The NSW Labor Government and Government Architect NSW (GANSW) have launched the state’s Housing Pattern Book of low-rise designs at The Mint, Sydney. Designed to address the housing crisis, its centrepiece is an accelerated planning pathway that will significantly speed up the delivery of new homes. With the involvement of GANSW, an emphasis on quality design has been safeguarded as the Pattern Book comprises templates by some of Sydney’s leading architecture practices.

Following the launch of an international pattern book design competition in 2024, GANSW has now endorsed eight terrace, townhouse and manor house designs for families, young people and downsizers that will be available for $1,000 a design. However, for the first six months, the Government is significantly subsidising access – each pattern will be made available for $1!

The full list of practices with designs at this stage are: Sibling Architecture, Anthony Gill Architects, Carter Williamson, Sam Crawford Architects, Officer Woods Architects, Other Architects, NMBW, SAHA and Studio Johnston.

Zooming in on just one particular design, Studio Johnston’s contribution is ‘Manor House 01’, designed to be a low-rise solution to the ‘missing middle.’ Their aim is to bridge the gap between single dwellings and larger apartment buildings with a typology offering a refined, sustainable and flexible approach to increasing urban density without sacrificing neighbourhood character.

“The Manor House is a typology that’s been part of Sydney’s DNA for over a century, yet it’s all but disappeared from our streets,” explains Conrad Johnston, Director of Studio Johnston. “Our design reimagines the classic ‘four- or six-pack’ apartment buildings of the interwar period with modern living standards and sustainability.”

Each Manor House contains four apartments, with ground-floor residences enjoying generous corner gardens and dual aspects for light and ventilation. The upper-level apartments feature raked ceilings, deep balconies and a strong connection to landscape. “The Manor House offers a lifestyle between a house and an apartment,” adds Johnston. “It’s a solution that respects the scale of existing suburbs while providing much-needed housing diversity.”

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Like all the pattern designs, floorplans are adaptable, flexible and customisable. As a whole, the Pattern Book focuses on affordable, easy to build and sustainable housing solutions. Its designs cater to a range of households, from young families and single parents to downsizers, co-living groups and residents seeking to age in place.

“Our goal was to create a pattern that’s elegant, liveable and replicable. The Manor House can fit a range of urban contexts – from inner-city blocks in Ashfield and Burwood to suburban lots in outer Sydney – without overwhelming the neighbourhood. Many people want to live in well-connected suburbs, close to jobs and services, but the traditional suburban model just isn’t sustainable at our current densities. Manor Homes 01 is about adding gentle density and creating homes that people genuinely want to live in,” says Johnston.

Every purchase of a design comes with a complimentary Landscape Pattern to help new home-owners design their own garden that maximises biodiversity and suits the local climate. Significantly, a new approval pathway has also been developed by the NSW Government alongside the Pattern Book to fast-track these designs.

Gernment Architect NSW, Abbie Galvin, comments: “I am excited to be able to share these patterns that can be used by the development industry, architects, planners, councils and communities. The pattern book offers practical and sustainable designs that can be adapted to suit many neighbourhoods, positively contributing to the character of a street. We are making it quicker and easier to build new low-rise homes that offer housing diversity for the whole community.”

NSW Premier, Chris Minns, adds: “For too long, too many people in New South Wales have been locked out of the housing market by rising costs and a system that made it too hard to build. We’re changing that. This Pattern Book is about giving people more choice, faster approvals and affordable, high-quality homes – whether you’re a young person trying to get in, a family needing more space or a downsizer looking to stay close to the community you know.”

NSW Housing Pattern Book
planning.nsw.gov.au

More on housing with UNSW’s Housing Analytics Lab