At a recent industry forum, Brisbane City Council advised of a new prelodgement service called DesignSMART. The service is “a series of prelodgement meetings focused on a collaborative design process” with the development industry with the intent of ensuring that building designs embrace the key considerations which Brisbane City Council have identified and captured in a document titled the New World City Design Guide – Buildings that Breathe.

In order to promote great urban and building designs which respond to Brisbane’s climate, character and lifestyle, and which improve sustainability, the design guide “illustrates how residential and commercial buildings in our mixed-use inner city, transport corridors and principal regional activity centres should be designed”. There are eight elements identified as the key considerations to creating ‘buildings that breathe’:

1. Orientate yourself
2. Occupy outdoor spaces
3. Illuminate with daylight
4. Natural air and ventilation
5. Shade and protect
6. Living greenery
7. Identity matters
8. Reduce energy and waste

The DesignSMART fact sheet provides further information on how the prelodgement meetings are run, the fees and Council’s commitments. In summary:

• Participation in the DesignSMART service will cost $1430.
• If you lodge a development application incorporating the advice provided via the DesignSMART service:
  • the prelodgement fee will be deducted from the development application fee; and
  • if all the requirements of the New World City Design Guide: Buildings that Breathe checklist have been met, Council guarantees an assessment timeframe of 20 business days.