An example design from the NSW Pattern Book. Dual occupancy design for 2 homes arranged side-by-side. Each home is 2-storey and has 3–4 bedrooms. Image: Planning NSW
As part of the state-wide roll-out of Low & Mid Rise Housing in the 171 designated Town Centres, Planning NSW has delivered a series of 8 housing designs that can be built in Low & Mid-Rise housing areas on land with the required dimensions.
What is the NSW Housing Pattern Book and how does it work?
The NSW Housing Pattern Book is a collection of pre-approved home designs that fit on average sized residential blocks (between 450-625m2 with 12-18m frontages) in designated Low & Mid Rise areas. There are specific advantages to choosing designs from the Pattern Book including:
Greatly reduced architectural costs
Quick approvals under the Complying Development pathway
The ability to bypass many of the restrictions in the council DA process
A lead-in to Modular home builds that can save time and money
Micro-sub-division of existing residential land
More certainty for first-time investors and developers
The Pattern Book designs fall into the following 4 categories:
Duplexes - Two dwellings which are arranged side-by-side and share a common wall. There are 2 Duplex Designs
Terrace Houses - Three dwellings which are arranged side-by-side and share common walls. There are 4 Terrace HouseDesigns
Manor Homes - Four apartments in a 2-storey residential flat building. There is 1 Manor Home Design
Row Homes - Four dwellings arranged side-by-side, perpendicular to the street. There is 1 Row Home Design
Street view of the Semis 01 by Anthony Gill Architects. Image: Planning NSW
Coming later in the year will be Pattern Book designs for apartment buildings on Mid-Rise sites in LMR areas.
The existing Pattern Book designs can be purchased from Planning NSW for $1 for each design ($8 for all designs) until Jan 2026 when the price goes up.
The purchase of a Pattern Book design allows the purchaser to build the design on one site and contains all the technical drawings necessary for an architect to implement the design on a complying block of land.
Pattern Book Designs and Complying Development
The big news for micro-developers, land owners and developers of land in Low & Mid Rise (LMR) areas is that on the 30th of July 2025, the low rise designs in the NSW Pattern Book became available for development approval under Complying Development
This means that - assuming there are no…
Protected native trees on your site
Drainage issues (more on this later)
Driveway issues
Bushfire or flood encroachment
…you (or a developer/purchaser of your property) can get a NSW Pattern Book development passed through the Complying Development gateway in an expected 10-day turn around time.
Backyard view of the Semis 02 by Sibling Architecture. Image: Planning NSW
How does this affect development on LMR land?
MANOR HOUSES:
If you have a 625 SqM block of land (or larger) in an LMR area with a street frontage of 15 meters or above, a developer could get a Pattern Book Manor Home of 4 apartments approved and built within 6-12 months.
TERRACE HOUSES:
If you have a block of land in an LMR area with a 12 meter street frontage (or above) and a land size of above 500 SqM, then it’s possible a developer could build 3 Terrace Houses on your land. It’s possible that some Terrace House designs will be available through Modular Home builders, potentially bringing the build time down to as low as 6 months.
Both of the above scenarios could be approved under Complying Development using one or more of the Pattern Book designs.
If your block doesn’t drain to the street (this is often an impediment to development) then don’t worry - pump-out of storm water is an available option under Complying Development.
Support & Professional Guidance
Many of the NSW Pattern Book architects offer the professional services to actually implement their designs, but it is possible to use your own architect and Certifier to implement the designs. Modular builders are currently specifying which designs they can build as modular. Thorn Property will be partnering with approved suppliers as we get more into the development process for LMR sites on the Northern Beaches over the coming months, so stay tuned.
Development land in Frenchs Forest on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
How Thorn Property Can Help
Thorn Property is a Real Estate Agency specialising in listing and selling land with development potential. We normally sell on the Northern Beaches of Sydney but we can sell anywhere in NSW, including country and regional areas. We differ from the large commercial agencies in that we act more on the local and personal level. Often you will find us aggregating several home sites together in order to get a better development outcome for developers and a better sale price for the land owners. At other times, we may be selling apartment sites capable of up to 100 apartments.
Our experience can be very valuable in helping land owners to identify the hidden value in their land. We can also help developers by identifying and calculating the metrics that ensure a site ‘stacks’. Our unique skills ensure land owners get the best price possible for their land without inhibiting the development feasibility of the land. This results in a ‘win-win’ for both developers and land owners.
For Land Owners
If you own property situated within 800m walking distance to one of the 171 LMR Town Centres of Sydney, the above opportunities could significantly increase the value of your property - plus, the more rundown your house is the better - no need for repairs, open homes or expensive presentation - Thorn Property can sell it as-is.
Contact Mark Thorn if you would like to know if your property can be developed and how much it would be worth.
For Developers & Investors
Thorn Property is currently listing LMR sites on the Northern Beaches. Sign up HERE to our email list and we’ll let you know every time we list a new development site.
Contact Thorn Property
A Summary Of Pattern Book Designs
Semis 01 by Anthony Gill Architects
Semis 01 by Anthony Gill Architects. Image: Planning NSW
Semis 02 by Sibling Architecture
Semis 02 by Sibling Architecture. Image: Planning NSW
Row Homes 01 by SAHA
Row Homes 01 by SAHA. Image: Planning NSW
Terraces 01 by Carter Williamson
Terraces 01 by Carter Williamson. Image: Planning NSW
Terraces 03 by Officer Woods Architects
Terraces 03 by Officer Woods Architects. Image: Planning NSW
Terraces 02 by Sam Crawford Architects
Terraces 02 by Sam Crawford Architects. Image: Planning NSW
Terraces 04 by Other Architects x NMBW
Terraces 04 by Other Architects x NMBW. Image: Planning NSW
Manor Homes 01 by Studio Johnston
Manor Homes 01 by Studio Johnston. Image: Planning NSW
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