What does leadership mean to you? Alexandra Kennedy, Project Lead

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, we thought we’d sit down with Alexandra Kennedy, one of our Senior Project Leads to discuss what leadership means to her.

With such wisdom around leadership and valuable insights around getting the most out of your team, it’s not hard to see why she is so highly praised by the team!

What do you think being a leader means?

Leadership is being able to help others find their passions, be confident, learn, and succeed. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the people I work with overcome challenges and achieve their goals, the joy in their faces.

What do you think is a common misconception of leadership?

1. A leader is above everyone else

A true leader doesn’t stand above, they stand amongst. They are approachable. As a leader you have enormous responsibility. You can make a significant difference in someone’s life – for better or worse – because of the position you have been given. To make sure it’s a positive impact you need to make yourself available, be part of the team – part of the people. This is so important for transparency, honesty, and confidence both leader to team and team to leader.

In saying this, a true leader is one that can be both amongst the team and in front of the team, providing the vision and direction so the team can follow. Though I would hope the team follows a leader who they respect and admire and when the direction is given, they follow without question. This is always my goal.

2. A leader doesn’t make mistakes

One of the most important things people forget is that leaders make mistakes. The truth is leaders don’t know everything and they don’t get everything right – they are continually learning too. In fact, if they are growing chances are they will make more mistakes than other members of the team.

It is important to own when you have made a mistake. Put your hand up in the air and say, “Yep that was me”. Lead by example and show your team that making a mistake is okay, leaders do it too. It doesn’t mean we think less of you or that you are off the team. Having humility and vulnerability being shown from the top makes it far easier for those who are new and learning to realise that you don’t have to be perfect, and we don't expect you to be.

A great leader will build an amazing team around them. A team that they lean on when they don’t have the expertise and experience to draw on or the time and capacity to do it all. Leadership is about knowing your strengths and weaknesses and knowing your teams’ strengths and weaknesses to ensure you get the best from everyone – and the spotlight is shared.

What do you think is the sign of a great leader?

If your team is taking a hit, you take it for them. It can be easy to play innocent, but taking the hit instils loyalty in your team. As the leader you have ultimate accountability anyway. Own the mistake or issue and then work on the solution collaboratively as a team so it is a learning opportunity for all involved. You want to help your team grow, so train them to not make the mistake again and eliminate the shame they can feel for making it.

If you receive praise, give credit to the team. Your success is a direct result of the team’s effort. When you share the praise and credit you show your appreciation for the work everyone has put in. This recognition also instils loyalty – and people naturally work better and harder when they are recognised and appreciated.

My goal is to see the people I lead be better than I ever was. Learn from me, learn from those around me, teach me and to end up being my lead and only ever turn to me as a mentor or advisor. I want to see my team achieve things they never thought they could, be filled with courage and thoughts that they had never thought possible.

Who are the leaders you look up to?

I have one in particular who I often joked I would give my first born. Wei-Han Kuan. He was the Young Adults Minister at my church for years, I was also blessed to be in his bible study group.

Although being a leader in a church is far different to being a leader of a large team delivering an architectural product, the traits can still be translated across. The value of each person, he had over 400 people he had to nurture and lead. He had to show a strong sense of direction and leadership when tough topics were discussed or raised.

As a church leader you are always challenged in your opinion and choices. He did it with grace and love. He opened his life, his home, and was humble and shared life with those who asked. That can all be applied in any leadership. As I have yet to have an offspring, Wei-Han has yet to receive my humble gift. 

How has managing large scale projects developed your leadership style? 

I came to Guymer Bailey knowing that this was my role, and that I was going to be leading the biggest team I had ever lead. So, I set myself goals before my first day around what I wanted to achieve in my leadership and who I wanted to be, knowing that some of my aims I had to work very hard at becoming!

There were times I know I was failing, but the changes happened and I definitely came out the other end molded into the leader I had aimed to be. I wanted to:

• Ensure that I delivered on what I promised, was reliable, dependable and trustworthy. 

• Value others and put the team first.

• Remember that everyone has something to offer. This one was an amazing point to learn and it has enriched my life so much. I’ve gained so much appreciation for every single person I work with! 

• Respect everybody. Never put others down and listen to all contributors. I have to admit, this was often the hardest, giving time to everyone when time is not there to give, but when you link it to the previous point and know everyone has something to offer, you just never know what they can be offering you in that moment.  

