Requirements for City of Sydney Council DA / S4.55 / OC models
When is a Model required for City of Sydney Council?
a) Any development that involves changes to the building envelope of the city centre
b) New developments or major alterations and additions costing more than $5 million, or that result in a building over 3 storeys
c) New models are also required for Stage 1 DAs, S4.55 and OC submissions.
For further details related to your application, please contact the City of Sydney Modelling Team: 02 9265 9333 model@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
What scale should the model be made at and what detail should be shown?
A) If the model is a requirement as part of the DA, S4.55 or OC, then a 1:500 model is required to be constructed as per Council regulations and show the following details:
Setbacks, colonnades, balconies, significant fenestration, roof detail, parapets, plant rooms.
City of Sydney DA model for Greenland Centre
City of Sydney DA model for Greenland Centre (fenestration detail)
B) If a model is required as part of a Stage 1 DA submission (competition envelope), a 1:500 massing model is required.*
*There are also instances where additional detail may be required if there are heritage buildings on site; if this is the case, it is best to confirm this directly with Council.
C) If a physical model is not required by Council, but may be of use to the applicant, the model can be made at any scale. For residential houses we suggest 1:200 scale and for larger buildings we recommend 1:200 and 1:500 scale. We suggest producing a model for Council for residential houses for: Controversial designs; Court approvals; S8.2 reviews of refused developments; and for consultations with Council/neighbours where multiple objections are expected.
How much context (surrounding area) should be shown?
Depending on where your site is located, context may or not be required. If it is located within the physical ‘City Model’ at Town Hall, generally no context is required to be submitted and your model only needs to be built out to the survey boundary and have the base modelled to RL0.00.
If your site is located outside of this model the applicant will be required to provide the context of:
100 metres for buildings up to 10 storeys (model will be approximately 600x600mm)
200 metres for buildings over 10 storeys (model will be approximately 1000x1000mm)
The context model is to include all roads with labels, buildings, site address, north point and be painted a pale grey colour. A removable clear protective case is also required. Examples of context models for various sites within the City of Sydney Council are shown below:
Style/Material/colour requirements of the model?
The model must be be of a professional standard and be constructed out of durable materials. The design proposal model is to show all external detail and be painted a solid white colour, the context model (if required) is to show the massing envelopes, topography, roads and be painted a pale grey colour.
Kinkfab specalises in producing high quality DA models for this submission.
What is the cost and turnaround?
Unfortunately its impossible to give you an accurate quote until we have a look at your project and see the context area you would like to show. Pricing factors include:
Size and complexity of the development
Size and complexity of the context area shown
Turnaround is from 2 weeks for the design proposal only, or from 3 weeks if a context model is also required.
What is the best way to represent landscaping and trees and is it required?
Council prefers if landscaping and trees are not shown, as it can often hide the design proposal fenestration at 1:500 scale. Unless landscaping is integral to your project and council have approved that it is ok to include it on your model, landscaping shouldn’t be included. Some examples below of where landscaping/trees were an integral part of the development and were permitted by Council.
What are the benefits of using Kinkfab for your development?
Kinkfab has produced more than 300 models for City of Sydney DA submissions and also are engaged by the City of Sydney to produce models for their own projects. Kinkfab has been specialising in producing highly accurate DA submissions for more than 7 years.
All of our models are constructed to the highest quality and are compliant with City of Sydney Council Model requirements. The quality of models can vary significantly between model making companies, and Council will reject models which are not built to a high standard and meet their strict requirements.
Why is a physical model required? My project is tiny!
A physical model is the best was for Council Planners and neighbours to see the proposed design and its relationship to the surrounding buildings. This is particularly important for developments taller than 3 stories and multi unit complexes. An example shown below of the smallest and largest model we have produced for Council.
Which suburbs require DA models?
All suburbs located within the City of Sydney require physical models if they development meets the parameters as mentioned above.
Suburbs include: Alexandria, Annandale, Barangaroo, Beaconsfield, Camperdown, Centennial Park, Chippendale, Darlinghurst, Darlington, Dawes Point, Elizabeth Bay, Erskineville, Eveleigh, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Haymarket, Millers Point, Moore Park, Newtown, Paddington (part), Potts Point, Pyrmont, Redfern, Rosebery, Rushcutters Bay, St Peters, Surry Hills, Sydney, The Rocks, Ultimo, Waterloo, Woolloomooloo and Zetland.
In addition to this, if your surburb is one of the following, in addition to a detailed model of the design proposal, you may also be required to provide a 100m radius context model: Alexandria, Annandale, Beaconsfield, Camperdown, Centennial Park, Darlington, Elizabeth Bay, Erskineville, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Moore Park, Newtown, Paddington, Potts Point, Pyrmont, Redfern, Rosebery, Rushcutters Bay, St Peters, Surry Hills, Ultimo, Waterloo, Woolloomooloo and Zetland.
Experience matters!
Models which are not constructed in accordance with Councils strict requirements or to a high enough quality, may be rejected by Council, in turn delaying the Development application submission. Kinkfab is suitably qualified and experienced to produce these models, and has produced more than 400 models for City of Sydney DA submissions. A selection of the models we have produced are below:
Please note: The above information should act as a guide only. Kinkfab recommends that you consult directly with Council or your Planner before appointing a model maker.
