Specialists In Swimming Pools & Landscape Designs On Slopes & Large Acreage Blocks
Landscape Design +
Project Management
Class 2 Landscape Documentation for Apartment & Multi‑Level Residential DAs
Consultant-Led Landscape Plans for Class 2 Apartment and Multi-Level Residential DAs
We work within Class 2 apartment and multi‑level residential Development Applications, where landscape scope sits directly between architecture, civil engineering, planning and assessment.
In apartment developments, the pressure is not the landscape itself, but the interfaces. Key interfaces such as podium edges, ground planes, access points, deep soil zones, levels and boundaries attract close scrutiny during assessment. When these are not aligned across the DA set, RFIs, clarification requests and redesign often follow.
Our role is to provide clear, proportionate landscape documentation that aligns with the broader consultant team and allows apartment developments to be assessed as a coherent whole.
Class 2 apartment developments are not townhouse projects scaled up
Class 2 apartment developments operate under a very different assessment reality to low‑density or townhouse projects.
Multi‑level residential buildings introduce podium structures, basements, shared access conditions and constrained deep soil zones that must align precisely with civil levels, building structure and fire strategy. Landscape documentation that is treated as a scaled‑up residential package is often where misalignment becomes visible.
Issues such as podium landscapes drawn without resolved levels, deep soil areas shown where structure or services dominate, and boundary treatments interpreted differently across drawings typically emerge during assessment rather than design, triggering RFIs, delays and post‑approval redesign.
Why coordination at the landscape level matters in Class 2 apartment DAs
In apartment developments, landscape documentation is reviewed alongside architectural, civil and traffic drawings. Where information is unclear or inconsistent, assessment officers must seek clarification.
From experience, coordination issues most commonly arise when external works are:
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Difficult to read alongside civil and traffic plans, particularly at access points and servicing zones
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Misaligned across levels, where landscape, civil and architectural drawings do not resolve the same vertical information
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Interpreted differently across consultants, creating uncertainty during assessment
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Over‑ or under‑represented relative to the scale of the apartment development, leading to unnecessary conditions
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Unresolved at boundaries and podium interfaces, where planning controls and operational needs overlap
Our approach resolves these issues early so the Development Application reads as a coordinated set. This reduces RFIs, assessment delays and later redesign cycles.
How we approach landscape documentation for multi‑level residential projects
We treat landscape scope as part of the overall site system, not as an isolated design layer.
For Class 2 apartment and multi‑level residential developments, our focus is on assessment readability and consistent interpretation by both peer consultants and council reviewers. We prioritise legible site structure, clear interfaces between landscape, civil and architecture, and a level of detail proportionate to the development.
The objective is documentation that can be read quickly and consistently, without needing assumptions or cross‑checking between drawings. Alignment across the DA set matters more than visual emphasis.
Landscape documentation within the Development Application
At DA stage, landscape documentation supports assessment by explaining how the apartment development functions externally.
This includes how residents and visitors move through the site, how shared outdoor areas relate to built form, and how the development interfaces with adjoining properties. For multi‑level residential and apartment developments, clarity at the ground plane and podium level is critical.
Our focus is on showing enough, clearly enough, so intent can be assessed without over‑specification or ambiguity.
Post‑approval and certification stages
Following DA approval, landscape documentation often requires refinement to respond to conditions, updated consultant inputs or certification requirements.
Where we remain involved, our role is to maintain continuity between the approved DA drawings and subsequent documentation, including certification stages. The emphasis shifts from understanding to verification and alignment, ensuring changes to civil, access or fire strategy do not unintentionally alter approved external works.
Projects with strong DA‑stage coordination typically move through certification with fewer clarifications and less rework.
Working alongside the consultant team
We work closely with architects, civil engineers, traffic consultants, planners and project managers on Class 2 apartment developments.
Our documentation is prepared with peer review and council scrutiny in mind, recognising that drawings are tested from multiple directions, not only by assessment officers.
Breakdowns in apartment DAs most often occur due to timing gaps between disciplines, undocumented assumptions or unclear scope boundaries. Our role is to reduce this friction and provide a steady point of coordination throughout the Development Application process.
Examples of where this approach adds value
This approach is particularly effective on apartment developments where:
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Ground‑plane and podium interfaces are tightly constrained
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Deep soil requirements compete with structure and services
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Basement access and servicing dominate the site layout
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Boundaries interface closely with neighbouring residential uses
In these contexts, value comes from proportion, clarity and coordination, helping avoid RFIs, assessment delays and post‑approval redesign. All documentation is prepared to withstand peer and council review.
Frequently asked questions
When is landscape documentation required for Class 2 apartment developments?
Landscape documentation is typically required wherever external works form part of what is being assessed. In Class 2 apartment and multi‑level residential developments, this almost always includes ground‑plane layouts, podium interfaces, access conditions and shared outdoor areas.
How does landscape documentation support DA assessment for apartment developments?
Its primary role is to make the external environment legible. Clear drawings help assessment officers understand how the apartment development functions externally and how landscape, civil and architectural elements align, reducing the need for clarification.
What needs to be included in a Class 2 landscape plan for DA in NSW?
A Class 2 DA landscape plan needs to clearly show how external works integrate with built form, access, levels and boundaries. The emphasis is on coordination and readability rather than decorative detail, supporting consistent interpretation during NSW planning assessment.
Do landscape plans need to show deep soil zones for NSW apartment DAs?
Where deep soil is part of the proposal or assessment framework, it needs to be shown clearly and in coordination with structure, services and levels. The role of landscape documentation is to make this relationship legible, rather than to resolve detailed technical compliance.
How does this differ from landscape work on large civic or public‑realm projects?
Large civic projects prioritise public realm outcomes and design narrative. Class 2 apartment developments require a measured, functional response, focused on site operation, access, structure and assessment clarity.
Related development support services
This work commonly sits alongside:
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DA landscape amendments and clarification support
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Constraint‑specific landscape documentation for bushfire‑prone sites, flood‑affected land and heritage‑affected apartment developments
NSW-wide service area
We provide landscape documentation and coordination support for Class 2 apartment and multi‑level residential developments across NSW, working with consultant teams in metropolitan, regional and growth‑area contexts.