Q & A: Creating a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion

Gender equality, diversity and inclusion has been a high priority for Guymer Bailey this last 12 months. So much so, that the directors put together a team to create an industry leading Gender Equity and Inclusivity Policy that would be of significant benefit to our team and start to tackle the discrimination that is still felt throughout the construction industry.

Mari Strydom was one of the members of this team and after seeing her passion for resolving systemic issues within the industry and the depth of her knowledge and empathy through her own lived experience, she was promoted to Diversity Lead to champion these issues further within our practice.

So, to shed light on what Mari has been busy implementing this last year, we sat down for a quick Q & A to see how she has been creating a culture of diversity and inclusion and ensuring that we as a practice – and as an industry do better.

Tell us about your role and what your key focus has been this last year?

As the Diversity Lead, I’ve been focused on how we as an organisation can identify and respond to the needs of our team members as well as continue to improve and align our values as a practice.

This also includes looking at the industry we operate in and what we can do as a practice to break down the systemic issues that exist from a diversity and inclusion perspective.

What are the key industry issues that you have been addressing through Guymer Bailey policies and procedures?

My focus has been on two key areas. The first is addressing the historical discrimination that women have faced within the industry and ensuring that we as a company have inclusive policies that prevent women from being disadvantaged throughout their career due to their life choices, circumstances, and responsibilities.

The second has been creating inclusive recruiting processes that allow for equal opportunity, particularly for those that identify as LGBTQIA+, indigenous and people with disability, that are often underrepresented within the construction industry.

What is the legacy that you’re trying to create for the team?

We spend so much time at work, and when the communities you identify with aren’t represented the impact of this can be detrimental to your wellbeing. So, the aim of my role has been for everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, ability and more, to be able to come to work feel respected and valued.

Also, that the next generation who will work within the industry won’t ever experience the issues, discrimination, and frustrations that many of us still experience now.

What are some of the initiatives, events, and activities that you have planned over the last 12 months?

The initiatives, events, and activities we have undertaken over the last 12 months have been directly linked to the needs and passions of our team. These have included:

Training

• Introduction to Gender and Sexuality by Minus 18

• General education around pro-nouns and inclusive recruitment

• Mental Health First Aid

• Cultural Competency Training by Uncle Bill at Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation

• AUSLAN training

• EAP Workshop – Mental Health Awareness for Employees

Internal Initiatives

• Set Up Breastfeeding and Prayer Rooms within the Melbourne Studio.

• Organising gender neutral bathrooms for the Melbourne Studio.

• Doing Acknowledgement of Country in all General Staff Meetings.

• Not observing Australia Day as a company and giving our staff the choice to have another day off as leave.

• Paid super payments provided during parental leave.

• Gender neutral parental leave.

• Utilising Beautiful Bunch (a charity that supports young women from refugee backgrounds).

• Dogs within the workplace.

• Pronouns on our email signatures and badges.

• Mental health – Employee Assistance Program, mental health tracking and resources, mental health first aiders and a mental health first aid kit

External Initiatives

• Food bank donation drive for Foodbank Victoria

• Domestic violence safe phones for DV Safe Phone – the team bringing in their old phones for domestic violence sufferers

Special Days Observed and Celebrated

• IDAHOBIT

• Wear it Purple Day

• Trans Awareness Week

• RSPCA Day

• Daffodil Day

• AUSLAN Day

• Persian New Year

• Diwali

• Eid

What change have you seen in the team over the last year?

Something special happens when you empower people to be who they are and provide a space where they can be comfortable enough to be it. Not only do you see a person become more comfortable in their own skin, but you can also see them become more engaged and productive within the workplace – a win/win for everyone.

Over the last year our team has become more diverse, and we have had so many great discussions around key issues with staff opening and sharing their own personal stories and experiences. This is a huge win in itself, having a culture where our staff feel comfortable to share their personal experiences without concern of judgement or discrimination.

Phil Celebrates 25 Years at Guymer Bailey

2020 marks a special year in the career of our Directors, Phil Jackson and Kavan Applegate - they both celebrate 25 years at Guymer Bailey Architects. After celebrating Kavan’s anniversary early this year, this week is Phil’s turn.

To mark this occasion and celebrate the incredible contribution Phil has made to Guymer Bailey Architects, we reached out to some of his friends, team and clients to hear what they had to say about him.

