Article #5

Just saw this article in the Age. Thought it is pretty indicative of the way the residential planning and design is heading. Although I think it will be hard to change the perception of bigger is better, promotions of ‘smart’ houses like this can only help. Also good to see that the architects chosen will be local Victorians.

Full Article:
Call to end 'housing obesity'
BIGGER is not better, says Planning Minister Justin Madden, who has announced an architectural design competition to stop "housing obesity''.Up to four Victorian architects will be recruited to design "homes of the future'', Mr Madden said.They will be paid a fee of $25,000 to prepare designs for two homes. Each time a house is built using the designs, a royalty of 0.5 per cent of construction costs will be paid.The Planning Minister wants developers to start building better small houses, to put an end to the McMansion."Our increasing affluence has led us to build bigger and bigger houses — we are suffering from housing obesity,'' Mr Madden told urban planners at the Metropolitan Planning Summit yesterday.With government development agency VicUrban, the State Government will today launch a design competition asking architects to provide environmentally sensitive housing designs, to be built by VicUrban and the private sector."Rather than a bigger house, we want to see a better house,'' he said. "We want people to walk into a display house and say 'This house isn't as big as the one down the road, but it's better'.''The four winning architects will be paid a fee of $25,000 to prepare designs for two homes. Each time a house is built using the designs, a royalty of 0.5 per cent of construction costs will be paid.