This was published 7 years ago
Changing city density needs understanding
By Stephen Cox and Kevin Driver
It is expected that the current 41 per cent of Sydney's population living in medium-to-high density housing will soar through 50 per cent over the next five years, with many people located in the middle-to-outer ring of the city.
Sydney's booming population is underpinning the shift from horizontal to vertical developments, with people now more accepting of the apartment living concept.
Sydney's population is expanding at a rapid paceCredit: Tim Mooney
While public transport links are under construction linking the north-west and south-west to the city, our roads are becoming even more congested, with close to a third of the city's full-time employees now commuting for more than 10 hours a week.
Many developments are springing up in areas where people do not have to rely on cars, there is also a need to build dwellings closer to employment areas, which Turner is designing at Norwest Business Park and Macquarie Park.
Building in or next to a business park presents challenges for developers and designers but we are putting a lot of effort into creating a variety of amenities and open space for residents so they can feel a real separation from their workplace.
On that basis we are designing childcare centres, cafes, gyms, restaurants and walking tracks to create an attractive environment for families, who simply do not want their main income earners to be stuck on the road or in public transport at the start and end of the day.
Sydney's high property prices are now forcing young people born from the 1980s to compromise on their property aspirations, choosing more convenient and affordable locations nearer to their workplaces and living space.
Property developers and their architects need to design buildings that incorporate medium-to-high density living needs and take into account that they need to be oases for families to enjoy, as an integral part of burgeoning new centres.
Despite a lot of recent media commentary about a drop-off in Sydney prices, demand for well-designed medium-and-high density residential, mixed use and commercial developments is still buoyant, with many new inner-city, city fringe and growth centre projects now in progress.
The strong demand for apartments, especially on important transport corridors like the North West Rail Link, WestConnex and Sydney Metro, indicates that there is a strong pipeline of work for all members of the property industry for some years to come.
Sydney's north-west and western regions are attracting attention from top architectural firms as they now comprise a major component of apartments being built in Sydney, a big advance from inner-city and city fringe apartments formerly dominating activity.
There is strong competition among developers for pre-sales of the developments and many of them are finding that great design, coupled with quality buildings and finishes, are attracting more buyers.
Stephen Cox and Kevin Driver, are associate directors of Turner Studio Architects.