Apartments can be classified into several types. In North America the typical terms are a studio, efficiency or bachelor apartment (bedsit in the UK). These all tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rents in a given area. This kind of apartment usually consists mainly of a large room which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. There are usually kitchen facilities as part of this central room, but the bathroom is a separate, smaller room.

Moving up from the bachelors/efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments, in which one bedroom is separate from the rest of the apartment. Then there are two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments (Apartments with more than three bedrooms are rare). Small apartments often have only one entrance.

Large apartments often have two entrances, perhaps a door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the building design, the entrance doors may be directly to the outside or to a common area inside, such as a hallway. Depending on location, apartments may be available for rent furnishedwith furniture or unfurnished into which a tenant moves in with their own furniture.

A garden apartment complex consists of low-rise apartment buildings built with landscaped grounds surrounding them.[1] The apartment buildings are often arranged around courtyards that are open at one end. A garden apartment has some characteristics of a townhouse: each apartment has its own building entrance, or just a few apartments share a small foyer or stairwell at each building entrance. Unlike a townhouse, each apartment occupies only one level. Modern garden apartment buildings are almost never more than three stories high, since they typically don't have elevators/lifts. However, the first "garden apartment" buildings in the United States, developed in the early 20th century, were five stories high.[2][3] Some garden apartment buildings place a one-car garage under each apartment. The grounds are more landscaped than for other modestly scaled apartments.

Another definition of "garden apartment" is a unit built half below grade or at ground level.[4] The implication is that there is a view or direct access to a garden from the apartment, but this is not necessarily the case.

Laundry facilities may be found in a common area accessible to all the tenants in the building, or each apartment may have its own facilities. Depending on when the building was built and the design of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and electricity may be common for all the apartments in the building or separate for each apartment and billed separately to each tenant (however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal to split a water bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the premises). Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always billed separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar amenities are extra also. Parking space(s), air conditioner, and extra storage space may or may not be included with an apartment. Rental leases often limit the maximum number of people who can reside in each apartment. On or around the ground floor of the apartment building, a series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location accessible to the public and, thus, to the mail carrier too. Every unit typically gets its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large apartment buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and provide mail-

sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a doorbell) for each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such as two- or three-flats, or even four-flats, rubbish is often disposed of in trash containers similar to those used at houses. In larger buildings, rubbish is often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster. For cleanliness or minimizing noise, many lessors will place restrictions on tenants regarding keepingpets in an apartment.

In some parts of the world, the word apartment refers to a new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a building, whereas the word flat means a converted self-contained unit in an older building. An industrial, warehouse, or commercial space converted to an apartment is commonly called a loft, although some modern lofts are built by design. An apartment consisting of the top floor of a high apartment building can be called a penthouse.

When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's family member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny flat, though these (sometimes illegally) created units are often occupied by ordinary renters rather than family members. In Canada these suites are commonly located in the basements of houses and are therefore normally called basement suites or "mother-in-law suites."

A maisonette is an apartment with more than one floor.

In Milwaukee vernacular architecture, a Polish flat is an existing small house or cottage that has been lifted up to accommodate the creation of a new basement floor housing a separate apartment, then set down again; thus becoming a modest two-story flat.[5]

In Russia, a communal apartment («коммуналка») is a room with a shared kitchen and bath. A typical arrangement is a cluster of five or so room-apartments with a common kitchen and bathroom and separate front doors, occupying a floor in a pre-Revolutionary mansion. Traditionally a room is owned by the government and assigned to a family on a semi-permanent basis.

An apartment (in American English) or flat (common in British English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies only part of a building. Such a building may be called an apartment building, apartment house (in American English), block of flats, tower block, high-rise or, occasionally mansion block (in British English), especially if it consists of many apartments for rent. Apartments may be owned by anowner/occupier by leasehold tenure or rented by tenants (two types of housing tenure).

The term apartment is favored in North America (although flat is used in the case of a unit which is part of a house containing two or three units, typically one to a floor), whereas the term flat is commonly, but not exclusively, used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong and mostCommonwealth nations.

In Malaysian English, flat often denotes a housing block of lesser quality meant for lower-income groups, while apartment is more generic and may also include luxury condominiums.

In Australian English, the term flat was traditionally used, but the term apartment is also frequently used, as is "unit", short for "home unit".

