Big Housing Build Architectural Massing & Yield Studies

⁠⁠⁠Homes Victoria is seeking to engage a panel of four to six architectural firms to prepare contextually responsive, design-led architectural massing & yield studies for assigned sites from a shortlist under consideration for inclusion in the Big Housing Build (BHB) program.

The panel will be drawn from a selected number of bidders to deliver a number of architectural massing and yield studies for sites across Victoria. These will be used to determine site opportunity and inform consideration of whether a project proceeds as part of the Big Housing Build.

The purpose of this document is to provide briefing information and material to support potential bidders in the preparation and submission of their response to the Request for Proposal.

Homes Victoria is seeking suitably qualified architects who are recognised as experts in multi-residential housing, and recognised through peer and industry awards. Practices should have engaged throughout all stages of design and delivery in housing to bring expert knowledge of urban, housing and landscape design, as well as how to deliver housing that delivers efficiency in construction and considers whole of life considerations to inform their deign approach. Experience in delivering social housing is preferable.
Architect practices from the panel will be required to undertake 4-8 architectural, massing and yield studies, with two options prepared for each site. It is anticipated that a standard process will be implemented with the Homes Victoria staff as informed clients in the process and the consultant’s familiarity with Homes Victoria requirements assisting in delivery of the studies.

The first deliverable for each site will be two architectural massing and yield study options for each site, informed by provided desktop due diligence studies, contextual analysis, statutory planning advice and Homes Victoria design principles and functional requirements for social and affordable projects. It is expected that the architectural massing and yield studies will demonstrate good urban design principles and fully consider the relationship of built form and public/private/communal space in addition to the project’s integration and positive contribution to its streets and broader neighbourhood. The first option should seek to optimise the site within the existing constraints while conforming to the existing planning controls.

The second option should also seek to optimise the site, delivering a contextual, design-led approach, which while having consideration to the planning controls, may define further opportunities to increase the yield potential of the site whilst achieving good amenity in terms of context and the design of the homes in line with Homes Victoria’s design principles and functional design brief. The second option should demonstrate contextually responsive built form which contributes positively to the context and does not negatively impact amenity of the surrounding streets and neighbourhood. This option should demonstrate alignment with requirements of the streamlined planning provisions (Clause 52.20 and Clause 53.20 in all Victorian planning schemes).

The second deliverable will be a summary report which, in addition to providing key development metrics for each option which will be used to inform a preliminary cost plan, also outlines the key opportunities and constraints for each built form outcome and a clear design rationale. Please refer to Appendix 3 for details of the information required for Key Development Metrics.

The architectural massing and yield studies and the key development metrics will be used as the basis for discussions with key stakeholders; define scope of the future project stages and inform consideration of the project into the pipeline of the Big Housing Build (BHB).