Case study three: 3–6-storey apartments

medium density housing case study 3

A property development company that has been involved in medium-density housing for years is planning a new six-storey, inner-city apartment block.

Property developer Good Foundations is planning a six-storey, inner-city apartment block. The company has been involved in both medium- and high-density developments for many years. It has a reliable reputation in the marketplace for developing quality residential and commercial buildings, and over the years has established a good relationship with its local BCA. It uses trusted professionals including architects, project managers, and engineers across all specialties.

Demonstrating compliance with the Building Code

Good Foundations knows that compliance with the Building Code for this type of development requires a customised design, and will therefore rely on specialists to ensure compliance with each clause of the Building Code. The project will be run by a professional project manager who has experience with building projects. The brief to the architect is for a six-storey apartment, with a shared internal walkway, a lift and lift lobby, small balconies and an underground carpark.

Specialists needed

The design team involves the following specialists:

  • Quantity surveyor
  • Architect
  • Project manager
  • Structural and geotechnical engineer (Building Code clause B1)
  • Fire engineer (Building Code clause C1–C6)
  • Façade engineer (Building Code clause E2)
  • Services engineer (Building Code clause G)
  • Acoustic engineer (Building Code clause G6)

The team will be highly collaborative and use building information modelling to coordinate their individual design pieces. The project manager will set up regular meetings for the design team to stay in touch and resolve any challenges or issues that may affect Building Code compliance.

When the architect completes the building consent application, they know they will need to include compliance schedules for all specified systems included in the design. This includes the lift, mechanical ventilation to the carpark, and emergency warning systems.

The project manager decides to engage a traffic engineer to see if there are any special requirements the design needs to accommodate, as it is an inner-city apartment. The budget also needs to allow for development contributions, which is a levy charged by the council to help meet the impact on infrastructure. The project manager should talk to the BCA about this at the pre-application meeting.

Applying for building consent

The building consent application will be made by the Good Foundations project manager. She is confident the design will meet the requirements of the Building Code due to her experience with building projects, the involvement of suitably qualified specialists within the design team, and the opportunity to discuss any issues of concern during the pre-application meeting with the BCA.

The application is complete, easily understood and accurate. Getting it right the first time saves the project time and money.

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