Long Jetty Duplex

Complying development gets a bad reputation, and often deservedly so. Most complying development duplexes are boxy, repetitive and designed purely to tick regulatory boxes. When this client approached me about a duplex in Long Jetty, they wanted something different: the speed and certainty of complying development approval, but with design quality that would not embarrass them or the neighbourhood.

The complying development code prescribes setbacks, heights, floor space ratios and overshadowing limits, but it says nothing about whether a building has to be a rectangle. I introduced curved walls and a flowing roofline that work within every numerical requirement while producing a form that looks and feels nothing like a standard duplex. The curves soften the bulk of two dwellings on a single lot and create small sheltered garden spaces between the buildings that would not exist with straight walls.

Each dwelling is generous in its proportions, with open plan living areas that open north to private courtyards. The curved internal walls create rooms that feel larger than their measured area because your eye follows the wall around rather than hitting a corner. Bedrooms are tucked to the southern side where they stay cool and quiet, separated from the living spaces by the bathroom and laundry services.

The approval process took a fraction of the time that a development application would have required. The private certifier assessed the plans against the code, confirmed compliance, and issued the certificate. No neighbour notification, no Council assessment, no uncertain timelines. For an investor client, this speed translates directly to reduced holding costs and earlier rental income. Proving that complying development can produce beautiful architecture, not just fast architecture, is something I take genuine satisfaction in.