Architecture Talks

Randwick City Council is thrilled to announce that Architecture Talks will be returning early 2025. These insightful talks aim to foster a deeper understanding of exemplary architecture and urban design within our community.

Hosted by Andrew Nimmo, Director at Lahznimmo Architects and Past NSW Chapter President of the Australian Institute of Architects, this event will showcase award-winning projects from Randwick's Architecture and Urban Design Awards, celebrating local design excellence and innovation.

Join us for a series of engaging presentations where you can hear directly from leading architects about the inspiration behind celebrated local projects and explore the values of good design that shape our city.

This free event is open to all. Stay tuned for event details and dates.

View our recorded Architecture on Show talks.

Architecture and urban design awards

The Randwick City Architecture and Urban Design Awards, held every two years, are one of Randwick City's key urban design initiatives.

The awards recognise excellence and inspire better building design by promoting community awareness and acknowledging the architects and designers involved in enhancing Randwick City's built environment.

To find out more information about the 2025 Awards, including the People's Choice Award, visit our Architecture and Urban Design Awards page

Design Excellence Advisory Panel

Randwick City Council is continuing to support and encourage high quality urban design through its Design Excellence Advisory Panel. The Panel's role is to review the design quality of the following development:

• Development subject to Chapter 4 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021.
• Development subject to clause 6.11 of Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012.
• Other development (including, but not limited to, boarding house, co-living housing, seniors housing, multi-dwelling housing, and mixed-use development) that are at least three (3) storeys, not including underground car parking storeys.
• Site specific development control plans and/or masterplans.
• Any other matters deemed suitable by the Director/Manager Development Assessment.

The Panel is appointed by Randwick City Council as an advisory group, not a decision-making body. The Panel members are suitably qualified persons with expertise in architecture, planning, urban design, heritage, and/or landscape architecture.

Our panel has operated since March 2003 and has considered many development applications as well as masterplans, development control plans and draft Local Environmental Plans. With the benefit of the panel's expert advice, improvements to the design quality of these plans and proposals have been achieved.

Housing SEPP

On 14 December 2023, the NSW Government consolidated the provisions of State Environmental Planning Policy No 65 – Design Quality of Residential Apartment Development (SEPP 65) into the Housing SEPP and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 (the Regulation).

The Housing SEPP 2021 facilitates development of affordable and diverse housing in the right places and for every stage of life. Chapter 4 of the Housing SEPP and the Apartment Design Guide provides consistent planning and design standards for apartments across the state. Furthermore, the Apartment Design Guide explains how to apply the 9 design principles, identified in Schedule 9 of the Housing SEPP, to the design of new apartments.

Chapter 4 of the Housing SEPP and the Apartment Design Guide applies to:

• residential flat buildings
• mixed use development with a residential component
• shop top housing
• that are 3 or more storeys and have 4 or more dwellings
• where the building is a new apartment building, substantial redevelopment or refurbishment of an existing building, or conversion of an existing building.

Design Manual for Rejuvenating Residential Flat Buildings

This award winning manual is an essential resource to inspire refurbishment of older blocks of flats to improve amenity, environmental performance and streetscape appearance.