“25 years - congratulations! Are you sick of me yet?! I’m remembering long, long hours on uni assignments together (and you realising we needed to completely redesign a railway station 3 weeks before it was due) and loads of wonderful projects we’ve worked on over the years. I couldn’t be prouder to be your business partner, and dear, dear friend.”

— Kavan Applegate

“I clearly remember the day you started as a student architect with Tim and I at GBA, Phil. I watched you develop as you finished your degree and took up Project Architect roles often with me on my projects, plus many of your own over the years.

I recognised your design talents early and saw a great future for you. I really enjoyed working with you over the last 25 years. When GBA joint ventured with Architectus to go after the Brisbane Supreme Court, Phil you happily took up the project with me and we spent much time together out of the Architectus office in the city. You have won architectural awards for your own projects too.

When Tim and I decided to sell GBA to our staff, I was personally pleased to see you take up the challenge to be a part owner of GBA and to see you with Kavan Applegate and Paul Mathieson develop the company into what it is today.”

— Ralph Bailey

“Phil congratulations on a successful 25 years. It is rare to work with someone that sets an enviable standard – Phil is one such example. He listens, considers, and relentlessly works to get a high quality outcome and always has time for all team members. His professionalism and ease of interaction makes him a delight to work with and I always feel we will outperform when working together.”

— Dr Iain C. Jennings

“Congratulations Phil for all the years of work and leadership at GBA - and you still look so young! ...and are still able to laugh! How can you work so hard and long and still find humour and delight? Thank you for the tireless work you put in for the Catholic schools especially the LLS ERaMPs! Your dedication, inspiration and perspiration and the calibre of the team you applied to that big project were beyond anything any client should ever expect. Your ability to engage with, consult and sort out that herd of cats and the graciousness with which you did it was simply extraordinary. I am sure it was what you might consider your “ordinary” modus operandi and if that is so you have many happy clients I am sure. Cheers and all the very best.”

— Rick Dalmau

“Congratulations on 25 years Phil, it has been an absolute pleasure to work for a great company under your leadership. Over the last 12 years I’ve learnt so much from you and I am often overwhelmed by your dedication, passion, and knowledge. Your calm approach to any challenge is a real asset and your understanding and drive for sustainable outcomes admirable.”

— Suzanne Goodson

“I remember coming to my job interview where I briefly met you Phil yet walked away with a really good feel, mostly due to your nature. It’s crazy to think you have been here for 25 years - and that you’re younger than me!! GBA was your first and only right?! So, it must be time for you to make a change, get out and broaden your horizons 😉!

A few words that I think sum you up Phil (in no particular order):
Fair
Calm
Can laugh and take a joke
Extremely ethical
Reserved, unassuming and avoids the spotlight
Modest
Good guy and excellent leader
Great dad (not sure about husband…wink wink)
Trusting
Way too hard a worker!
… and without doubt an amazing designer

I wouldn’t want to work any where else. The effort that you and Kavan make to ensure GBA is a great place to work is second to none. From the space we work and collaborate, to the ‘social bits’, both in and out of the office. It’s been challenging but definitely enjoyable working with you. Congratulations on your accomplishments and where you have come in 25 years! It’s no mean feat!”

— Scott Schindel

“Phil Jackson congratulations on your 25 year anniversary. We love your work, your problem solving skills are always on point and delivered with a smile. It’s a pleasure to work with a consummate professional who I would never hesitate to recommend”

— Allan Satterthwaite

“Thank you Phil for the opportunity to work together on Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. You’re a gifted designer and exceptional manager with a great team. Congratulations on 25 years with GBA - you’re a star! ”

— Norman Richards

Phil’s impressive career has included designing many award-winning projects including the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery Centre, Brisbane Supreme and District Courts, Maroochy Arts and Ecology Centre and the Caloundra Courthouse and Watchhouse. We’ve included some of our favourite projects that Phil has worked on below.

Phil, thank you for your leadership, design nous and passion that is seen through all that you do. Here’s to the next 25 years!

Maintaining the culture of our Melbourne studio through lockdown

By Beth Perera

I have recently celebrated my fifth work anniversary at Guymer Bailey Architects, and of course, we celebrated it in style – it would be unlike me to allow a pandemic to ruin my parade. Like many milestones in life, this has offered me the opportunity to reflect, not only on my own career, but on the achievements of our company and in my role as Melbourne cultural lead, our team.

