Traditional Character Homes - an Architect's Approach & Perspective

Introduction

Traditional homes, like the iconic Queenslander, are central to the character and identity of Brisbane. These historic architectural styles reflect the city's rich past, both in terms of its built environment and social history. They serve as a tangible connection to the city's architectural heritage and the stories embedded within its neighbourhoods. Preserving and celebrating these traditional house types contribute towards maintaining Brisbane's distinct sense of place. Our write up will focus on our experience as architects having dealt with traditional character homes within suburbs that fall under the umbrella of Brisbane City Council.

2018 Brisbane City Council Consultation

2018 was a significant year in that Brisbane City Council arranged a character design forum and community consultation to inform the creation of a new design guide which was named ‘Traditional Housing: Alterations and Extensions Design Guide’. This guide essentially establishes clear, community-informed guidelines while facilitating a balanced approach - one that honours the past while enabling sensitive and context-appropriate modernisation. This guide is available online via the Brisbane City Council website.

Researching your property via Overlay Maps

One of the first steps we would encourage homeowners of Traditional Character Homes to do, is to establish what overlay applies to your property. For properties located under the jurisdiction of Brisbane City Council there is the ‘city Online Mapping Tool’ which provides guidance on what overlay is applied to your property. Researching your property and establishing what overlay is applied is significant as it will dictate what council might and might not be in support of.

There are 2 significant years to be aware of which will dictate your approach to renovations or alterations to your home: 1911 &1946. Any homes built on these dates or before will have a huge impact on what Brisbane City Council will be in support of.

Our approach & advice

Giving your traditional character home a new lease on life can be a memorable and rewarding journey. Our firsthand experience in these building types over the years has helped us develop our unique approach which helps navigate the complex process of dealing with traditional character homes.

We would suggest the following:

●      Engage Architects & Building Designers that have experience with traditional character homes. They can assist with guidance and help develop your roadmap throughout the design, approval and construction process for your project.

●      Engage an experienced Town Planner as their insight will be invaluable especially with what councils are likely to be in support of particularly at DA (Development Application) Stage. It is no coincidence that our easier applications have had a good Town Planner involved.

●      Organise an Identification Survey which will pick up your property boundaries. There have been instances where property boundaries have been inaccurate by half a metre. Inaccuracies such as this can trigger Siting Variations, Fire Rating Requirements, Height Limit Encroachments, etc.

●      Investigate and establish whether you have any Sewer Manholes, Sewer Lines, Sewer Connections etc which may trigger a Build Over Asset (BOA) Application

●      Try to stay within your property setbacks for a more straightforward approval assessment.

●      Engage consultants such as Structural Engineers, Private Certifiers, Energy Efficiency Consultants, Hydraulic Engineers, etc as early as possible to avoid unnecessary back and forth during the entire process.

●      Be patient as the Development Application adds another step to your approval process in addition to your Building Approval (BA) Application.

References

Brisbane City Council. 2024. “Traditional character housing design guide.” Accessed August 20,2024. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/planning-and-building/urban-design-in-brisbane/design-strategy-and-guidelines/traditional-character-housing-design-guide

Brisbane City Council. 2023. “Brisbane City Council City Plan 2014.” Accessed August 20. 2024. https://cityplan.brisbane.qld.gov.au/eplan/property/0/0/234

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Disclaimer

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