Edward Project- Multi‑Dwelling DA Landscape Design

Project Overview

This project involved landscape documentation for a five‑townhouse residential development within Charlestown.

Unlike many residential townhouse projects where landscape design focuses primarily on planting and amenity, this project required balancing multiple planning and technical constraints within a relatively limited site footprint.

The landscape strategy needed to respond to highly reactive clay soils, minimum private open space requirements, waste management, stormwater infrastructure, solar access limitations and deep soil provision while maintaining practical landscape outcomes for future residents.

The project became an exercise in resolving competing site requirements rather than simply allocating planting areas.

Key Design Constraints

The project required coordination of several overlapping challenges:

Highly reactive clay soil conditions influencing plant selection
Five townhouses sharing a constrained site area
Limited locations available for meaningful landscape planting
Long driveway corridor reducing planting opportunities
Stormwater infrastructure influencing deep soil allocation
Waste storage and collection requirements
Reduced solar access across portions of the site
Private Open Space compliance requirements
Conflicting interpretation regarding landscape allocation for one dwelling

Rather than a single dominant constraint, the challenge came from multiple planning requirements interacting with one another simultaneously.

Design Response
1. Landscape Planning Within A Constrained Development Footprint

The proposed development left relatively limited opportunities for landscape planting once buildings, access and servicing requirements were accommodated.

Rather than distributing small landscape pockets throughout the site, the design focused on creating functional planting opportunities capable of delivering meaningful long‑term landscape outcomes.

This helped maximise landscape performance despite the limited available area.

2. Reactive Clay Soil Strategy

Plant selection was influenced by the site's highly reactive clay conditions.

Species were selected with consideration for long‑term performance and suitability within reactive soils, reducing future conflict between vegetation and built infrastructure while improving establishment potential.

This ensured planting decisions were driven by site conditions rather than purely visual outcomes.

3. Stormwater & Permeability Strategy

The site's extended driveway created challenges for both water movement and landscape allocation.

To improve stormwater performance, permeable paving options were explored for sections of the driveway.

This approach provided an opportunity to:

increase permeability
reduce runoff
improve stormwater outcomes
enhance overall landscape merit

while still maintaining practical site access requirements.

4. Deep Soil Zone Assessment

One of the most significant landscape issues arose during review of the proposed stormwater infrastructure.

Following issue of alternative landscape options, additional civil engineering information identified potential impacts associated with the proposed On‑Site Detention (OSD) system and related service corridor locations.

While geometric deep soil calculations could still satisfy numerical targets, the landscape assessment identified that parts of the nominated Deep Soil Zone would be significantly fragmented by infrastructure and no longer function effectively as long‑term canopy tree planting areas.

The project therefore moved beyond simple compliance calculations and considered the practical functionality of the nominated landscape areas.

5. Private Open Space Resolution

The project also involved differing viewpoints regarding the adequacy of private open space allocation for one dwelling.

Rather than limiting the project to a single design response, alternative landscape strategies were prepared to assist the broader consultant team in evaluating different planning outcomes.

This allowed flexibility while maintaining compliance objectives and landscape functionality.

Technical Resolution

Key landscape outcomes included:

Coordination of five townhouse dwellings
Response to highly reactive clay conditions
Deep soil assessment beyond minimum numerical calculations
Integration of stormwater infrastructure with landscape planning
Permeability improvements through driveway design review
Waste management integration
Private Open Space coordination
Multiple design scenarios to assist planning assessment
DA-ready landscape documentation
Outcome

The final landscape strategy provided a coordinated response to multiple competing planning requirements while maintaining practical landscape outcomes for future residents.

Rather than treating landscape design as a compliance exercise alone, the project used planting, permeability, deep soil allocation and site planning to improve the overall functionality of the development.

The outcome demonstrates how landscape documentation can play a critical role in resolving planning constraints where multiple site requirements compete for the same limited space.

Project Insight

Many multi‑dwelling developments do not fail because of a single major issue.

Instead, challenges often emerge where numerous small requirements begin competing for available space.

This project demonstrates how landscape planning can help reconcile deep soil provision, stormwater management, private open space, infrastructure requirements and long‑term planting performance within a constrained development footprint.