Victoria should strive to deliver positive outcomes as the state moves toward greater urban consolidation and densification, the launch of an architectural exhibition has heard.

During a recent panel session hosted by the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), speakers explored the challenges and opportunities in delivering high quality and affordable living outcomes as cities become reliant upon urban infill.

The session was part of the AIA Victorian Chapter’s Density Done Well exhibition.

The exhibition highlighted real world case studies of well-designed density across Victoria. It also explored how the case studies support health, wellbeing and the quality of the urban environment.

Speakers included Dr Marcus Spiller, Principal and Partner at economic and city planning consultancy SGS Economics and Planning; Dr Nicola Willand, a housing researcher and associate professor at the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT); Victoria Reeves, Director of Architecture at design practice Kennedy Nolan; and Tanya Edmonds, director of Placemaking and Partnerships at specialist accommodation provider Housing Choices Australia. The panel was moderated by Sarah Buckeridge, co-managing director at Hayball.

(Note: the aforementioned session focused primarily upon Victoria and Melbourne. Nevertheless, many of its themes are relevant in other Australian cities.

(Designed by Hayball, the redevlopment of this Homes Victoria site at Dunlop Avenue in Ascot Vale has more than doubled the previous density and now delivers 200 apartments which are configured as six separate three level buildings to fit comfortably within a residential neighbourhood. Image: Hayball)

A huge task

The session came amid the recent release of Plan for Victoria, which establishes a statewide vision for how the state will grow over time.

The plan builds on the state’s Housing Statement released in 2023 and its housing targets that were released earlier this year.

Under these targets, the state plans to deliver 2.24 million additional new homes between now and 2051.

This includes 1.36 million new homes across established parts of Melbourne. This equates to more than two new dwellings for every three which are already part of the city’s housing stock.

Buckeridge says that the importance of effective design should not be underestimated.

“The first pillar of the plan (Plan for Victoria) is clear,” Buckeridge said.

“This must provide all Victorians with the choice of a well-designed home at an affordable price and close to daily needs. The urgent need for this more affordable housing delivered in a variety of locations across the state needs to be anchored by principles of good design.

“This (good design) will be critical to maintaining community support for the profound change that is needed in our established areas and to build future resilience in our Greenfield suburbs.

“As we know, multi-unit housing, particularly apartments with disparate surface ownership, tend to have long lives and are difficult and expensive to refurbish and maintain to a fair quality design.

“Promoting robust and low-maintenance housing will help build back confidence in the market around building quality and we require skilled design teams to facilitate this rapid delivery of good housing at scale.”

(A 26-townhouse development designed by Archier for client MAB. With 22 three-bedroom townhouses and four four-bedroom townhouses, this complex offers family friendly living. at Preston Crossing in a significant design-led urban renewal which redefines urban living in Melbourne’s inner-north.)

Density is vital

According to Spiller, the importance of densification should not be underestimated.

As things stand, Spiller says that ongoing urban sprawl is generating significant costs in terms of infrastructure, lost productivity, deteriorating social equity and environmental and biodiversity impacts.

He says that the current model of development that was based around greater sprawl worked well in the manufacturing-based economy that developed after World War II.

However, it has become problematic as the focus of well-paid employment opportunities has shifted toward business services which are located closer to the city centre.

Almost 30 years ago in 1996, those who moved into the then urban fringe suburb of Lynbrook in Melbourne’s outer east could access 373,0000 jobs within a 30-minute drive of their home. This equated to almost one quarter of all jobs that were available across Metropolitan Melbourne.

Now, with that same 30-minute drive, those moving into the new urban fringe suburb of Pakenham East have access to only 133,000 jobs. This equates to just 5 percent of all employment opportunities.

From a viewpoint of economic productivity, Spiller says that deprives businesses and enterprises located in or near the city centre of valuable skills and human resources.

In terms of social equity, meanwhile, he says that a divide has developed between those who can afford to live near good employment opportunities and those who cannot.

As a result, he says that endless sprawl is unsustainable. Greater consolidation is needed.

(The 26 townhouse Inkerman & Nelson project in Balaclava 6.3km south of the Melbourne CBD. The project was designed for MA+Co Architects for Icon Developments. Image: Icon Developments.)

Showcasing outstanding examples

To show how density can be done effectively, the AIA exhibition featured 36 projects as case studies.

One example is Clyde Mews in the northern Melbourne suburb of Thornberry (pictured below).

