For Building Designers
Start every sketch with the envelope already in hand.
Schedule-specific height, setbacks, garden area, coverage, plus ResCode Clause 55 for Victorian sites — resolved against the council's schedule, not just the VPP defaults.
Status quo
Why schematic stage stalls
-
01
Client emails an address
Wants a sketch by Friday.
-
02
You need the envelope
Height, setbacks, garden area, coverage, overlays, before you put pen to SketchUp.
-
03
You read the planning scheme
Zone schedule, Clause 55, council variations, overlay schedules. 45 minutes.
-
04
You sketch
But 20% of the time, a schedule constraint invalidates the concept later.
The lookup
What the envelope response gives you
- Max height
- 13.5 m
- Cl.32.10 · mandatory
- Verified
- Front setback
- 6 m
- Cl.32.10 / ResCode
- VPP default
- Side setback
- 1 m
- Cl.32.10 / ResCode
- VPP default
- Rear setback
- 3 m
- Cl.32.10 / ResCode
- VPP default
- Site coverage
- 60%
- Cl.32.10
- VPP default
- Garden area
- n/a
- does not apply to HCTZ1
- VPP default
- Overlay
- HO396
- Cl.43.01 · Heritage
- Permit
Every row carries its clause and its confidence tier. “VPP default” means the zone provision applies because this council’s schedule sets no different figure — which is itself the answer you needed, and is labelled rather than dressed up as a verified value.
Max height — schedule-resolved
Not the zone default. The council's actual schedule value, with confidence tag.
ResCode Clause 55 (VIC)
Building envelope generator: height, side/rear setbacks, neighbourhood character, overlooking, private open space. All 7 standards under VC267.
Garden area %
The schedule's actual requirement, not the 35% VPP default.
Overlays that affect built form
Heritage, neighbourhood character, design & development, significant landscape, with their design implications noted.
Lot shape + frontage orientation
Which edge faces the street. Aspect. Facing direction. Compactness. Battle-axe flag.
Source-linked
Every figure clicks through to the planning scheme page it came from.
Before / after
The first-sketch cycle
Without it
~45 min + occasional redo
- Open state planning portal
- Find zone schedule, read it
- Cross-check overlay schedules
- Apply ResCode Clause 55 mentally
- Sketch, and hope the schedule isn't stricter than expected
With Feasibly
~3 min
- Lookup address
- Copy envelope figures into your CAD notes
- Sketch with the real numbers
Footnotes
What building designers ask
- Does it cover NSW ADG for apartments?
- Partially — apartment-specific ADG compliance isn't in the envelope response yet. LEP height and FSR are.
- Does it read DDO schedules?
- Zone schedule is the primary envelope source. DDO-imposed variations are flagged but not yet parsed for every council. We cite the DDO code so you can review directly.
- Is it reliable enough for permit application?
- No — use it for concept stage. Verify against the planning scheme before submission.
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