Why Yield Is a Design Problem
Every dwelling you can't fit is profit you never see.
Multi-dwelling projects live and die on yield — and yield is decided by how well the design resolves the controls working against it: setbacks, site cover, private open space, parking, overlooking, overshadowing, garden area, driveways and the fall of the land. A design that loses one townhouse to a clumsy driveway costs more than every consultant fee on the project combined.
We design multi-unit projects from the controls outward: the maximum compliant yield first, then dwellings people actually want to live in.
Dual Occupancy & Duplexes
Attached and detached two-dwelling designs — including side-by-side duplexes and rear secondary dwellings — documented for your state's pathway.
Townhouse Developments
Three or more dwellings: yield studies, planning permit packages, and construction documentation for the approved design.
Investors & Developers
Pre-purchase yield testing and feasibility, so you bid on what the site can actually deliver — not what the listing promises.
Large-Site Homeowners
Holding a big block? We assess whether a second dwelling or small development is realistic, and design it if it is.
Builders, Planners & Certifiers
Documentation support for multi-dwelling projects already in the pipeline, including drawings stuck in council RFIs.
State By State
Same project. Three different approval games.
Victoria
Two or more dwellings on a lot almost always needs a planning permit assessed against Clause 55 (ResCode) — neighbourhood character, setbacks, open space, overlooking and parking — with overlays adding their own requirements. We prepare the full planning package, then building permit documentation for the approved design.
New South Wales
On qualifying lots, dual occupancy can proceed as complying development — a dramatically faster pathway through a private certifier. Where it doesn't qualify, a Development Application through council applies, followed by a Construction Certificate. We test your lot against the complying development standards first.
Queensland
Dual occupancy and multi-unit dwellings are assessed against your local planning scheme — accepted development on some sites, code or impact assessable on others. We confirm the assessment level, prepare the planning material where needed, and document for private certifier building approval.
Not sure how many dwellings your site can carry — or whether the numbers work at all? Start with a fixed-fee Feasibility Assessment: independent written advice on realistic yield, constraints and the approval pathway, before you commit to design or to the purchase.
Feasibility AssessmentsCommon Questions
Dual occupancy & townhouses, answered straight.
What's the difference between dual occupancy and a duplex?+
Dual occupancy means two dwellings on one lot — attached or detached. A duplex is the common name for the attached form: two dwellings sharing a common wall. Planning schemes assess them as dual occupancy either way; the distinction mainly matters for construction and subdivision strategy.
Do I need a planning permit for dual occupancy?+
In Victoria, almost always — assessed against Clause 55 (ResCode) in most residential zones. In NSW, dual occupancy may proceed as complying development on qualifying lots, or need a DA through council. In Queensland it depends on your planning scheme — accepted development in some areas, assessable in others. We confirm your site's pathway before design begins.
What affects townhouse yield?+
Lot size and frontage, zoning and density controls, setbacks, site cover and garden area, private open space minimums, parking and driveways, overlooking and overshadowing controls, easements, and the fall of the land. Yield is won or lost in how the design resolves all of these together.
Can you assess how many dwellings fit on my site?+
Yes — a fixed-fee independent Feasibility Assessment tests your site against the controls that decide yield and gives you a written professional opinion on realistic dwelling numbers and the approval pathway, before you commit to design fees or to buying the site.
What drawings are needed for council approval?+
For planning: site and context plans, floor plans, elevations, shadow diagrams, landscape concept and documentation addressing your state's assessment standards. For construction: fully documented working drawings — a Construction Certificate in NSW, building permit documentation in VIC, or certifier building approval documentation in QLD.
How do fees work?+
Fixed fee, agreed in writing before work begins, based on your site, the number of dwellings and the approval pathway. Send the property address and a short description and you'll have a written proposal within 48 hours.
Get Started
Have a site with development potential?
Send the property address and project type — fixed-fee proposal within 48 hours.