Expert Building Design in Farmborough Heights

Farmborough Heights is a leafy hillside suburb in Wollongong, admired for its elevated views, spacious homes, and family-oriented lifestyle. The area is primarily made up of large detached houses on sloping blocks, ranging from modern brick homes to older split-level dwellings. With its quiet streets, schools nearby, and easy access to both Figtree and Unanderra shopping centres, it’s a popular location for growing families and professionals.

At DMR Designs, we create customised building design in Farmborough Heights that makes the most of sloping sites and scenic outlooks. Our team designs homes that respect the suburb’s topography while ensuring compliance with Wollongong Council’s planning regulations. From knockdown-rebuilds to extensions and custom family homes, we bring practical yet stylish solutions to the area.

We proudly deliver Farmborough Heights building designs that blend comfort, function, and hillside appeal.

Why Choose DMR Designs for Building Design in Farmborough Heights?

  • Sloping Site Expertise: Designs that maximise hillside blocks with efficient engineering.

  • Family-Oriented Layouts: Floorplans tailored to modern family needs.

  • View-Focused Designs: Homes that capture natural light and outlooks.

  • Compliance Knowledge: Skilled in meeting council’s height and setback rules.

  • Sustainable Solutions: Energy-efficient homes designed for comfort in varying elevations.

Our Farmborough Heights building designs create stylish, practical homes suited to hillside living.

Sydney Council Requirements for Building in Farmborough Heights

 

  • Zoning types:

    • R2 Low Density Residential

    • R5 Large Lot Residential in parts of the suburb

  • Setbacks:

    • Front setbacks typically 5m–7m

    • Side and rear setbacks vary depending on slope and dwelling type

  • Typical lot sizes:

    • Detached homes: 600sqm–1,200sqm

    • Larger hillside blocks: 1,500sqm+

  • Key constraints:

    • Sloping terrain requiring engineered retaining walls and foundations

    • Height restrictions to preserve views and neighbourhood character

    • Bushfire-prone areas on the edges of the suburb

  • Utilities available:

    • Fully serviced with water, sewer, gas, electricity, and NBN

Building in Farmborough Heights requires designs tailored to topography while meeting Wollongong Council’s controls.

For detailed council regulations and submission guidelines, visit the Sydney Council website.

DA vs CDC: What’s Right for Your Farmborough Heights Project?

Whether it’s a Development Application (DA) or a Complying Development Certificate (CDC), we’ll guide you in finding the fastest and most compliant approval pathway—anywhere in New South Wales.

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you understand the difference:

DA (Development Application):

  • Required for complex projects on sloping or bushfire-prone land.

  • Needed for homes exceeding standard height or setback controls.

CDC (Complying Development Certificate):

  • Suitable for compliant single dwellings and straightforward knockdown-rebuilds.

  • Less common for steep blocks due to engineering requirements.

Need help figuring out which route suits your site? We’ll assess your block and walk you through your options.

 

FAQs About Building Design in Farmborough Heights

  • The suburb features large family homes, split-level dwellings, and modern brick residences on sloping blocks.

  • Yes. Steeper sites often require engineered retaining, careful drainage, and stepped designs to work with the slope.

  • Definitely. We specialise in Farmborough Heights building designs that maximise natural light and scenic outlooks.

  • While we know the Sydney area well, we also work across many suburbs within the City of Sydney, including Redfern, Surry Hills, Ultimo, and more. Additionally, we are available for select projects up to 4 hours away from the City of Sydney Council area.

  • Cost depends on the scope of your project. We’ll walk you through pricing during your discovery call so you know exactly what to expect.

Ready to take the next step?

From inner-city terrace renovations to modern apartment designs, we’re here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence. We’d love to hear about your Sydney project and how we can assist.

Our Building Design Services in Farmborough Heights

We provide customised building design in Farmborough Heights for homes, duplexes, and townhouses. Many projects involve knockdown-rebuilds of older hillside houses, extensions to suit growing families, and new homes designed to take advantage of views. Depending on the site, this may include multi-level family homes, contemporary residences with large balconies, or energy-efficient hillside dwellings.

From concept to approval, we deliver Farmborough Heights building designs that combine compliance, practicality, and style.

What to Expect: Our Building Design Timeline

A step-by-step look at how we take your project from concept to council approval and beyond.

Every project starts with a discovery call and ends with council-approved, build-ready plans.

Here’s how we make it easy from start to finish:

Step 1 - Discovery Call

  • Let’s chat! We’ll have a quick call to understand your project and see how we can help.

Step 2 -Site Visit & Consultation (5–7 days)

  • We’ll meet at your site (or virtually), take a closer look, and discuss your vision in detail.

Step 3 - Fee Proposal (2 days)

  • You’ll get a clear, no-surprises proposal with the scope, timeline, and costs.

Step 4 - Concept Design (4 weeks)

  • We’ll create initial design ideas and layouts tailored just for you.

Step 5 - Design Development & Expert Coordination (2 weeks)

  • We’ll fine-tune the design and collaborate with any needed specialists (engineer, energy consultant, town planner, geo tech engineer, bushfire, heritage consultant, etc).

Step 6 - Final Adjustments (1 week)

  • We’ll polish everything and prepare the final drawings for submission.

Step 7 - Submission for Approval

  • We handle the council or certifier submission, so you’re ready for the next steps.

Want the full breakdown?

View our detailed process here.

From Plans to Reality: See How It All Comes Together

Our Farmborough Heights projects showcase how smart design can work with sloping land to create stunning, functional homes. From split-level layouts to view-focused residences, our designs highlight the suburb’s unique hillside setting.

Portfolio

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Home Designs

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Building in Farmborough Heights requires expertise in sloping site design — exactly what DMR Designs offers.

Ready to Start Designing Your New Home in Farmborough Heights?

We’re here to help you take the next step, whether you’re

starting fresh or upgrading your Sydney home.

We’d love to hear what you have in mind. Book a discovery call or send us a message, and we’ll be in touch within 48 hours.

Not based in Farmborough Heights?

DMR Designs proudly works with homeowners across the entire City of Sydney. From Redfern and Surry Hills to Ultimo and beyond, we bring the same personalized design approach to every project—no matter where you call home.