In the heart of Queensland’s Southport, a single house block has been transformed into a thriving village of 10 freehold micro-lots — the smallest about the size of a double garage.

Seven of these revolutionary 'mini homes' were snapped up by first home buyers keen to enter the housing market sans the usual body corporate overheads.

ENVI Micro Urban Village has redefined what's possible in infill development, delivering a completely new housing typology that responds to different demographics and lifestyle preferences.

It’s a powerful example of how forward-thinking planners working within a progressive regulatory framework can make housing more affordable and diverse.

Questioning the default approach to housing density

Rewind to 2013, and Southport had just been earmarked as the future CBD of the Gold Coast.

Planners at Economic Development Queensland wanted to breathe new life into the area with higher-density infill housing developments, made possible under a state-declared Priority Development Area (PDA) that gave local authorities the power to test bold new ideas.  

Still, most assumed high-rise units were the only answer to getting more housing onto existing small blocks.

Enter architect Amy Degenhart and planner Nicole Bennetts. 

While exploring high-density design options in the area, the pair quickly realised high-rise development didn’t pass the feasibility test, especially for first home buyers and key frontline workers such as nurses.

At the same time, they discovered the new planning rules had introduced a series of innovations to encourage a broader mix of housing types — including the removal of minimum lot sizes.

While the system didn’t explicitly imagine micro-lots, it didn’t rule them out either.

That regulatory flexibility became a key lever for change, enabling planners to create a more diverse and adaptable development outcome on a 673-square-metre site on the corner of Meron and Lenneberg streets.

"It was like a door opening," Amy recalls. "We realised the rules didn’t say no. So we started asking: what if we created a design-led exemplar for compact, affordable living?" 

Micro-lots create more affordable house-and-land packages

Instead of defaulting to eight-storey towers, first-time developers Amy and Nicole proposed a village of terrace homes on lots as small as 38 square metres.

They named the project ‘ENVI’ to reflect the Gold Coast’s growing appetite for terrace-style housing — a typology more commonly seen in Australia’s larger cities.

Unlike apartment and townhouse developments, which always require strata management, shared walls and higher-cost construction, ENVI’s micro-lots are freehold — meaning each buyer owns their land and home outright, with no body corporate rules or fees.

This model gave buyers more control, lower ongoing costs and access to cheaper finance. 

As with any standalone home, the dwellings could be built by a standard residential builder. And because the homes were Class 1 dwellings (like traditional houses), they avoided the additional construction costs associated with high-rise buildings, such as lifts and fire stairs.

In an infill setting, this approach was almost unheard of — and it proved that affordable, well-located housing could be delivered differently.

“House and land packages are the most cost-effective way of delivering housing, while naturally attracting more homeowners than investors,” Nicole says.

“It takes out the developer’s profit on the build, and it gives the owner a say in the finishes — even what kind of carpet or kitchen they want. That makes it more affordable and more personal."

À la carte parking’ makes room for smarter density

Originally decried as "sardine city" in the media, ENVI quickly became a poster child for smart urban density.

Amy and Nicole pushed the PDA framework to its creative edge, demonstrating that good design and strong planning could achieve medium-to-high density through Class 1 (detached) construction while avoiding the complexity and cost of multi-unit dwellings.

Their work built on the innovative planning framework created by Gold Coast City Council planners, which made this project possible.

For example, while most planning schemes mandate at least one car park per house, ENVI used the flexibility of the planning framework to challenge this assumption. By leveraging its location — within walking distance of two light rail stations — the project secured approval for reduced car parking rates, prioritising walkability and transport choice.

As freehold lots rather than body corporate, there was no shared parking pool across all dwellings, which made council negotiations more complex. 

Still, Gold Coast City Council planners were willing to try something new.

"Council’s genius move was that they said to us, we could tick the box as an average and then allocate where those cars go," Amy says. "That was a beautiful moment where we were able to curate a village design outcome as opposed to a cookie-cutter design outcome."

The result was an ‘à la carte’ parking approach: The smaller homes generally had scooter bays; two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes had one car park, and three- or four-bedroom homes had two car parks.

Buyers could choose the configuration that suited their lifestyle and budget — a crucial affordability measure, considering carparks can add $100,000 to $150,000 to overall product costs.

"When every single element has to stand up to the minimum design framework on its own, you get a homogenous outcome," Amy says. "But when you’re able to tick the compliance boxes as an overall and do this with diversity, it becomes more flexible."

Pushing the planning framework’s limits of possibility

Pushing planning boundaries required not just design smarts but also deep collaboration with engineers and decision-makers.

ENVI faced hurdles around stormwater, sewer connections, site setbacks and driveway access — challenges that might typically shut down a proposal. But with the help of veteran Gold Coast councillor Dawn Crichlow advocating behind the scenes, blockages became breakthroughs.

"She was instrumental in bringing people on board with thinking differently," Amy says. "She even said: ‘Why don’t we do this type of development all the time?’"

Tapping into under-utilised urban infrastructure such as existing roads and pipes helped lower building costs, further increasing affordability. And smart use of narrower setbacks ended up delivering more landscaping per both linear and square metre than nearby high-rises.

Inside, strategic design elements — such as loft-style layouts, high ceilings, open risers, clerestory windows and an open 'flute' layout for cross ventilation — helped to make homes as small as 60 square metres feel spacious and light-filled.

"We wanted this to be the exemplar and for everyone to see that it was possible — to be able to touch, feel and understand it," Nicole says.

Adds Amy: “Savvy micro development is a godsend as house prices continue to rise and inner-city homes become increasingly rare.”

Right tools and trust prove key to unlocking new housing solutions

Since ENVI came to fruition in 2017, the micro-development project has won a slew of local and national awards, attracted major media attention and been warmly embraced by both residents and the local community.

Other councils, designers and communities have expressed interest in replicating the model, and Amy’s team has even delivered a second, similar micro-lot development next door. 

But challenges remain: conservative property valuation practices, risk-averse developers and unfamiliarity with the model often stall replication.

"We’re 10 years on from when we first conceived ENVI — we had a housing crisis back then but it’s only gotten worse. It frustrates me that there are innovative housing typologies that we’re not using in our arsenal to respond to the housing crisis," says Nicole.

"We proved it can be done. Now we need to remove the systemic roadblocks that prevent more planners and developers from following suit.”

ENVI exemplifies how planners, given the right tools, trust, and collaborators, can unlock new solutions to deliver more diverse, dense and well-designed homes.

Using thoughtful design guidelines and flexible planning instruments, planners can help create smaller, more affordable households that are well connected to local parks, shops, schools, jobs and public transport, helping build more vibrant and connected communities.

Says Amy: "So many things get talked about. Very few things get done. We did it. And it's still there, doing good and operating as a tangible model for innovation."