Apartment Design Guide (NSW, SEPP 65)

The Apartment Design Guide (ADG) is the NSW design standard for residential flat buildings (apartments) under State Environmental Planning Policy 65 (SEPP 65). It applies to multi-unit residential buildings of 3 or more storeys with 4 or more apartments, setting controls on solar access, cross-ventilation, apartment sizes, communal open space, deep soil zones, and design quality. SEPP 65 calls up the ADG as the design assessment framework, supplementing the council’s LEP and DCP. The ADG is the NSW analogue of WA R-Codes Volume 2 and Vic’s apartment-design provisions under Plan Melbourne. Verified per SEPP 65 (NSW) and the Apartment Design Guide 2022 (2026-05-23).

When the ADG applies

Building characteristics	ADG applies?
3+ storeys AND 4+ apartments	Yes
2-storey townhouses or duplexes	No (use LEP/DCP)
Single detached dwelling	No
Boarding house, hostel, residential institution	Some elements apply
Mixed-use building with residential component	Yes if residential is 4+ apartments and 3+ storeys
Adaptive reuse to apartments	Yes if criteria met

ADG structure

The ADG has 9 design quality principles + 25 design criteria:

Part	Content
Part 1: Identifying the context	Site analysis, surrounding development
Part 2: Developing the controls	Form, scale, character, heritage
Part 3: Achieving the design objectives	The 9 design principles
Part 4: Design criteria objectives	The 25 numbered criteria with measurable targets

The 25 criteria are where the assessment happens. They cover specific dimensions of apartment quality:

Criterion theme	Examples
Site planning	Setbacks, building separation, deep soil zones
Building shape and scale	Building heights, density, articulation
Apartment layout	Apartment sizes, room dimensions, ceiling heights
Apartment performance	Solar access, cross-ventilation, natural light
Communal and shared space	Communal open space, common corridors, lobby
Private open space	Balcony sizes, courtyards
Building accessibility	Universal access, accessible apartments
Acoustic	Sound separation, noise from external sources
Mechanical	Heating, cooling, ventilation requirements

Key numeric criteria

The ADG sets specific minimums that apartments must meet (verified per ADG 2022):

Criterion	Minimum
Living area solar access	2 hours mid-winter direct sunlight to principal living areas (70% of apartments)
Cross-ventilation	60% of apartments cross-ventilated
Internal floor area (1 bed)	50 m² minimum
Internal floor area (2 bed)	70 m² minimum
Internal floor area (3 bed)	90 m² minimum
Ceiling height (habitable)	2.7 m minimum
Balcony (1 bed)	8 m² minimum, 2.0 m minimum dimension
Balcony (2 bed)	10 m² minimum, 2.0 m minimum dimension
Balcony (3 bed)	12 m² minimum, 2.4 m minimum dimension
Communal open space	25-35% of site area, depending on density
Deep soil zone	7% of site minimum
Storage	6-10 m³ per apartment
Cars	Per council DCP + ADG guidance
Lifts	Required at 4+ storeys

The 9 design quality principles

Each design must demonstrably address all 9 principles:

Principle	Focus
1. Context and neighbourhood character	How the building fits the precinct
2. Built form and scale	Bulk, scale, articulation
3. Density	Appropriate density for the zone and site
4. Sustainability	Environmental performance
5. Landscape	Landscape design and tree retention
6. Amenity	Internal apartment amenity
7. Safety	Security, safe access, surveillance
8. Housing diversity and social interaction	Mix of apartment types and shared spaces
9. Aesthetics	Architectural quality

The design verification process

For SEPP 65 development:

Registered architect must be the design author (cl 28A of SEPP 65).
Design Verification Statement prepared by the architect, addressing each criterion and principle.
Lodged with the DA alongside standard documents.
Council/DAP assesses against ADG criteria.
Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) referral for SSDs.

The architect-author requirement is unusual: most NSW residential is not required to have a registered architect. SEPP 65 makes architect involvement mandatory.

Common ADG variations

Variation	Process
Solar access below 70%	Justify via merit assessment, demonstrating site constraints
Cross-ventilation below 60%	Same; demonstrate site/scale constraints
Apartment sizes 5% below minimums	Some flexibility under merit assessment
Apartment sizes >5% below	Refusal grounds

The ADG criteria are the floor, not the ceiling. Council/DAP can refuse for material non-compliance even if some criteria are met.

ADG vs WA R-Codes Volume 2

Aspect	NSW ADG	WA R-Codes Vol 2
Authority	SEPP 65	SPP 7.3
Applies at	3+ storeys + 4+ apartments	R80+ density
Architect mandatory	Yes (registered architect)	No
Design Verification Statement	Yes	No equivalent
Solar access	2 hrs mid-winter, 70% of units	Per orientation, varies
Cross-ventilation	60% of units	Encouraged, not strict %
Apartment min sizes	Fixed in ADG	Per Volume 2
Balcony minimums	Fixed (8/10/12 m²)	Per Volume 2

The frameworks are similar in intent; NSW is more prescriptive on specific numeric targets.

DA timeline (typical multi-unit NSW)

Phase	Duration
Pre-DA discussion with council	4-12 weeks
DA preparation (architect, ADG documentation)	4-12 weeks
DA lodgement	Day 0
Council assessment	3-8 months
Determination	Typically 6-12 months from lodgement
Appeal window	6 months for objectors (designated development)

Common defects in ADG compliance

Solar access below 70% without merit justification.
Cross-ventilation below 60% without merit justification.
Apartments undersized (especially 1-bedroom apartments squeezed below 50 m²).
Balcony sizes below ADG minimums.
No Design Verification Statement from a registered architect.
Deep soil zone insufficient.
Communal open space inadequate.
Storage below 6 m³.

Refusal grounds often cluster around solar/ventilation/sizes: these are the criteria with the strongest community-amenity bearing.

Builder takeaway

For NSW apartment work (3+ storeys, 4+ apartments), the ADG is the design framework.
A registered architect is mandatory; budget for design fees ($150k-$1M+ depending on project scale).
Address each of the 25 numeric criteria in the Design Verification Statement.
Pre-DA consultation with council architecture advisor is highly recommended.
The ADG is reviewed periodically; check for current version at DPHI.

References

State Environmental Planning Policy 65, Design Quality of Residential Apartment Development (NSW) (verified 2026-05-23)
Apartment Design Guide 2022 (NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure) (verified 2026-05-23)