'Classic Canberra idea': architects to compete in 'missing middle' design contest

Canberra's suburbs have long had a copy-and-paste quality about them, with government houses built over and over to pre-approved designs.

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Planning Minister Chris Steel said the government was building on a "classic Canberra idea".

Planning Minister Chris Steel, who says a 'missing middle' design competition is a classic Canberra idea.

Much of Canberra had been built on pattern housing, when pre-designed homes were used to efficiently grow the capital in the post-war years, he said.

"First, we made it possible to build missing middle homes, now we're fast-tracking new homes through a pattern book approach," Mr Steel said.

"This pattern book will give Canberrans a range of top quality, sustainable, and affordable home designs that can be built without the need for a DA."

But unlike the Department of Works' 400 series designs for houses that gave mid-century Canberra swathes of small three-bedroom homes on big suburban blocks, the government wants innovation on a tighter scale.

The "missing middle" housing the government is working to encourage, sitting between existing detached housing and high-density apartment buildings, includes duplexes, dual-occupancies, townhouses and terraces.

Last week, planning law changes passed the Legislative Assembly to make smaller-scale subdivisions faster to approve, permit secondary residences on single-dwelling leases without a Crown lease variation, and streamline lease variations for minor changes.

The planning minister said the changes would deliver faster approvals for "missing middle" housing projects.

Mr Steel said the pattern book would demonstrate how well-designed "missing middle" housing could enhance Canberra's suburbs.

"It will provide practical examples of housing that responds to our unique climate, landscape and local character, while supporting a more compact and efficient city," he said.

"The competition represents an opportunity to harness the creativity of the design profession in pursuit of a shared goal: delivering more homes without compromising on quality."

ACT government architect Catherine Townsend said the competition would encourage creative and practical approaches to housing design and help shape more diverse, liveable and sustainable neighbourhoods.

"I am very pleased to launch the Expression of Interest for the Canberra House Pattern Book Design Competition, an important initiative to expand housing choice and support thoughtful, sensitive neighbourhood and precinct development," Ms Townsend, a Life Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects, said.

"The competition seeks innovative, cost-efficient design solutions that respond to the evolving needs of families while reflecting the unique character and environmental context of Canberra, the Bush Capital."

The competition will be a two-stage process. First, expressions of interest will be invited from Australian architects, building designers and architecture students.

Next, about 16 selected professional entrants and about six student entrants will be tasked with submitting house designs, which will be publicly exhibited.

The winners will continue to a post-competition stage to focus on detailed design work and refinement to incorporate the plans in the Canberra House Pattern Book.

The book will serve as a library of pre-qualified housing designs that can be quickly approved for construction, the government said.

Expressions of interest for the design competition shut on December 4.

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