient homes?... more

Birds eye view of Valley Lake estate

Clutter on roofs series

Clutter on roofs part 1

House roofs are becoming increasingly cluttered.  How can design standards help control clutter on roofs whilst still allowing lot owners to utilize the space?... more

Clutter on roofs part 2

There are many different types of solar panel.  How should the design code for a new estate deal with the different types of photovoltaic panels?... more

Clutter on roofs part 3

Many people are opting for solar water heating methods. How should development managers deal with solar water heating systems cluttering house roofs.... more

Achieving visual interest

Houses come in a stunning variety of styles, materials, colours and overall façade composition.  In creating a new estate how can we achieve interesting and beautiful houses that work harmoniously with each other and collectively create attractive streets?... more

The Maples streetscape

Clutter on roofs part 4

The roofs of new houses may well host evaporative cooling units, aerials, vents and skylights.  These items add clutter to a roof.  How can design standards create more attractive roofs?...more

Visible roof items

Enforcing compliance

When encouragement fails, enforcement is needed!  How can developers enforce compliance with the design code of the estate, and which methods are most appropriate in different circumstances?... more.

Harmonious streetscapes

A street in a new estate looks the most attractive if each house is different from its neighbours, with no repetition.  How can an estate achieve an attractive and architecturally consistent streetscape and avoid houses that are out of character with their neighbours?... more.

Facade styles
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Encouraging compliance

How can an estate developer best encourage compliance with an estate's design code?  This bulletin describes some methods to encourage compliance, and the circumstances in which they are appropriate... more.

Auditing

Estate developers often go to a lot of effort to set a design vision for an estate, and then codify that in a set of design guidelines. To ensure that the works on the lots complies with the vision, auditing is essential. Auditing deters people from deliberately not complying with the design code.... more

Front yard retaining wall
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Roller shutters

Most design codes ban roller shutters anywhere they are visible from the public realm.  Is this the best method to control them?  Whilst they can be unsightly, they can also be used in a pleasing way... more.

Identical facades

Most estates include a design standard about identical or similar facades on neighbouring lots. How does the Design Review Group assess each facade and ensure it is compliant, differs from its neighbours and adds value to an estate.... more

Facade seperation
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Design guidelines - beyond tweaks

To create the design guidelines for their next residential estate, development managers usually take a perfectly pragmatic, sensible approach by copying a previous estate's guidelines and giving them a few tweaks.... more

Garage door design code
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