Despite our social distances and isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic has in many ways brought us closer as a team, and I wanted to unpack what worked for us in maintaining the great culture we have in our Melbourne studio through lockdown. 

Care from the top down

We are very fortunate here at Guymer Bailey, to have two directors, Kavan Applegate in Melbourne, and Phil Jackson in Brisbane, who genuinely care about their team. 

In times of crisis our true colours show and to observe the genuine level of care and concern that both directors have shown towards the team, and the level of commitment to ensure that everyone has what they need to work efficiently from their “not-so-short-term” home office has been incredible. 

Compassion from the team

I have watched the pressures of 2020 create diamonds within my team this year. Colleagues have been connecting, reaching out and checking on each other.

From the moment we entered stage 4, I was welcomed with a weekly 30-minute phone call from a colleague in our studio in Brisbane.  We did not need to speak about COVID-19, we had Honey Jumbles to discuss instead.  Each week I would get off that 8am call, with joy in my heart and an extra injection of energy into my day.  Who would have thought, that is all it takes? 

Clear and kind communication

Lockdown has not been easy, but the focus on communication within project teams and the wider office has eliminated a sense of isolation.  The reminders to exercise an extra bit of grace and to not assume someone is coping with lockdown just because they appear to be, has been a strong message and a constant reminder to us every week from our leaders.  

A willingness to grow and develop through the challenges

I have been inspired by my colleagues who have shifted their perspective to see this as an opportunity to grow and develop. They embraced changes and technology implementations willingly and rose to the occasion to produce the same amazing design outcomes – despite the added challenges. I have watched each of them become stronger, more resilient human beings because of it.

I have also truly admired the strength of our new additions – yes, we hired several people during the Lockdown 3.  All three in the Melbourne studio have completed their probation period now. I look forward to introducing them to the human versions of our team, which they only know via Teams, Zoom or Skype and thanking them in person for being great additions to the team, and adding those extra facets to our existing diamond. 

Regular social connection

 We have done well in supporting each other in different ways.  Every week we had socials (appropriately named My Corona and Quarantini hour) and when things got really tough regular games of online Pictionary.  We did not need to speak about our problems, we got together, laughed at our drawings, and forgot about the problems of the world for a moment.  There is power in that simplicity and connection. 

That is not to say that we ignored what was going on though.  We encouraged the tribe to acknowledge their feelings and allow themselves to honour their emotions.  To accept that there will be days where you struggle to process information and to be kind to yourself through this. That it was OK to have a day and to go offline if you needed it, and we supported that decision.

Life from home and one desk is not easy.  Knowing that you have permission to step away, take a walk to clear your mind, and to then return to your task was endorsed, and had great efficiency outcomes – we all won.

They say it starts at the top, and they also say what does kill you makes you stronger, I must agree. I know there have been many times where this year has felt like a write off, but at the same time, I find myself reflecting on some incredible moments.  I will always remember my fifth year at Guymer Bailey as my year of growth and resilience – and the year that I could not be any prouder and grateful for my brilliant tribe and tribe leaders - thank you, team!

How COVID-19 has impacted commercial design

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes to the way we all work and operate. To explore these changes in more detail and look at how they will impact commercial design moving forward, we sat down with Senior Interior Designer, Gohta Shiraishi, to get his take on design in a post-COVID world.

How do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has changed commercial design?

Pre-COVID, the recent trend has been for many corporate organisations to consolidate their property portfolios and centralise their operations. Where previously they may have had several offices scattered around the metro area, many corporations have closed their scattered offices and moved their operations to large buildings in the CBD. They have been able to save real estate costs and operational costs with this consolidation with the added benefit of the prestige that CBD addresses bring.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic I think there will be a reversal of this mentality. Scattered offices in the outer urban areas provide a lot of potential benefits to their employees, mostly around commuting. In a post COVID world there will be more reluctance to use mass public transport and many workers will probably prefer closer workplaces that they can drive or better yet cycle to.

The ‘hub and spoke’ model will greatly facilitate this arrangement and help reduce the movement of people. This will be beneficial not only for future pandemics but also in easing the strain on our public transport system and road networks.