Designed by Six Degrees Architects for the Excellon Group, the project transformed two traditional detached housing blocks into a two-storey mix of eight dwellings involving two apartments and six townhouses.

The areas for cars was consolidated so as to unlock shared open space. This includes BBQs, seating and a communal garden.

Site orientation has been optimised in order to maximise energy efficiency.

(The aforementioned Clyde Mews project designed by Six Degrees Architects for Excellon Group in Thornberry in Melbourne’s north. Image by Alice Hutchison via Excellon Group web site.)

Another project is Ferrars & York – also designed by Six Degrees Architects, this time for client Hip v. Hype.

Situated just 100 meters from the South Melbourne Market and adjacent to the light rail, this complex featuring 22 apartments is designed to be family friendly. Almost half (10) of the 22 homes have three bedrooms.

Design features include open walkways and a rooftop garden which contains a barbeque and fireplace.

This helps to foster a sense of family, neighbourhood and social connection.

Additional landscaping features include visible street level landscape, perched planting, pergolas and productive gardens.

In terms of sustainability, the complex is carbon neutral in operation and runs entirely on renewable energy.

Courtesy of features such as an east-west orientation that maximises natural light and cross ventilation, the building has achieved an 8.6-star NatHERS energy rating.

(With nearly half (10) of its 22 apartments being three-bedroom, the Ferrars & York complex referred to above in South Melbourne is friendly for families. Image source: Hip v. Hype)

Density need not be a compromise

Asked about myths which surround urban densification, Edmonds and Buckeridge say that a common misconception involves a perception that living in dense environments represents a ‘compromise’.

Whereas traditional suburban homes with quarter acre blocks are often seen as ideal, moving into townhouses or apartment complexes can be viewed as a trade off which needs to be made for reasons such as location or affordability.

Furthermore, there can be perceptions about apartments being noisy, riddled with defects or being part of an annoynmous block.

In fact, Edmonds and Buckerage say that living in apartments can deliver benefits. These include the relative ease and convenience which apartment living can offer.

Moreover, Buckerage says priority needs to be given during design to features which make density work well.

These include light, air, sustainability and open space.

(Set in Brunswick East 5Km north of the Melbourne CBD, this five-storey Balfe Park Lane project designed by KTA for client Antipodean Land Developments comprises 63 apartments and nine townhouses along with co-working and commercial space.)

Challenges and opportunities

As part of the discussion, panelists pointed to challenges and opportunities.

According to Spiller, one challenge involves much of the housing marker being driven by investment or financial asset related decisions.

He says that such a phenomenon is exacerbated by tax and financial structures which favour home ownership. These include exemptions of family homes from capital gains tax, pension tests and various other tests.

Structures such as these effectively create a situation whereby those who do not own their own homes effectively become ‘second class citizens’, Spiller said.

The upshot is that those entering the market tend to focus primarily upon securing any home which they can.

This can lead to design and lifestyle considerations taking a back seat in terms of housing market operation.

Whilst he does not have specific answers or proposals, Spiller says that Australia will need to address these structural barriers.

Greater investment in non-market housing such as social and affordable housing will also be required.

Beyond financial considerations, Willand says that another challenge is social practices and attitudes in terms of how Australians view their homes.

As things stand, social status considerations often drive a ‘bigger is better’ mentality. This poses a challenge when pursing density as homes in denser environments are typically smaller in size.

To overcome this, Willand says that greater effort is needed to demonstrate how Australians can live well in smaller homes.

Design competitions and awards that feature smaller home categories can help.

Careful consideration also needs to be afforded in design so as to maximise the value of ‘every corner’ within small spaces.

This includes adequate space for storage and practical items such as vacuum cleaners.

On a related note, Reeves acknowledges that there is an attraction toward larger, glamourous homes.

Whereas beautiful books featuring larger and more glamourous homes are readily purchased, those which instead feature apartments are more difficult to sell.

This, she says, is a shame as there are many good small homes which offer comfortable and high-quality living.

Should the ‘climate of living close’ be able to be normalised with high-quality within denser environments being more effectively highlighted, Reeves says this could make a positive difference.

She points to the work and publicity generated by Nightingale as examples.

Finally, Edmonds talks of a need to highlight benefits associated with medium and higher density communities.

Speaking of a recent example at one of her organisation’s projects in Tasmania, Edmonds says that Housing Choices recently brought an ice cream truck to the street. This brought virtually all children within the community along with their parents onto the street simultaneously.

In regular detached home environment, she says that bringing communities together is more challenging to accomplish.

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