As land prices surge and the housing crisis continues, many owner-builders and developers are looking to maximise a single block with medium density builds instead of single dwellings. At a time where there is an intense focus and demand for housing, finding a light filled, well ventilated, efficiently planned and beautifully designed home isn’t always easy. However, with the NSW Pattern Book you can now build your own thanks to cost-effective designs and a fast-tracked approvals process.
A Government response
Conscious of the complexities surrounding obtaining development approval during a time when housing is at an all-time low, the NSW Government Architect and the NSW Government launched an initiative in July 2025 to accelerate the construction of high quality, sustainable and affordable low and mid-rise homes. The NSW Pattern Book is aimed at improving quality and speeding up supply for terraces, townhouses, and duplexes. This pathway offers eligible projects access to award winning architect designs and a fast-tracked approvals process and aims to address housing shortages and affordability.
What exactly is the NSW Pattern Book?
The NSW Pattern Book provides pre-approved, architect-designed templates for terraces, townhouses and three to six storey apartments, simplifying key steps in the building process. The diverse selection of Government Architect NSW endorsed designs will fast-track the approval process, with approval times as short as 10–20 days. The designs cover a range of housing configurations by award winning architects selected via an industry wide international design competition.
The NSW Pattern book is primarily designed to facilitate the development of a single building on a single block of land however single dwelling designs are not included. If you are in the market to develop a townhouse, duplex or mid-rise apartment block developments the NSW Pattern Book may be the most cost effective and time efficient pathway, offering a stylish and sustainable middle ground between project homes and custom designed architect builds.
Since launching in July last year, and as of January 2026 there have been more than 21,000 pattern designs purchased from the NSW Pattern Book, with many projects already approved for construction.
Who is it for?
The NSW Pattern Book is perfect for anyone overwhelmed by the approvals and application stage of a housing development as it provides access to ready-made design templates by award winning designers. The designs will suit a range of investors from established developers and volume building companies to community housing providers. The designs also provide opportunities for existing homeowners, multi-generational families, or friends and business partners co-investing and wanting to maximise living area on a single block.
Pre-approved designs mean fast tracked assessments
The Pattern book provides a streamlined, pre-approved design process resulting in a reduced assessment timeframe, with the opportunity to be approved in just 10 days. If you are wanting to realise a project quickly, this pathway will fast track the approvals process due to the greater certainty provided by using pre-approved pattern designs.
From an authority’s approvals and plannings perspective, the NSW Pattern Book (limited to NSW) allows you to obtain approval via the faster Complying Development Certificate (CDC) pathway (combining planning and construction approval) without needing a traditional, longer Development Application (DA).
Costs to consider
While the $1,000 per design is a fraction of the (up to) $20,000+ cost of typical custom architectural fees for a similar development, there are additional costs to consider before projects can be realised. All designs must still go through the process of having the necessary consultants to meet the requirements for Complying Development (CDC). Required consultants may include a structural engineer, hydraulic or civil engineer for stormwater design, a landscape architect/designer, and a building surveyor to approve the CDC and act as the Principal Certifying Authority (PCA) during construction, inspecting the works at critical stages such as waterproofing.
Despite having a pre-determined design, you will still need to work with a design professional to finalise the drawings specific for your site in order to bring the vision to life. An architect or building designer will assist you to realise any of the low-rise pattern projects and for mid-rise pattern projects you will need to work with an architect. These professionals will also support you by providing advice and preparing necessary documentation for your project.
Choosing and modifying a design
NSW Pattern Book designs can be browsed and purchased via the NSW Government Planning website.
You can adapt your chosen design to your site and preferences with the assistance of your chosen design professional. Each ‘pattern’ includes a base design with multiple variants meaning they can be changed (within pre-determined options) to adjust the design to suit the site and accommodate variables such as climate and orientation with options to improve solar access. There are limitations to the extent of modification in order to retain the pre-approval benefits. If taken too far, changes would render the licence null and void and therefore remove the opportunity to use the pattern or design again. There are clear modification guidelines that need to be adhered to. Modification guidelines are generally limited to adapting to site specific conditions rather than allowing for any significant layout adjustments.
Design quality and sustainability
From a sustainability standpoint, all building designs in the NSW Pattern Book are energy efficient and material sensitive resulting in housing that is light filled, cross ventilated and all-electric to reduce energy bills and improve thermal comfort. Patterns are compact and designed to be cost-effective and use standard construction systems familiar to builders.
Improved certainty elevates confidence
When a design and its planning pathway are predictable, costs can be more easily estimated upfront. This can assist lenders to assess project risk as well as funding requirements and may simplify the process of securing finance for Pattern Book projects enabling more homes to be built across NSW quickly and affordably.
If you would like to explore the NSW Pattern Book as a means to fast track a housing development and would to speak to a lender about securing a loan, Australian Mutual Bank has a range of flexible loans with competitive fixed and variable loan options, as well as a team of dedicated loans specialists with whom you can discuss your needs.
Alison Gallagher is a freelance writer, resourcefulness expert and entrepreneur. She has been featured in various publications including Stellar Magazine, Australian Health and Fitness Magazine, and Cleo Magazine. Alison is particularly passionate about sharing practical tips on how to live simply, sustainably and seasonally.