I believe the greatest change in commercial design will be driven by the collective workforce’s desire to have flexible working arrangements. We are likely to see fewer workstations on-site and more collaborative working spaces to support new working arrangements. There will be more digital connectivity to allow people to work from anywhere and potentially smaller office footprints with more sub-lease arrangements to streamline corporate property assets. 

How do you think the corporate world will respond to the new flexible model of working?

I believe that mixed working (home and in the office) is here to stay. The technology to be able to perform professional services work remotely has been around for quite some time; however, there has been a widespread reluctance to adopt it at such a broad scale. The COVID-19 paradigm has forced professional industries to adapt to a ‘working from home’ model and the last few months has proven that it can work just fine.

According to recent surveys conducted by WKspace based in the UK, most workers would prefer a mixed week of days in the office and days working from home in the post COVID world. Almost 50% of their respondents reported a preference for 2-3 days in the office.

From the same studies, 70% of respondents prefer to perform concentrated working from home, and a similar percentage at 65% prefer to perform collaborative work in the office. Interestingly there was only a slight majority at 54% that would prefer to conduct meetings in the office, and 68% prefer to socialise with colleagues in the office as well.

Based on these findings it’s easy to see a future where office spaces are geared up to be more like collaboration hubs for teams to come together, meet, discuss, delegate and then return home to complete their allotted tasks if suitable.

An interesting outcome of this co blend working environment of some people being at home and in the office is how video conferencing (VC) is being treated. Pre-COVID it was very typical to hold larger meetings in conference rooms with VC feeds to other conference rooms in other offices.

But with a potential mix of people being onsite or working from home, this presents some interesting challenges to that VC working arrangement. There is a fear of exclusion that comes about if there are only a few participants that are on VC with the rest of the participants being in person.

Therefore, it has become almost policy in some organisations where if one person is dialling in individually then everyone must dial in individually from their own PC/laptops, even if they are onsite. This creates a more level meeting environment and is a great equaliser.

Looking at our own organisation, Guymer Bailey, as an example, when we have VC meetings with our Brisbane and Melbourne colleagues we often dial in individually on our own devices, this way it is easier for an individual to be heard no matter where their location is.

I anticipate that there will be more demand for individual VC solutions, webcams, and headsets. There will also be a need for improved internet connectivity to facilitate such arrangements. When it comes to network infrastructure, I believe there will be an even greater transition to cloud-based networking solutions to mitigate the bottlenecking of office VPN connections and the like.

What about hot desks, are they a thing of the past now or here to stay?

It is likely that hot desks will become even more common. Sharing spaces may seem counterintuitive at first, but if you think about it, it is much easier to enforce a clean desk policy with a hot desk than it is with a dedicated workstation per person. Hot desks force people to be more mindful of what items they need to get their work done and avoid the build-up of the clutter.

This will make it possible for more thorough cleaning to be performed overnight and will be more hygienic, so long as a thorough and regular cleaning regime is in place. Also, dedicated workstations take up more real estate and it is likely that it will only be used half the time. So, I believe hot desks are more likely to become the norm, but with careful cleaning and sanitisation protocols. 

Are you finding projects are applying new design principles in response to COVID-19?

There have been several projects that are applying new design principles in response to COVID-19. Interestingly, most has been focused on immediate risk mitigation in the short and medium-term. So simple things like rearranging seating layouts to ensure social distancing and meeting the 4sqm per person density quotient.

Interestingly there is a collective expectation that there will be a return to normality, so long-term design planning has not been overly affected yet. In fact, some of our projects where we are performing COVID distancing modifications have funding contingencies to revert works back to a pre-COVID setting.

However, what we have seen is a greater priority put towards upgrading and future proofing ICT infrastructure to support remote working. Also, as the white-collar workforce transitions back to the office, we are already seeing staggered days of staff working onsite or from home to comply with distancing guidelines. As the world begins the road to recovery and as economic confidence returns, I believe it is likely that we will see the next revolution in office design come. I for one am very optimistic and excited about the future of commercial design.

About Gohta Shiraishi

Gohta Shiraishi has over 10 years’ experience in the retail and commercial interior design sectors. Having a background in Industrial Design, Gohta is highly focused on the human interface with the built environment and is passionate about creating well thought out design solutions that are as functional as they are aesthetically pleasing.