Tenement law refers to the feudal basis of permanent property such as land or rents. It may be found combined as in "Messuage or Tenement" to encompass all the land, buildings and other assets of a property.

In the US, some apartment-dwellers own their own apartments, either as co-ops, in which the residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development; or in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments and share ownership of the public spaces. Most apartments are in buildings designed for the purpose, but large older houses are sometimes divided into apartments. The word apartment connotes a residential unit or section in a building. In some locations, particularly the United States, the word denotes a rental unit owned by the building owner, and is not typically used for a condominium.

In the UK, some flat owners own shares in the company that owns the freehold of the building as well as holding the flat under a lease. This is commonly known as a "share of freehold" flat. The freehold company has the right to collect annual ground rents from each of the flat owners in the building. The freeholder can also develop or sell the building, subject to the usual planning and restrictions that might apply.

In some countries the word unit is a more general term referring to both apartments and rental business suites. The word is generally used only in the context of a specific building; e.g., "This building has three units" or "I'm going to rent a unit in this building", but not "I'm going to rent a unit somewhere." In Australia, a unit refers to flats, apartments or even semi-detached houses. Some buildings can be characterized as mixed use buildings, meaning part of the building is for commercial, business, or office use, usually on the first floor or first couple of floors, and there are one or more apartments in the rest of the building, usually on the upper floors.

ApartmentLayout  A p a r t m e n t   l a y o u t   d e s i g n   a n d   c o n f i g u r a t i o n   i s   a fundamental elementinmaking residential apartments livable.The internal layout of an apartment determines:Socialandspatialrelationships between rooms.Socialandspatialrelationships between the apartment·s inhabitants.Qualityof residential amenity, Accessto natural light and ventilation,

Levelof acoustic and visual privacy

DesignGuidelines: Apartment Layout Ability to accommodatealternative furniturelayouts.Providing for arangeof activities andprivacy levelsbetween rooms.Efficientcirculation planningto ensure room sizes are maximised. Avoid locating the kitchen as part of theprimary circulation space i.e. at thepoint of entry.Ensureadequate storage spacewithin every apartment.Orientingmain living spacest o t h e o u t l o o k a n d p r i m a r y a s p e c t a n d a w a y from neighboring sources of noise or view.Providingprivate open spacef o r e v e r y a p a r t m e n t i n t h e f o r m o f b a l c o n i e s , terraces, courtyards or gardens

Locating allhabitable rooms, and where possible kitchens and bathrooms, ontheoutside wallso f t h e b u i l d i n g t o e n s u r e e a c h c a n b e s e r v i c e d b y a w i n d o w providing natural light and ventilation.

DesignGuidelines: Services DesignCo-ordinate thelocation of piped servicess u c h a s w a t e r a n d g a s s u p p l y a n d w a s t e w a t e r   r e m o v a l :   w i t h i n   t h e   a p a r t m e n t ;   a c r o s s   t h e   b u i l d i n g   f l o o r  p l a n ; and vertically through the building.Design services to minimise anyacoustic transmission.D e s i g n   s e r v i c e s   t o   e n s u r e   t h e y   d o   n o t   c o m p r o m i s e v i s u a l  a m e n i t y orpresentation of the building.P l a n a p a r t m e n t s w i t h i n t h e b u i l d i n g s o t h a t s e r v i c e a r e a s a r e a d j a c e n t t o one another. This promotes aco-ordinated service designand limits the effectof noise from services on adjacent apartments.Insulate pipesfor acoustic privacy.Locatewastewater stacks adjacent to non-habitable rooms to further reducethe impact of any pipe noises.

Internal CirculationInternal circulationin an apartment building refers to the spaces that providea c c e s s   t o   a p a r t m e n t s .   T h e s e   i n c l u d e l o b b i e s ,   c o r r i d o r s ,   l i f t s   a n d   s t a i r s . T h e location, proportion, extent and frequency of these elements will have a directimpact on the form, layout and articulation of the building

