What is a BADS report for apartment design?

BADS stands for Better Apartment Design Standards. It is Victoria’s framework for assessing the design and liveability of apartment developments. The standards address important issues such as apartment layouts, daylight, ventilation, private and communal open space, building setbacks, energy efficiency, privacy, storage, waste management and accessibility.

Although the term BADS is still widely used, current apartment assessments are generally prepared against the relevant Victorian planning provisions and the Apartment Design Guidelines for Victoria. Depending on the size and height of the development, the assessment may involve Clause 55.07 or Clause 58.

What is a BADS report?

A BADS report is a consultant’s assessment explaining how a proposed apartment development complies with the applicable apartment-design requirements.

It is also commonly called:

An apartment design compliance assessment.

A BADS compliance report.

A Clause 55.07 assessment.

A Clause 58 assessment.

An Apartment Design Guidelines assessment.

It is not usually a single prescribed government form. Instead, it is a structured report supported by architectural drawings, schedules and specialist documentation.

What does the report assess?

A typical BADS report examines:

The site context, surrounding development and neighbourhood character.

Building height, setbacks, massing and street presentation.

Apartment sizes, room dimensions and furniture layouts.

Natural daylight, window design and outlook.

Natural ventilation and cross-ventilation.

Private balconies, terraces and open space.

Communal open space and landscaping.

Privacy, overlooking and visual bulk.

Storage, bicycle parking and waste facilities.

Energy efficiency, heating and cooling.

Accessibility, acoustic amenity and wind conditions where relevant.

The assessment may include a clause-by-clause compliance table identifying whether the design meets each relevant standard. Where a proposal does not meet a prescriptive standard, the report may provide a performance-based justification showing how the design still achieves the relevant objective.

Supporting documents

Depending on the project, a BADS report may be supported by:

Site and context plans.

Shadow and overlooking diagrams.

Apartment and area schedules.

Daylight and solar-access assessments.

Ventilation diagrams.

Landscape and waste-management plans.

Acoustic, wind or energy reports.

Accessibility assessments.

Why is it important?

A BADS assessment should be prepared during the early design and feasibility stages, not only after the plans are complete. Early assessment can identify problems with apartment layouts, daylight, ventilation, open space, privacy, storage or building separation before they become costly design changes.

In practical terms, a BADS report helps the permit authority understand how the proposed apartments will provide a safe, functional and comfortable living environment.

In summary, a BADS report demonstrates how an apartment development satisfies Victoria’s apartment-design requirements and provides a clear basis for planning-permit assessment.

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