Schools in the Future: An Architectural Perspective

In February I attended Learning Environments Australasia’s Afternoon with Stephen Harris, held at St Peters Lutheran College on Schools of the Future. Stephen is an educator and innovator, and the Co-Founder and Director of Our Dream School, Barcelona. Throughout the evening some progressive points were raised and I have been reflecting on them and what they mean for us as specialists in education design.

He opened with a problem, “the problem with education in Australia is that we do mediocre really well. Our current education system believes that examinations and assessments are the only way to judge a child's work.”

He used the bushfire crisis as an example. Some areas of Australia had year 12 students completing final exams in safety and air conditioned comfort, while others, at schools in bushfire paths that were surrounded by smoke and blaze and at risk of burning down. How are these two circumstances comparable in an exam scenario? How can we expect to compare the exam results from these two contrasting environments?

The answer is that we can’t. Perhaps the answer is that we begin to move past our current method of pedagogy, a faculty centred educational system founded in exam culture, towards one of heutagogy, a transformative system which teaches students how to learn and gain the competencies and skills they need for their selected field. 

The case of moving forward from pedagogy to heutagogy

Heutagogy was first defined in 2000 by Stewart Hase and Chris Kenyon as a form of self-determined learning, the benefit of the heutagogical approach is it teaches lifelong learning by allowing students to negotiate the learning process. 

In the traditional pedagogical style, the teacher is the lead and the primary source of knowledge, and they decide what the students will learn and how. In the heutagogical style, the teacher is the support or guide, that encourages students to determine a problem or area of lacking knowledge, reflect on the problem in-depth, determine actions to solve the problem and then lastly reflect on the path that was taken. 

The course design elements of heutagogy can include:

• Reflective journaling

• Action Research which allows learners to experiment with real-life situations

• Formative and summative assessment 

• Collaborative learning (Blaschke, 2012).

 McAuliffe, Hargreaves, Winter and Chadwick (2008) proposed the following principles of heutagogy:

• Knowing how to learn is a crucial skill

• Educators focus on the learning process rather than content

•  Learning goes beyond specific discipline

•  Learning occurs through self-chosen and self-directive action

This approach shifts focus to the process of learning rather than a means to an end. The learner is now at the centre of the learning process so we see high degrees of cognitive and meta-cognitive skills develop as a result, such as innovation, creativity and self-direction. 

In short, pedagogy is objective based and heutagogy is capability-based, shifting students towards a mindset of lifelong learning to improve their employability and career progression.

How architecture can support this shift in learning

Now that we understand the transformation to heutagogy, what does this mean for educational architecture and our roles as designers? What does this mean for the physical building fabric of our schools and how do we need to design our places of education to foster and facilitate this transformation? 

The physical environment of our schools is important because it either compliments or subtracts from the learning environment. Our school buildings control basic human requirements such as air-flow and sunlight, they provide space for individual or group work, shared work zones, connection between classrooms, indoor and outdoor teaching, the flexibility for changing technology, and so on. But is this enough?

Heutagogy indicates a need to shift away from teacher run classrooms and garden variety 60m2 30 kid 1 teacher general learning area towards something completely different. But what is that something different and how do we need to design our places of education to foster and facilitate this transformation? 

While I don’t profess to have the answer, my current thinking is that it needs to be a staged response. 

Stage 1 - The Classroom

The heutagogical approach acknowledges that knowing how to learn is a crucial life skill, so the focus needs to be on the learning process, not the content. This suggests the need to move away from the teacher being the head of the classroom and move towards an inward-facing zone-based layout. White boards and other usual learning focal points would be replaced by individual resources for each student to use in the design and navigation of their classroom tasks. Flexibility in the use of space exists to support the delivery of individual resources for students through open planning and flexible furniture. In this stage we begin to see connectivity, both connectivity between the classroom environment and outdoor environments, and also to other classrooms both physically and technologically. 

Stage 2 - The Block

Soon, the typical block layout will not be enough. Realistically, one teacher in a class of 20-30 students will not have the resources or capacity to oversee a personalised curriculum for each student. So in the second step of the transformation we look at the whole block, creating larger zones and a choice of learning opportunities through a flexible curriculum with different educators offering a range of workshops.  

We also start to see changes happening in the resources and spaces available to educators in order to support the students. The physical staff spaces change to facilitate collaboration and technology develops to allow linking in with external experts and educators. It is important to emphasise the change in the educators space as equally as important as the change in the learners space in order to facilitate the transformation.

