The NSW Apartment Design Guide Explained: The Landscape Architect's Cheat Sheet
- Eoin James Campbell
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
If you've ever opened the NSW Apartment Design Guide (ADG), you've probably realised it's a substantial document covering everything from apartment layouts to building separation, solar access and acoustic privacy.
For landscape architects, however, only a handful of chapters directly influence how a development is designed.
Whether you're a developer, architect or planning consultant, understanding these landscape requirements early can save redesigns, improve DA outcomes and create far better places to live.
Here's the simplified version.
1. Deep Soil Zones (Arguably the Most Important)
Deep soil isn't simply an area of garden.
It is ground that is free from underground structures such as basement car parks, allowing trees to establish healthy root systems and reach maturity. The ADG treats deep soil as essential infrastructure rather than leftover landscaping because mature trees improve biodiversity, reduce urban heat, manage stormwater and create better living environments.
The guide generally requires:
Minimum 6 metre dimension
Larger sites require larger percentages of deep soil
Deep soil should be consolidated rather than scattered around the site
Existing significant trees should be retained wherever practical
One of the biggest mistakes seen in apartment developments is designing the basement first and trying to fit landscaping afterwards. The best projects design the basement around future trees—not the other way around.
2. Communal Open Space
Apartment living depends on quality shared outdoor spaces.
The ADG expects communal open space to be somewhere residents actually want to spend time—not simply a patch of lawn left over after the buildings have been designed. The guidance emphasises usability, accessibility, solar access and a range of activities for different age groups.
Good communal spaces typically include:
Lawn areas
Shade trees
Seating
BBQ or gathering spaces
Children's play opportunities
Connections between buildings
Clear passive surveillance for safety
Sunlight is equally important.
The ADG generally aims for at least half of communal open space to receive two hours of direct sunlight between 9am and 3pm at the winter solstice.
3. Tree Canopy Matters More Than Plant Numbers
The ADG isn't interested in how many shrubs are planted.
It wants developments that will support large, healthy trees decades into the future.
Large canopy trees provide:
Summer shade
Reduced heat island effect
Improved air quality
Better privacy
Habitat for wildlife
Increased property value
This is why adequate soil volume is so important.
A beautifully rendered landscape plan means very little if every tree is planted into a tiny planter above a basement slab.
4. Private Open Space Should Actually Be Usable
Every apartment should have outdoor space that functions as an extension of the living room.
That means balconies, courtyards and terraces should be large enough for practical everyday use—not simply to satisfy a planning control. The ADG focuses on dimensions and usability rather than just area.
Landscape architects often improve these spaces through:
Built-in planter boxes
Privacy screening
Small trees
Climbers
Comfortable outdoor furniture zones
Good planting can transform an exposed balcony into another room.
5. Streetscape Is Part of the Landscape
Landscape design doesn't stop at the property boundary.
The ADG encourages developments to contribute positively to the public domain through attractive front setbacks, generous planting and pedestrian-friendly streets.
Simple strategies include:
Canopy trees
Layered planting
Permeable paving
Attractive entry sequences
Reduced visual dominance of driveways
Great apartment buildings improve the street—not just the apartments behind them.
6. Water Sensitive Landscape Design
Although the ADG isn't a stormwater manual, it encourages landscape solutions that improve environmental performance.
Examples include:
Permeable paving
Rain gardens
Biofiltration planting
Water-efficient species
Soil that absorbs rainfall rather than shedding it
These approaches help reduce runoff while improving the quality of outdoor spaces.
7. Planting Should Suit the Site
A successful landscape isn't achieved by specifying the largest possible plant schedule.
Instead, planting should respond to:
Orientation
Wind exposure
Available soil volume
Building overshadowing
Maintenance requirements
Local climate
Selecting species that suit these conditions produces landscapes that establish quickly and remain attractive long after the project is completed.
The Biggest Misconception About Apartment Landscaping
Many people assume landscaping is one of the final steps in designing an apartment building.
In reality, the opposite is true.
The best apartment developments integrate landscape architecture from the earliest design stages.
Basement layouts, building footprints, drainage, tree locations, pedestrian movement and communal spaces all influence each other. Waiting until the DA documentation phase often means compromising tree planting, reducing deep soil or creating awkward outdoor spaces.
Landscape architecture isn't decoration.
It's part of the project's infrastructure.
Final Thoughts
The NSW Apartment Design Guide contains hundreds of pages of planning and design guidance, but from a landscape perspective the priorities are relatively straightforward:
Protect deep soil.
Design usable communal open space.
Create enough soil volume for mature trees.
Deliver functional private outdoor areas.
Improve the streetscape.
Incorporate water-sensitive design.
Select planting that suits the site.
When these fundamentals are addressed early, apartment developments are easier to approve, easier to build and far better places for people to live.
If you're preparing a Development Application for a residential apartment project in NSW, engaging a Registered Landscape Architect early in the design process can help avoid costly redesigns while ensuring the landscape works as hard as the architecture.
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