DesignGuidelines: Internal CirculationPromoteaccessibility, amenity and safetyfor all users of circulation spaces.Providegenerous corridor widthsand ceiling heights, particularly in pausingplaces such as lobbies outside lifts and apartment entry doors. Avoidl o n g c o r r i d o r s a n d e n s u r e s h o r t c l e a r s i g h t l i n e s . Where unavoidable,articulate longer corridors with regularly spaced foyers and the use of naturalday lighting. Avoidtight corners.I n b u i l d i n g s w h e r e n o l i f t i s p r o v i d e d , use accessible stair designwith lowerrise to tread ratiosto facilitate access by the elderly or mobility impaired.Ensurea p p r o p r i a t e   l e v e l s   o f   l i g h t i n g ,   u s i n g   n a t u r a l   d a y   l i g h t i n g  w h e r e possible.Ensureadequate ventilation, using natural ventilation where possibleBuildingAppearanceThebuilding facadei s t h e e x t e r n a l f a c e o f t h e b u i l d i n g a n d h a s a n i m p o r t a n t role to play as part of theinterfacebetween private and public domains.T h e   a r c h i t e c t u r a l   d e s i g n   o f   t h e   f a c a d e   s h o u l d  c o n t r i b u t e   t o   t h e q u a l i t y   o f   public spacesw h i l s t   r e f l e c t i n g   t h e   u s e ,   i n t e r n a l   d e s ig n   a n d   s t r u c t u r e   o f   t h e building.E  xpression of the balcony as a separate element gives the facade of the building definition and variation.

T h e r e p e t i t i o n o f e l e m e n t s , i n t h is c a s e b a l c o n i e s a n d e x t e r n a l m e t a l   b li n d s , c a n b e d e s i g n e d t o c r e a t e r h y th m s a n d p a t t e r n s w h i c h e n h a n c e t h e b u i l d i n g f a c a d eF e n e s t r a t i o n d e s i g n p r o v i d e s o v e r l o o k i n g to t h e s t r e e t a n d a l s o c r e a t e s a n i n t e r e s t i n g   facadecomposi t ion .

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ariation in how balconies are expressed through use of materials and balustrade types can add visual depth to a facade.DesignGuidelines:Building Appearance Varyingfenestration sizea n d d e s i g n t o r e l a t e t o t h e f u n c t i o n a l u s e o f t h e room beyond provides a more interesting and legible building e.g. differentsized windows for bathrooms and living rooms.Recessed elementss u c h   a s   b a l c o n i e s   a n d   d e e p   s e t   w i n d o w s   c a n  c r e a t e shadow lines that afford visual depth to the facade.T h e u s e o f   environmental controlss u c h   a s   b r i s e s o l e i l ,   s c r e e n s   a n d   l i g h t shelves which further articulate the facade.T h e   c o - o r d i n a t i o n   a n d   i n t e g r a t i o n   o f   b u i l d i n g   s e r v i c e s ,   s u c h   a s drainagepipes and ventilation ducts, into the overall facade and balcony design.Thec o - o r d i n a t i o n   a n d   i n t e g r a t i o n o f   s e c u r i t y   g r i l l e s   a n d   s c r e e n s  a n d garage entry doors, into the overall facade and balcony design.

O r g a n i s e   t h e overall proportionso f   t h e   b u i l d i n g   i n t o   a   w e l l  b a l a n c e d composition before organising into smaller units

DesignGuidelines: Roof DesignMinimising the appearance of large buildings by breaking down the massing tominimise apparent bulkor to relate to existing finer grained context.C o n s i d e r t h e r o o f d e s i g n i n t e r m s o f t h e orientation and micro-climateo f t h e site. For example, extended eaves may provide sun shading to north-facing wallswhile roof design may provide additional weathering protection around openingsin exposed or coastal locations.Consider incorporatingservice elementsinto the roof design to minimise theirv i s u a l   i m p a c t .   T h e s e   m a y   i n c l u d e :   l i f t   o v e r - r u n s ,   s e r v i c e  p l a n t s ,   c h i m n e y s , telecommunicationsaerials, vent  stacks, signage, downpipes and gutterAcousticPrivacy  A c o u s t i c   p r i v a c y   i s   t h e   m i n i m i s a t i o n   o f   sound transmissionb o t h  b e t w e e n a p a r t m e n t s a n d b e t w e e n e x t e r n a l a n d i n t e r n a l s p a c e s . D e s i g n i n g f o r a c o u s t i c p r i v a c y   r e l i e s   o n   a combinationo f   t h e   l a y o u t   o f   r o o m s   a n d  t h e   l o c a t i o n , separation and configuration of buildings

