The first clause of every BCA chapter invites designers to develop comparable alternate solutions to the BCA using the relevant Performance Requirements.

There’s really no excuse for an architect to blame the buildings codes for their designs looking monotonous for the BCA explicitly invites diversity.

The main reasons architects rely on building codes for design solutions is that it’s expedient to roll out the pattern book and there’s a level of certainty around approvals when applying the standard.

We generally find that if any alternative to the BCA is not as cost effective as the standard then the project team will tend to revert to the standard as the baseline care factor for aesthetics is often pretty low for back of house amenity.

However, we’re often at pains to point out that once we’re engaged on a project to do one compliance report or alternate solution then it might be as cost effective to develop a range of alternate designs, rather than say ‘shoehorn’ a standard bathroom into a tight project.

Contact AQ for advice on ways to rehabilitate your design approach, bring back diversity and rigour and prevent you from relying on the building codes and standards as an architectural crutch.