Indesignlive: Can you explain the news about South Australia’s proposed Future Living code?
Gerald Matthews: In August 2024, the was announced by the State Planning Commission that within six councils in Adelaide – Burnside, Unley, Walkerville, Prospect, Campbelltown, Alexandrina – the rules will change to allow some properties to have more than one home on a single parcel of land, the idea being that occupants could share gardens, car parking and some facilities, such as laundries. These would be on the basis of Community Titles. It’s not just a way of sub-dividing a block of land into smaller parcels; it is a way of having more in terms of living experience by sharing some things.
Why is it relevant to architects and designers?
There is an opportunity to explore typologies of homes that have previously been impossible in due to planning policies. While they may not become widespread, they have great potential to provide increased diversity of types to suit a wider range of personal needs. These changes could also make it more affordable to find a home in areas that are currently cost-prohibitive for many people.
How important do you think models of ‘co-location’ and shared communal spaces will become?
I think it will remain a small but crucial part of the housing market. It has the potential to remind us all of the sense of community that was lost when we lost our connections with our neighbours; when fences got taller, front yards and porches stopped being used and living spaces retreated to the backs of homes. We became isolated without our family homes, and we lost ‘the village’ around us. For some, this change is a way back to a little of what was lost, but through a more modern idea of how a home connects with its surroundings.
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What are the implications for density in our cities and the wider housing crisis?
Density used to sound like a betrayal of the Australian dream. Having less than a quarter acre felt like a big step backwards; however, so much has changed in terms of the economy and the way we live our lives nowadays that increasing urban density can now enhance the liveability of our neighbourhoods. Local character and local economies require a critical mass to thrive. As our city has continue to sprawl, the critical mass needed has dwindled and sputtered in areas – which hasn’t been immediately obvious while housing prices have soared, but is happening nonetheless. Initiatives like the Future Living Code Amendment are much needed tonics to help create the next era for Adelaide.
Does it also open the door for more residential projects that adapt and retain existing buildings rather than build anew?
Retention of existing buildings is one of the key considerations of the code amendment. This is important because many of the properties to which opportunities for co-located living would apply are too small to subdivide into complete separate titles, but are large enough that current occupants may be considering down-sizing, whether for economic reasons or because maintaining a large home or large garden is no longer sustainable as they age. For current owners, this is a potentially wonderful strategy to down-size without leaving.
Matthews Architects
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