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i n i m i s a t i o n   o f   s o u n d   t r a n s m i s s i o n   s h o u l d   b e   c o n s i d e r e d   w h e n arranging layouts of apartments. Ensure that power points are notback to back as they transmit sound between unitDesignGuidelines: AcousticPrivacyGroupnoisier roomsn e x t   t o   o n e   a n o t h e r   w h i l s t   g r o u p i n g   q u i e t e r   r o o m s further away.Utilisestorage and circulation spaces to createbuffersto noise from otherapartments, building services or common areas.Used e s i g n   t e c h n o l o g i e s   a n d   t e c h n i q u e s t o   r e c o n c i l e   c o n f l i c t s   b e t w e e n n o i s e , o u t l o o k a n d v i e w s s u c h a s Double Glazing,enclosed balconieswithoperable screens etc.Daylight AccessNatural daylightis an important aspect of apartment design because it reducesthe need for artificial light, thereby increasing energy efficiency and residentiala m e n i t y .   D a y l i g h t   c o m p r i s e s   b o t h skylight( d i f f u s e   l i g h t   f r o m   t h e  s k y ) ,   a n d sunlight(direct beam radiation from the sun

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he use of clerestory windows and appropriate internal shading mechanisms allows control of the amount of daylight entering theapartmentDesignGuidelines: Daylight AccessEnsurec o m m u n a l   o p e n   s p a c e r e c e i v e s   d i r e c t   d a y l i g h t   d u r i n g  w i n t e r months and provides adequate shading during the summer season.Promotedouble height spacesi n g r o u n d f l o o r a p a r t m e n t s o r a r e a s w h e r e daylight access is limited, to assist daylight penetration into living areas andprivate  open spaces.Manageglareand provide shading during summer months through the useof:Environmental controls such aseaves, canopies, balconies, louvred screensand planting.T h e u s e o f   light wellsas a primary source of daylight should be restricted tonon-habitable rooms only.Natural VentilationN a t u r a l   v e n t i l a t i o n   i s   a n   i m p o r t a n t   a s p e c t   o f   a p a r t m e n t   d e s i g n   b e c a u s e  i t e n s u r e s a regular exchangeo f f r e s h a i r w h i c h i s e s s e n t i a l f o r m a i n t a i n i n g a c o m f o r t a b l e   l i v i n g   e n v i r o n m e n t .   T h e o r i e n t a t i o n ,  c o n f i g u r a t i o n   a n d articulationo f t h e b u i l d i n g e n v e l o p e o f b o t h t h e b u i l d i n g a n d

e a c h a p a r t m e n t m u s t   b e   c o n s i d e r e d   i f   a d e q u a t e   n a t u r a l   v e n t i l a t i o n   i s   t o   b e  a c h i e v e d .   G o o d design which achieves appropriate natural ventilation in apartment units andb u i l d i n g s   w i l l   e l i m i n a t e   t h e   n e e d   f o r   m e c h a n i c a l  v e n t i l a t i o n   a n d   a i r conditioning.U se of louvers on balconies to giveoccupants control of air flow anddaylight.

DesignGuidelines: Natural Ventilation

Considers i t i n g   a n d   l a y o u t o f   t h e   b u i l d i n g   t o   d i r e c t   a n d   e x p l o i t  n a t u r a l b r e e z e s .   S i t e   a n a l y s i s   s h o u l d   h a v e   e s t a b l i s h e d   t h e   d i r e c t i o n   o f  p r e v a i l i n g breezes.Building depths that can achieve effective natural ventilation are generallylimited to between10 and 18 metres.P o s i t i o n i n g   s m a l l   w i n d o w s   o n w i n d w a r d   w a l l s a n d   l a r g e r   w i n d o w s  o n leeward walls, creates apressure differentialwhich will draw air through thebuilding.