Stage 3 - The School

The final step is an expansion of the methods laid out in step two, only on a larger scale. Here we say goodbye to year level grades and set buildings and home rooms, and move towards completely flexible and customised learning. 

Tests and examinations are a thing of the past as we create an environment where students of differing stages and abilities can learn in an environment that suits their learning needs, instead of conforming and compromising to fit within the box of the current pedagogical system. 

Educators are brought in as experts or linked in from abroad to offer specialised classes and every student is provided with a choice of curriculum with unique and personalised timetables. Dream school status is achieved, and we succeed in the transformation, creating a supportive and connected learning community.

By considering the school as a whole we lift the limits of the traditional ‘classroom’ and begin to encompass additional spaces into the learning environment such as natural landscape, neighboring bushland, the broader community in which the school campus lies. By considering the school as a whole, and not as a repetitive cluster of classrooms of the same type, we gain freedom to establish a wider variety of learning spaces for the benefit of both the student and educator. 

So imagine we have reached stage 3 and that the transformation was a success, the dream school has been realised and the path of the Australian education system has been changed forever. One problem still remains. What do we do with all these static old ‘school buildings’? The ones, that for one reason or another, were not transformed into dream school campuses.

As Stephen aptly pointed out, blocks of 60m2 classrooms will easily convert to retirement village apartments, resolving our nursing home crisis, housing our ever-growing population of aging Australians.

Essentially solving the problems of two sectors through one transformation.

About the Author

Grace Arezio is part of our Brisbane education design team and has taken a particular interest in helping schools achieve a healthier, productive and more sustainable school environment for students and staff.

Managing the work, school, life balance: top tips from our Interiors team

Does the work, home, and school balance have you scrambling at the moment? Like you've got a little too many balls in the air and might be at risk of a concussion? You're not alone. Parents everywhere are feeling the stress at the moment.

To help you (and us!) get through this rather interesting period and create a productive earn/learn environment, we spoke to some of the parents in our Interiors team, Severina Galvin, Gohta Shiraishi, Yoshino Seki and Sweta Solanki to get their top tips.

Have an understanding between your project team and family members

Gohta: "Your team needs to understand that there will be times that you'll need to help out with a maths problem, get an iPad working or change a nappy. At the same time, your family also needs to respect the fact that although there is flexibility, you have a responsibility to get your work done, and there are virtual meetings to attend and deadlines to meet.

 A simple way of looking at things, I find, is that work is not 9-5. It'll be more in increments like 7.00-9.30am, 10:00-11:30am, so on and so forth and your team needs to understand this. It helps if you give your team some heads up though!

I like to send a quick skype message to the team that says "bubs" and I've explained to them beforehand that that means there's a matter at home that needs my attention and that I'll be "offline" for a little while. But I make up for this by being responsive and available to the team when online to maintain good communication.

Conversely, when that clock hits 5.00pm, your family needs to be accommodating to the fact that you may need to work "back" to get that deadline done. Sometimes this will entail working at odd times or answering emails at 11.00pm long after the kids are tucked in."

Focus on QUALITY rather than quantity

Gohta: "This applies to both the "work" and "home" settings. When you're spending time with the family, be present with them. Switch off your notifications and put that phone, iPad and computer away for that precious couple of hours you have with them. 

Also, with your work, try and have a proper home office set-up so you can concentrate productively away from distractions (for those odd periods in-between home duties), so you can produce quality work. This includes a proper task chair, workstation and IT set-up, ideally in a dedicated room."

Create a productive workspace shared workspace with your child/children

Severina: “To create a comfortable and productive workspace you’ll want an area where you can get fresh air, views to nature, good lighting (natural light as the first preference and then task lighting) and ambient noise control either through headphones, physical distancing or separation, if possible.

Ergonomic comfort is also important but may be challenging at home. Be mindful of the comfort levels of your available furniture and settings and try to adjust as much as possible.

Consider setting up a variety of school and work areas to break the monotony of being in the same space and create more reasons for moving breaks to help with transition and controlling acoustic privacy needs for different tasks. I recommend using your outdoor space for studying and work as much as you can.”

Yoshino: “I recommend setting a daily routine and start schooling an hour before work. That way my child is settled with all the set tasks; it makes it easier to start the day. Let your child know about the day's schedule in the morning, so they know what is happening and also mention those key spots when you can't be interrupted. 

