A design statement typically consists of two parts – the site and context analysis and the design response. It is the documentation of the analysis that your designer will have undertaken to examine and understand the development site and its surroundings, and then the rationale for how your development proposal responds to this context. Within the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (the PAUP), the first part of a design statement is further broken down into site analysis, existing neighbourhood context, planning context and opportunities and constraints. The second part of a design statement, the design response, includes both conceptual and more detailed design of the development including site layout, floor plans, elevations, lane and street design and landscape and open space.
The analysis presented in a design statement is undertaken prior to finalisation of a development proposal. The design statement is prepared by the development’s designer or, in the case of a large or complex site, the many disciplines that make up the design team e.g. urban designer, architect, planner, traffic engineer, surveyor or landscape architect.
Applicants are encouraged to bring the initial stages of the design statement to a resource consent
pre-application meeting with Auckland Council. The design statement information enables a clear and shared understanding of the development site, its surrounds and the rationale behind the design of the development proposed.