L o c a t e   r o o m s   w i t h   s i m i l a r   u s e s   t o g e t h e r   s o   t h a t   a n   a p a r t m e n t  c a n   b e compartmentalised for greater efficiency in winter heating or summer coolinge.g.plan living rooms together and bedrooms together .T h e   d e s i g n   o f   d o o r s   a n d   w i n d o w s   c a n   o p t i m i s e   o p p o r t u n i t i e s   f o r  n a t u r a l ventilationMaterialsT h e c h o i c e o f m a t e r i a l s u s e d b o t h internally and externallyi n a n a p a r t m e n t project will affect the appearance of the development and how well it performsand endures over time.T h e j u n c t i o n s b e t w e e n m a t e r i a l s n e e d t ob e c a r e f u l l y d e t a i l e d t o e n s u r e t h e i n t e gr i t y a n d   d u r a b i l i t y o f b o t h m a t e r i a l s .T h e c h o i c e o f m a t e r i a l s w h en d e s i g n i n g i n fi l l b u i l d i n g s s h o u l d   r e fl e ct t h e e x i s t i n g c h a r a c t e r o f   a d j a c e nt b u i l d i n g s . P r i m a r y   e l e m e n t s s uc h a s c o n c r e t e c a n b e c o m b i n e d w i t h g l a s sa n d o t h e r   materials.

DesignGuidelines : Materials

Chooseenduring materialst h a t   a r e   e a s y   t o   m a i n t a i n   a n d   r e t a i n  t h e i r appearance over time.Choose materials that arefit for purposee.g. exterior tiles that are exposedto the elements should be non-slip.C o n s i d e r t h e u s e o f   local materialst h a t   r e f l e c t   t h e   l o c a l   e n v i r o n m e n t   a n d character.C o n s i d e r   t h e   u s e   o f   different materialst o   b r e a k   d o w n   t h e s c a l e   o f  l a r g e buildings.When using acombination of materials, consider how one will affect anotherand detail appropriately to avoidunsightly reactionsDesignGuidelines:BalconiesBe of sufficient size and shape to accommodate outdoor furniture i.e. tablea n d   c h a i r s   a n d   t h e r e b y   e n c o u r a g e   i n d o o r / o u t d o o r   l i v i n g . M i n i m u m  2 . 5 m depth.Consider balcony design in terms of the local context and climate.C h o o s e   b a l c o n y   t y p o l o g y   ²   c a n t i l e v e r e d ,   r e c e s s e d   o r   s e m i - r e c e s s e d ² inresponse to daylight, wind acoustic and visual privacy.Ensure balcony design preventsdirect sightlinesi n t o t h e a p a r t m e n t f r o m the street and neighboring residences.Consider theproportions of the screening provided. It should be designed toc o n c e a l   a   p e r s o n   s e a t e d   l o o k i n g   a t   t h e   v i e w ,   c l o t h e s   d r y i n g ,   o r  s t o r a g e   o f   materials etc.Connecting Pathways and EntrancesDevelopments are encouraged to facilitate pedestrian and cyclistmovement across and through the site for residents of all ages andabilities through provision of lit pathways with a minimum width of1200mm connecting buildings, facilities and services at grade andminimum 2.5m wide where adjacent to high-rise building entrancesor at intersections.Entrances to buildings and ground level individual dwellingsshould remain visible from the public realm, close to carparking, illuminated, with weather protection and allowing forpersonalisation of approaches by landscaping, window boxes etcwhere they serve a separate dwelling at ground level.Vehicular and pedestrian movement where practicable shouldbe separate at entries to the site and ground level entrances todwellings and/or apartment buildings. Pathways should be integratedwith landscaping and provide lighting to the appropriate AustralianStandard for priority pedestrian routes.Car Parking and TransportIn suburban areas car ownership is high and for house renters a car isoften the resident’s most valuable asset, so both shelter and securityfor the cars is crucial. However the provision of secure parking onlarger residential sites has proved both problematic and expensive toprovide.It is anticipated that in inner city areas and where public transportand community facilities are readily available, car parkingrequirements can be reduced.In the State 30 Year Plan for Greater Adelaide proposals for TransitOrientated Developments (TODS) reinforce a strong relationshipbetween the availability of good

public transport and increaseddensity of residential development and reduce the need for carparking requirements. Active Frontages, high density housing, CanberraSource: Wendy BellHigh density housing and  pathways Freiburg Germany Source: Wendy BellCycle parking in urban renewal,Tubingen, Germany Source: Wendy BellSafety and SecurityThe amount of semi-public areas should be minimised, especially inhigher-density development.Ensure security by providing:• well-defined entrances to clearly demarcate public and privatespace• enable casual surveillance of ground-level open spaces and playareas from ground level residential, commercial and retail usesand upper level dwellingprovide ‘residents only’ semi-private open spaces (including playareas) with secure access from public space• activate all building frontages along adjoining streets and alonginternal roads whether publicly or privately owned by locatingentrances to groups or units• provide ground level access to lifts with visibility of the lift doorsfrom the entrance• ensure appropriate levels of lighting (including solar lighting)throughout the site.  

