Ron Bell acknowledges that good design results in easier sales, better value for buyers, and therefore more profit.
His company is developing the Belconnen Golf Club project. Like renewals and in-fill generally it has come in for flak over whether the ACT Government should be charging more betterment tax, but it has not drawn the community and neighbourhood fury that other developments have over design _ to the contrary.
The site is in the centre of the golf course and has approval for 340 blocks, though Bell has knocked that back to 318. He would prefer 318 blocks with good streetscape and vista than jamming on 340.
Indeed, “”blocks” is the wrong word. It implies rectangular slabs upon which builders can plonk houses with minimum fuss and expense and too bad for the people who live in them. Bell’s project has “”Z” lots. The blocks are shaped roughly like a Z, though some have as many as 12 sides.
The aim is to provide a car-free streetscape, to make maximum use of the sun in winter, to provide visual and acoustic privacy, to provide shapes and spaces for individual imagination for use and to have variation in shapes and building lines without destroying a contextual uniformity that comes with insisting on certain colours and types of building materials and footprints on the block within which building is permitted.
There will be covenants prohibiting tin sheds and the like and buyers (individuals and builders) will be forced to provide insulation and abide by orientation guidelines.
The road steps and weaves through the development _ no loud hoons in lowered Monaros.
All storm-water run-off will be collected in seven dams on the golf course and used for irrigation. Treated water from Lower Molonglo will be pumped back along a now-disused gas line also for irrigation.
Power lines are underground for visual improvement and to allow better tree use.
Overall it will cost slightly more in building costs for huge increases in quality of life. Slab sixties six-packs, or prison-cell developments where everything is the same are easier and cheaper to build but in the long run they result in lower quality of life, poorer return on costs of building, lower resale value and higher costs for energy and services. The last ends up being paid largely by taxpayers who have to provide the dams and power plants.
The built-form architects are Oztal Architectural Services and the planning architect is Graham Mosely.
Bell says things are improving with housing in-fill and development. A decade ago these sort of designs were only available for the very top end of the market. His project is geared firmly at the middle market _ nothing over $100,000 a block and most in the mid-sixties. Much the same as blocks on the outer fringe, without the golf course.
The golf club will get guaranteed tenure, will get at least 18 holes throughout construction and ultimately 27 holes. The development will include a driving range, with lights for manic golfers who want to practise at night.