The rise and rise of micro apartments and high-rise apartments in Australian capital cities: A critical design review

Detached housing is currently the dominant dwelling structure among households in Australian capital cities. However, apartments also play a very substantial role in housing in these cities as approximately 13 per cent of all capital city households were living in flats, units or apartments between 2009 and 2010. In recent years, micro apartments and high-rise apartments have increasingly emerged among apartment projects in Australian capital cities. Micro apartments are becoming increasingly common due to the country’s housing affordability crisis, which is relatively more severe in the capital cities. There has been an upward trend in Australia’s median house price, which is currently nearly seven times the annual median household income. Furthermore, two Australian capital cities, namely Sydney and Melbourne, are ranked among the ten “Least Affordable Major Metropolitan Markets” globally. On the other hand, more and more high-rise apartments are being established in the centres of the capital cities due to the high demand and preference of overseas investors. In light of these recent developments, the purpose of this chapter is to critically review micro apartments and high-rise apartments in terms of their design issues and outlook. The chapter also provides recommendations for addressing the principal issues identified.