16© Crown CopyrightGovernment of South AustraliaHousing Design GuidelinesValid until 1 May 201211.3 APARTMENT DESIGNInternal CirculationAllow for generous, well designed staircases with views of (or opento) access corridors and the external environment to encourageincreased activity as a desirable and pleasant alternative to usinglifts.Corridors, stairs and lifts should be wide enough to move largefurniture items to apartments.Core circulation spaces to serve groups of dwellings on eachfloorwith a maximum of 8-12 units on each level.Character and Sense of PlaceProvide for frequent encounters amongst residents by widening ofpathways, corridors and lobbies at entrances to units and wherepaths intersect or approach units at ground level.All buildings to maximise active frontages at ground level, withregularly spaced entrances to groups of units in high-rise buildingsand for all dwellings at ground level facing pedestrian routes andinternal roads and external streets.FeaturesProvide attractive community focal points such as semi-privatecentral open space focusing on existing character trees or newtree(s) on the site.Facilitate arts, cultural and education projects that bring residentstogether and provide opportunities for artistic and culturalexpressionOpen Spaces and Meeting PlacesProvide a variety of on-site internal and external community meetingspaces (including storage spaces) that are accessible to all residentsregardless of age and ability:• in large mixed tenure developments provide community liaisonstaff on-site or serving a number of sites to support residents anddevelop activity programs to facilitate resident interaction andinclude a multi-purpose room with toilet and kitchenette to allowat any one time for 40% of the estimated adult population• provide communal gathering spaces on every otherfloor in high-rise buildings near lifts and stairs with seating and storage• locate places for children’s play away from car parking areas andmain streets and with visibility from windows of dwellings, butavoid designated playgrounds but provide facilities and equipmentor spaces which children can use between buildings• provide areas for play for children of all ages focussing onexperiential elements rather than play equipment, located closeto larger dwellings at ground level• provide meaningful, age appropriate play and recreational openspace by the location of public/communal and semi-public spacesclose to entrances at ground level, children’s play areas andgeneral open space for semi-private use• meaningful communal/public open space may be at groundlevel, roof top or on terraces for the use of residents and guestsand include playgrounds, shaded seating adjacent to widenedwalkways, and central courtyards and small parks, but

excludeshard landscaping at entrances, and should be in addition to the12.5% public open space provision or levy paymentNoise AttenuationIncorporate noise attenuation measures such as:• double-glazed windows• sealed doorways• under-balcony sound-absorbing materials, and• wall and ceiling insulation which exceeds BCA requirements wherethere is a risk of nuisance from noise. 23© Crown CopyrightGovernment of South AustraliaHousing Design GuidelinesValid until 1 May 201211.3 APARTMENT DESIGNWater Ef ficiencyDesigns should comply with the Department of Planning and LocalGovernment’s Policy Library relating to water sensitive urban designas follows:• use water-efficientfixtures and appliances• provide green spaces to receive and utilise stormwater run-off• use permeable paving (incorporating water storage wherepossible)• rain water storage and re-use• water features utilising stormwater• recovery and recycling of stormwater on site for irrigation oflandscaping and use within units where appropriate.Energy Ef ficiencyApartments must be designed and set out with dual aspect withopenable external windows, and doors to balconies to facilitatecross-ventilation of indoor environments.• provide standard sizes, materials and components and avoidimportedfittings such as lights for which globes are difficult tosource or have high energy use• passive design of dwellings by orientation of living areas to thenorth for winter sun and shading of northern and western windowsin summer; and sufficient thermal mass in external walls to limituse of air-conditioners and mechanical heating

Balconies and Private Open SpaceFor apartments and walk upflats, balconies may enhance amenityor comprise the only available private open space. The balconyrepresents the only external usable space for upper level units.Balconies are not normally provided off sleeping accommodation.Exceptions may be required to include particular outlooks, crossflowbreezes and other environmental or locality circumstances and inbedsit accommodation.Balcony areas can be included in private open space in accordancewith planning locality guidelinesMinimum balcony space for apartment projects.