# Compact Luxury 92
## Concept and factory coordination brief

**DollarBuild · Concept 01 · 28 September 2026**

**Concept design only. Not for approval, manufacture or construction.**

This brief records the design intent for a compact single-storey home in Melbourne. Its first setting is a new home behind an existing dwelling. A later adaptation may use the same design family for four independent homes. Neither setting is an approved development.

## 1. The living brief

Create the calm and proportion of a larger home within a considered envelope:

- Two bedrooms, including a principal bedroom with its own ensuite.
- A second bathroom entered from common circulation, screened from the dining area where practical.
- One generous lounge, dining and kitchen space, with furniture and circulation resolved together.
- A study niche borrowing a transition space without obstructing the passage. It is not a third bedroom.
- An electric feature fireplace as the lounge focal point. Whole-home heating and cooling are a separate design scope.
- A target finished floor-to-ceiling height of 2.7 m in the principal living spaces.
- Direct connection from the social room to usable private outdoor space.
- A garage with separate external access; no internal garage-to-home door is assumed.

The three interior variants use the same residential shell and front-elevation concept. Their purpose is to compare living priorities, not to claim a verified sale-price premium. Select the preferred layout after testing furniture, storage, privacy, natural light and the real site.

## 2. Area basis

| Item | Basis | Concept area |
|---|---|---:|
| Main residential rectangle | 11 × 7.5 m | 82.50 m² |
| Forward side wing | 3.1 × 2.8 m | 8.68 m² |
| Residential outer envelope | Main rectangle + wing; fully enclosed gross envelope | 91.18 m² |
| Garage clear internal floor | 3.5 × 6 m | 21.00 m² |
| Garage outer footprint | 3.9 × 6.4 m, assuming 200 mm external walls | 24.96 m² |
| Combined outer envelopes | 91.18 + 24.96 m² | 116.14 m² |

“92” is the product concept name rounded from the residential outer envelope. It is not a claim of 92 m² of internal living space. The new interior study uses the full enclosed L-shaped envelope; it does not retain the earlier inset-porch allowance. An optional timber entry portal/canopy would sit outside the house and is excluded from the combined 116.14 m² figure. Internal usable area, wall footprint, external canopy, roof link and statutory floor-area definitions must be scheduled separately in the next design stage. A combined 100–105 m² target would require a smaller residential envelope and/or a different garage arrangement. This version accepts the larger combined envelope to protect the living-room and two-bathroom brief.

## 3. Exterior identity

Maintain a recognisable front composition: garage to the left, a timber-toned entry and a white residential volume. Use vertical cladding, restrained dark window frames and a low-roof expression consistent with the reference design language.

The roof connection between garage and home is a design intention. Coordinate its structural support, drainage, flashing, boundary conditions, fire construction and movement joints. Confirm the actual cladding, glazing, coatings and roof system from product evidence; a render does not nominate a tested construction assembly.

## 4. Site scenarios

### Rear-yard addition — first priority

The illustrative site is 18 × 32 m, or 576 m². An existing 10 × 8 m front house is a placeholder that must be replaced by a survey. A straight driveway study uses 3–3.5 m width. The new garage is proposed beside the left boundary, subject to actual boundary and construction requirements.

The new home's side private outdoor space is illustrated as 3.1 × 11.3 m. A rear easement is assumed to abut the rear fence and be 1 m wide, with a further 1 m building-clearance strip. That clearance is a concept input, not a universal easement rule. Confirm the title, asset location, authority requirements and any permission needed for works nearby.

The retained house's parking, windows, private open space, roof, services and everyday access remain part of the overall site design. Movement arrows are not a vehicle swept-path assessment. Driveway width alone cannot establish garage access or eliminate a traffic review.

### Future four-home adaptation

The illustrative four-home study uses an approximately 18 × 56.67 m site. It tests repeated envelopes, detached dwellings and paired garages. It does not establish four-dwelling approval or separately saleable titles. Rework entries, garage interfaces, tree allocation, private outdoor spaces, services and orientation for the whole development.

