Proceed with caution: Sydney architect welcomes low & mid-rise housing policy but says new developments must be design-led
ArtMade Architects Director, and veteran dual-occupancy and townhouse architect, Sherif Saad is among the champions of the New South Wales Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy. But his support comes with a caveat: “Good design will be central to the success of this new approach to density.
“On smaller lots, function and form must be carefully balanced,” Sherif says. “First and foremost, every space has to work well. That requires a meticulous design approach that delivers good access to natural light and cross-ventilation, whilst maximising circulation between internal spaces and creating connections to the outdoors.”
According to Sherif, it is possible to design a sense of grandeur and luxury at all scales. “If a dual-occupancy, terrace or townhouse is well designed, the home should enhance the way residents live and provide them with opportunities, not compromises.”
With an office in Surry Hills, Sherif doesn’t have to look far to see what he considers to be the downsides of delivering density without commensurate planning to support and protect good design and quality. He says suburbs like Surry Hills, Redfern, Balmain and Newtown are classic examples of density — rolled out at pace.
“Many of the oldest homes here have limited outdoor areas and small internal spaces,” Sherif says. “From the outside looking in, the streetscapes can feel overcrowded with homes tucked tightly together.
“Granted, some of these homes are now prized for their cultural and heritage significance but they were not designed for the way we like to live today.”
Sherif says now is the time to reimagine medium-density housing and capitalise on the opportunities the policy presents. He believes a good place to start is designing new homes that not only complement but enhance the existing character of their neighbourhoods.
To help keep design top of the agenda for new residential developments, he’d like to see more local design review panels, and more profiling of exemplar low and mid-rise housing, to keep architects inspired to innovate.
The second stage of the NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy was introduced on 28 February.
