SEPP 65 - Apartment Design Guide

02 I Controls2B Building envelopesBuildingenvelopeA building envelope is a three dimensional volume thatdefines the outermost extent of a building.Building envelopes set the appropriate scale of futuredevelopment in terms of bulk and height relative tothe streetscape, public and private open spaces, andblock and lot sizes in a particular location. Envelopesare appropriate when determining and controlling thedesired urban form in town centres, brownfield sites,precinct plan sites and special sites such as those withextreme topography.Site boundarySite boundaryA building envelope should be at least 25-30% greaterthan the achievable floor area (see section 2D FloorSpace Ratio) to allow for building components that donot count as floor space but contribute to building designand articulation, such as lifts, stairs and balconies.Building envelopes help to:• define the three dimensional form of buildings• inform decisions about appropriate density for asite and its context• define open spaces and landscape areas• test the other primary controls to ensure they arecoordinated and achieve the desired outcomeStreetFootpathBuildingenvelopeBuildingenvelopeFigure 2B.2 Building envelopes define the 'container' within which abuilding is designed. They are a useful tool to gain anunderstanding of the future urban form and scale of an area,however they do not represent buildings and are typically25-30% larger than the final built formFigure 2B.1 Perspective of a proposed building design within the building envelopeDRAFT | Apartment Design Guide I September 201431