## 5. Building and planning pathway

At approximately 92 m², this proposed full second dwelling is not configured as Victoria's small second dwelling of 60 m² or less. The retained-home scenario needs an address-specific planning and building pathway. The Townhouse and Low-Rise Code applies to relevant two-or-more-dwelling developments in residential zones. [1, 2]

The relevant building surveyor must confirm the applicable NCC edition, Victorian provisions and any transition eligibility. Victorian Government guidance describes NCC 2025 commencement on 1 May 2026. This concept makes no NCC-compliance claim. [4]

Keep planning garden area, private open space, permeable area and tree-canopy calculations separate. A measured room schedule also does not establish compliance for doorways, accessible circulation, ventilation, waterproofing, fire construction or escape routes.

## 6. Factory and Australian delivery coordination

| Package | Information required before production release |
|---|---|
| Survey and setting-out | Surveyed boundaries, levels, easements, services, setbacks and one agreed datum |
| Coordinated drawings | Controlled architectural, structural and services drawings with a consistent revision register |
| Structure | Engineer-designed load paths, bracing, footings, transport loads, lifting points and connection tolerances |
| Openings and joinery | Numbered opening schedule, clear sizes, glazing specification, hardware, appliance clearances and maintenance access |
| Wet areas | Agreed waterproofing system, falls, thresholds, penetrations, drainage, ventilation and inspection hold points |
| Building envelope | Cladding, cavity, membranes, insulation, window installation, flashings, airtightness and condensation strategy |
| Services | Electrical supply, hot water, heating/cooling, exhaust, sewer and stormwater connections, accessible isolation and maintenance zones |
| Materials and products | Australian evidence of suitability, applicable electrical/plumbing conformity and drinking-water product requirements |
| Garage and roof connection | Boundary-wall/fire design, openings, roof support, gutters, flashings and movement joints |
| Transport and lifting | Agreed delivery method, vehicle/load envelope, road route, permissions, overhead obstructions, crane reach and ground bearing |
| Inspections | Relevant building surveyor's agreed off-site and on-site inspection programme before work is concealed |
| Handover | Approved records, as-builts, commissioning, manuals, warranty boundaries and defects procedure |

A 3–3.5 m residential driveway does not establish access for a truck, a finished module or a crane. Compare panel/material kits, complete modules and local assembly after a route and site-lifting study. [5]

Factory photographs and overseas certificates do not automatically replace Australian evidence or the project inspection programme. Agree inspection requirements with the relevant building surveyor before manufacturing and concealment. [8]

## 7. Release sequence

1. **Concept agreed:** confirm the selected plan, area basis, exterior language and priorities.
2. **Site coordinated:** resolve the measured site, approval pathway, access, services, consultant design and delivery method.
3. **Production released:** issue controlled drawings, specifications, product evidence and inspection hold points.
4. **Installed and verified:** complete connections, required inspections, commissioning and occupancy documentation.

This sequence is a proposed coordination framework, not an advertised programme or contractual promise.

## 8. References and use of images

Guidance checked 28 September 2026. Consult the accompanying source register for scope and limitations. Sources explain the pathway; they do not approve this design.

1. [Victorian Government — Small second homes](https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/strategies-and-initiatives/small-second-dwellings)
2. [Victorian Government — Townhouse and Low-Rise Code](https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/guides/all-guides/residential-development/townhouse-and-low-rise-code)
3. [Victorian Government — Using the car parking provisions](https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/guides/planning-practice-notes/using-the-car-parking-provisions)
4. [Victorian Government — Understanding standards and regulations](https://www.building.vic.gov.au/before-you-start-building/building-standards-in-victoria)
5. [National Heavy Vehicle Regulator — Do I need a permit?](https://www.nhvr.gov.au/road-access/access-management/do-i-need-a-permit)
6. [Your Home — Orientation](https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation)
7. [Australian Building Codes Board — Waterproofing in Houses](https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/faq/waterproofing-houses)
8. [Victorian Building Authority — Melbourne building session questions and answers, 2025](https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/189010/VBA-IC-Melbourne-Building-session-Q-and-A.pdf)

Generated images are AI architectural concept renders, not photographs of completed DollarBuild homes. Multi-view images communicate atmosphere and exterior intent; they are not a measured 3D model. Dimensioned concept drawings take precedence for this study's geometry. Coordinated permit and fabrication drawings will supersede the concept at the appropriate project stage.