What Drawing Standards do Councils Expect for Mixed-Use Buildings?

Mixed-use developments combine residential, commercial and sometimes community uses in one building.

Because they are more complex than single-use projects, councils expect a higher standard of drawings for development application assessment in New South Wales.

At Town Planning Sydney, we prepare clear, accurate and compliant mixed-use drawings that meet NSW planning rules and help secure DA approval.

Here’s what councils typically look for.

1. Accurate, to-scale drawings

Every plan must be drawn to a recognised architectural scale, such as 1:100 for floor plans and elevations or 1:200 for site plans.

A scale bar should be shown on each sheet, along with north points for plans. We ensure all drawings are scaled accurately so council officers can measure directly from them.

2. Complete site and context plans

Councils expect a site plan showing the building footprint, setbacks, access points, landscaping, car parking and service areas.

A context plan should also identify surrounding buildings, land uses and streetscapes to show how the development integrates with its surroundings.

3. Floor plans for all uses

Each level of the building must have a separate floor plan showing the internal layout, labelled uses and circulation.

Residential levels should show apartment layouts, private open space and storage. Commercial levels should show tenancy areas, service zones and customer access points.

4. Elevations and sections showing mixed-use integration

Elevations should clearly distinguish between residential and commercial façades, materials and treatments.

Sections should show the relationship between different uses, including floor-to-floor heights, shared spaces and building services.

5. Compliance with height and floor space controls

Height limits and floor space ratio (FSR) controls must be demonstrated on the drawings.

We label maximum permitted height lines and provide calculations showing compliance with NSW planning rules.

6. Vehicle and pedestrian access diagrams

Councils require clear diagrams showing vehicle entry points, parking layouts, loading docks and pedestrian routes.

We prepare swept path diagrams where needed to confirm vehicle manoeuvring space.

7. Services and waste management details

Mixed-use buildings need clearly documented waste storage, collection points and service areas.

These must comply with council waste management guidelines and be shown on the relevant plans.

8. Integration with reports and statements

Your drawings must match the Statement of Environmental Effects, traffic reports, acoustic studies and other supporting documents.

We coordinate all documents to ensure a consistent and professional development application package.

9. High-quality presentation and readability

Councils expect drawings to be clear, logically arranged and easy to interpret.

Linework should be clean, annotations consistent and symbols industry standard.

We avoid clutter while ensuring all required information is present.

Preparing DA drawings for a mixed-use building requires more than just architectural skill, it demands precise coordination with town planning requirements.

With Town Planning Sydney, you get detailed, policy-compliant drawings backed by expert planning advice to help achieve faster council approval.