Your home and living guidelines

If you are asking yourself the following, then these guidelines are for you:

• is my house designed with my privacy in mind?
• will the cost of air-conditioning and heating be high, or will my windows let in cool breezes and warm natural light?
• is there space so I can plant a tree or grow some vegetables?
• is there enough space for me to have my friends over for a barbeque? Where will they park their cars?
• is the backyard big enough for our child’s trampoline and for the dog to run around?
• will my home be close to shops, cafes, parks, schools and my workplace, or will it become expensive to drive my car all the time?

Developed as a response to the findings of the Next Generation Neighbourhood Precinct Review, the guidelines respond to public feedback on the design of housing in Moreton Bay.

Created in collaboration with local architects, designers, builders and developers who, like Council, support climate smart and improved built form and urban design outcomes in Moreton Bay. The guidelines are non-statutory documents. They aim to provide simple, visual tips to make it easy for anyone building a home.

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Guidelines

Your flood smart buildings guideline

Use the Your flood smart buildings guideline(PDF, 16MB) to:

• help you if your home or building has been affected by flood or is located in an area prone to flooding
• find helpful tips about how to rebuild or retrofit your building to be flood smart
• get flood smart ideas to minimise life and work disruption during and after a flood event
• learn that it doesn’t need to be expensive, it’s about making smart choices and not just replacing ‘like for like’.

Your next generation home guideline

Use the Your next generation home guideline(PDF, 29MB) to:

• address the issues of high site cover and small setbacks, lack of built form diversity and universal housing elements
• focus on the building of a new detached house on small lots under 600 square metres
• provide simple solutions and proactive advice on considering neighbourhood character, your block size, shape and the way it is oriented when designing your house and the location of certain rooms
• tips for more affordable design to help save costs on energy bill, future proofing your home and making it more accessible.

Your climate smart living guideline

Use the Your climate smart living guideline(PDF, 43MB) to:

• help you enjoy a home lifestyle suited to the Moreton Bay climate
• provide tips to anyone building, renovating or buying a house in the city, and is especially helpful for small lots under 600 square metres
• provide simple solutions and proactive advice on your home’s orientation, cooling your home through shade and natural breezes and enjoying your outdoor space
• cover other climate considerations, including housing materials.

Your backyard and outdoor spaces guideline

Use the Your backyard and outdoor spaces guideline(PDF, 49MB) to:

• design functional and comfortable outdoors spaces including your backyard, front  yards and small gardens
• create green amenity surrounding houses and contribute to the cooling effect of your home through natural vegetation
• provide simple tips on fruit and vegetable gardens, composting and worm farms, water saving and storage
• contribute to your local ‘naturehood’ through garden plant recommendations specific to Moreton Bay.

The guidelines have been awarded a commendation in the Australian Urban Design Awards 2022, a Queensland Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Award 2022 and two PIA Award commendations.