How New Design Standards Are Enhancing Liveability
The Better Apartment Design Standards (BADS) in Victoria set a new benchmark for apartment living, aiming to improve the quality, functionality, and sustainability of new builds. For prospective buyers, especially those considering off-the-plan purchases, these standards bring numerous benefits, making modern apartments more liveable and adaptable to a variety of lifestyles.
Functional Layouts for Everyday Living
BADS outlines minimum room dimensions to ensure spaces are genuinely functional. For example, main bedrooms must be at least 3m x 3.4m, while other bedrooms need to be 3m x 3m, guaranteeing room for essentials like beds, wardrobes, and more. Living areas must also meet size requirements based on the overall apartment, ensuring shared spaces remain comfortable and practical for everyday use.
Enhanced Natural Light
The standards limit the depth of single-aspect rooms to 2.5 times the ceiling height, ensuring adequate daylight reaches living spaces. Open-plan layouts are also allowed to extend up to 9m deep when combining living, dining, and kitchen areas, which means interiors can remain light-filled and welcoming. This not only enhances residents' well-being by providing a brighter environment but also reduces the need for artificial lighting, cutting energy costs and promoting sustainable living.
Effective Noise Mitigation
Noise can significantly impact our quality of life, particularly in high-density urban environments. The standards aim to minimise noise transmission within apartments by positioning noise-sensitive rooms, such as bedrooms and living areas, away from potential sources of disturbance. This careful consideration in design helps create a quieter, more peaceful living experience, which is essential for families, shift workers, or anyone who values a restful home environment.
Usable Private Open Spaces
BADS ensures that outdoor areas, such as balconies, are genuinely functional by setting minimum dimension and area requirements based on the number of bedrooms. This provides residents with valuable private open space that can be used for relaxation, gardening, or entertaining. Smaller balconies are also permitted to improve thermal performance, reducing heat loss during the winter months and helping maintain comfortable indoor temperatures.
Flexible and Adaptable Design
The standards encourage designs that can evolve with residents’ changing needs, making it easier to reconfigure spaces as lifestyles shift. This is particularly beneficial for families, older residents, or anyone planning to stay in their apartment for the long term, as it supports changes like expanding storage or adjusting room layouts to better suit different life stages.
Family-Friendly Features
Guidelines ensure that apartments cater to diverse household structures. This includes considerations like appropriately sized pantries, benchtops, and flexible living spaces based on the number of bedrooms. Such features make family life in apartments more practical, ensuring comfort and functionality for growing and ageing households.
By setting higher expectations for apartment design, the Better Apartment Design Standards enhance the liveability of urban dwellings across Victoria. For buyers, these standards mean investing in a home that offers not only style and convenience but also functionality and sustainability, ensuring long-term comfort for a range of residents.
Get in touch with the Projects team to explore apartments that meet the Better Apartment Design Standards.
