Highgate WA: let's build a baby apartment block thread

We made a deck out of a product from Bunnings which is a mix of recycled plastic and bamboo. It is maintenance free and is a dark brown color as pictured in your photo. Not any cheaper than wood I believe but set and forget :cool: I think it is called Ekodeck. Hope that helps.
 
so the DAC hated my design but the mandatory elements were only more sustainability elements and reduced height.

the height with the new elev has come down over 2m so i feel that helps a lot, will need to show them that a reducion in crossover has a detrimental effect on the space due to maneuvering room.

sustainability - will have a chat to westmnsters builder to see what they can offer.

worse case scenario, angled drive and no parking out front of bays but with heavy landscaping either side.

booked 17 Apr reconsideration.
 
Aaron Sice said:
so the DAC hated my design but the mandatory elements were only more sustainability elements and reduced height.

the height with the new elev has come down over 2m so i feel that helps a lot, will need to show them that a reducion in crossover has a detrimental effect on the space due to maneuvering room.

sustainability - will have a chat to westmnsters builder to see what they can offer.

worse case scenario, angled drive and no parking out front of bays but with heavy landscaping either side.

booked 17 Apr reconsideration.
Click to expand...

I hope you're not sobbing in your Weetbix.

Hardly the news you wanted before going to DAC for your own development tomorrow but chin up :)

I've had a few little ideas today about some tweaks that might help - but let's talk to Vas as I think he said that he recently did an 8 star development and I'm sure there are some ideas there.

I'll arrange a meeting for the 3 of us.
 
im slightly nervous but im not asking any concessions. compliant on all fronts except south setbacks.

your site is possibly the most difficult ever, for them to say its overdeveloped is ludicrous...why? because we want some 3x2s instead of all 1x1s? pfff.

i think Vas, yourself and I should meet ASAP.
 
Aaron Sice said:
your site is possibly the most difficult ever, for them to say its overdeveloped is ludicrous...why? because we want some 3x2s instead of all 1x1s? pfff.
.
Click to expand...

Most difficult ever :) But so worth it - I love this site and I find it hard when people don't see my vision.

It was heartening to see some of the people struggling through the DAC process had been going for about a year. Let's not take that long :eek:
 
difficult sites are often where good profits are, especially at the moment when people are paying crazy prices for small sites.
 
we still have to wait for the official response and there are some changes that are needed but we're pretty close. tbh i actually agreed with all but 1 of their comments, i think theyve added value to my development.

im sure you'll get there!
 
Highgate update:

Luckily Aaron started work on the changes we thought we'd need for reconsideration as we've been bumped to the next DAC which is 3rd April and all proposals have to be in today for the meeting.

The main stumbling blocks were height and sustainability. You can only have the extra height if you can prove you are extra over various elements and we needed to increase sustainability - or prove it as we hadn't outlined some things.

It already had water tanks and a PV solar array but we are now using more recycled materials, sustainable construction methods like sorting of all construction waste to reduce landfill, increased landscaping etc
 
sanj said:
we still have to wait for the official response and there are some changes that are needed but we're pretty close. tbh i actually agreed with all but 1 of their comments, i think theyve added value to my development.

im sure you'll get there!
Click to expand...

I'm sure I will too :)
Patience is an extreme sport in developing :D
 
westminster said:
Highgate update:

Luckily Aaron started work on the changes we thought we'd need for reconsideration as we've been bumped to the next DAC which is 3rd April and all proposals have to be in today for the meeting.

The main stumbling blocks were height and sustainability. You can only have the extra height if you can prove you are extra over various elements and we needed to increase sustainability - or prove it as we hadn't outlined some things.

It already had water tanks and a PV solar array but we are now using more recycled materials, sustainable construction methods like sorting of all construction waste to reduce landfill, increased landscaping etc
Click to expand...

DAC #2:

Well we went back with a super cool elevation, a building that was 2m shorter and even more sustainable elements but it wasn't enough :(

God damn it I'm going to miss that building design but they have clearly said I'm not going to be allowed 3 stories so Aaron is back to drawing board again to make it 2 storey plus loft.

I don't mind the DAC idea but I dislike the time in between appts - it's a minimum one month. Hopefully we can get a slot in 4 weeks for reconsideration.
 
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I agree with the concept of a DAC, however the way Vincent has implemented it is completely wrong! It's at a point now where the DAC has too much power, given they are only meant to be an advisory body, and they are simply holding up development. The process should be like other Councils where you lodge the DA, and they refer it to the DAC as an internal process as part of their assessment, the same as Vincent does with health, engineering etc. Then the planner can take those comments into account when doing their assessment.

Now that I've got that off my chest :p I'm sure Aaron is well across it but I would've thought you could mount an argument for the Council to exercise its discretion and approve the 3rd storey under their new 'exercise of discretion' policy or whatever it's called. You meet the essential criteria as your block is over R60, and then it's simply a matter of convincing them that you meet one of the additional criteria i.e. exemplary design, or sustainability etc.. I have no doubt Alannah will be on board and she's been known to bash a few Councillors over the head to make them see sense.

FWIW, we're about to get an approval for a 4 storey MD building on Smith Street, where the height limit is 3 storeys plus loft. This is after the DAC hating everything about it.
 
westminster said:
DAC #2:

Well we went back with a super cool elevation, a building that was 2m shorter and even more sustainable elements but it wasn't enough :(

God damn it I'm going to miss that building design but they have clearly said I'm not going to be allowed 3 stories so Aaron is back to drawing board again to make it 2 storey plus loft.

I don't mind the DAC idea but I dislike the time in between appts - it's a minimum one month. Hopefully we can get a slot in 4 weeks for reconsideration.
Click to expand...

Oh - bugger - I really liked that design. Look forward to seeing what Aaron can produce for this one.

Are you overheight in accordance with the policy? I thought your reduced elevation brought you within the allowable limit?

Fingers crossed from here on.

Blacky
 
there are still a few options on the table for the current design.

i am meeting with Vincent planning (requested by them and not me) so that will certainly be interesting.

I honestly think the DAC just dont like the fact they're 3 bed designs. to me, no one else in the area is doing 3 bed apts so that's filling a niche in the market.

i have to respect their opinion, they all think it's "overdeveloped" but how is that defined?

need the R Codes for that - to which it's compliant.

if i put in 4x 1beds i wonder how that would go down? there's more to "sustainability" from a social point of view than affordable 1bed apts.

i'm trying to reduce it's "spread" by proposing we go up - this should, in real terms, reduce the heat island effect that Ms McTiernan was talking about at the Stephenson-Hepburn Oration @ UWA.

if this design ended up in SAT, the legal technicalities would get it over the line.
 
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