Be flexible with working spots throughout the day. That might involve sitting next to your child or letting them do a task next to you at your desk. This also helps you utilise those small gaps of time between meetings to talk to your child about how they are going.

Another hand tip is to make sure the toys are away before starting home school to avoid distraction and make DVDs and games treats after all of their schoolwork is done. Where possible, try not to have DVDs and games during the day as it will break the boundary, leaving them until later can also motivate them to get their schoolwork done."

Find ways to balance work and teaching

Yoshino: "Try not to worry too much about completing the set daily task organised by the educator. It's more important that your child feels comfortable learning. Balance the day by alternating focused work with activities to keep your child engaged and be creative in organising tasks. Not all tasks given by the school will suit every child, so where possible, try to turn it into a fun activity.

If the task seems too hard for the child, keep trying but don't push, they will eventually get it (100% guaranteed!) so look at the situation in the long run."

Sweta: "Where possible, share the load. My husband also helps in home schooling. So, we plan out our day depending on our meetings scheduled and take turns in teaching a subject each.

Also, remember to look for the rewards. I now have a greater insight into the tasks and activities my child does at school. Previously, I only got to see her task books when they returned home at the end of the year; now, I feel more connected to her education. This experience has also increased my appreciation for all the hard work and dedication the teachers and schools put towards the students. It's not an easy task."

Be kind to yourself

Gohta: "Working from home with children can be a real juggling act at the best of times, so be realistic with what you can achieve with work and at home. Sometimes the greatest pressure placed on working parents is from ourselves. If you know you can't get something done, be open and transparent with your team (work and home) and say so. While it can be hard to admit we can't do everything, it is far better for everyone to be honest from the start. 

Remember that the value you bring to work is not always in the work you produce; it's in the expertise and knowledge that you bring to the table. As working parents, we're typically a bit further along in our professional careers and often the best way to be more productive is to impart this knowledge to the younger generation so they can be better equipped to get the work done! Delegating is a powerful tool when done right."

Look after yourself

Gohta: "At 11months old, my daughter will still not sleep through the night, so perpetual sleep deprivation is the new reality. I find fresh air and some upbeat music are far better than reaching for that cup of coffee. Sometimes a quick walk or even five minutes of shut-eye can give you just enough of a refresher to keep going for a little while."

Yoshino: "Try to set a daily exercise activity like taking a walk in the morning or afternoon to set the routine and reduce stress. Eat healthily and maintain set mealtimes, save your snacks for morning and afternoon tea."

There you have it! Some great tips that will go a long way in maintaining a happy environment at home while being under pressure at work. 

COVID-19 Pandemic Policy and Response Plan

 During these unprecedented times, our commitment to providing clients with the best design outcome is unchanged. We are fully operational and continue to work to ensure our services are being delivered in line with client and industry expectations without compromising the broader impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on our community. 

This policy outlines our continued commitment to clients and teams and how we will ensure business continuity and a safe environment for our team, clients and sub-consultants during this time. 

Work from home 

Early in the pandemic, Guymer Bailey provided employees with the ability to work from home to ensure their health and wellbeing and to do our part in helping to flatten the curve. 

Working remotely has always been part of our flexible work arrangements, so our ability to adapt to these changes company-wide has been both seamless and efficient. Our IT infrastructure enables our team members to have access to the software, resources and tools they need to work productively and communicate effectively with our clients and consultants to maintain our desired level of design excellence. 

Prioritise hygiene 

It has always been Guymer Bailey’s stance that if an employee is unwell, they are to stay home. Should an employee need to enter our studio or attend a client meeting or site meeting staff are advised to wash hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. To protect our team on-site, we do provide protective equipment, which now includes hand sanitiser and gloves. 

When we return to the studio, staff will be encouraged to clean their workstations regularly with disinfectant and avoid using other staff members’ workstations and personal items. 

Practice social distancing 

If indoors, there must be a minimum of four square metres per person. Those who are working in the office are encouraged to spread out to maintain social distancing. If outside, there must be a minimum of 1.5m between people. As per government advice, handshaking is to be avoided. 

Limit project meetings and site visits 

Project meetings will be addressed on a case-by-case basis in response to client or contractor requirements and the personal situation of our team members. Gatherings are to be limited in accordance with Government restrictions and should follow social distancing protocols. 

The safety and wellbeing of our team is our top priority. Staff are encouraged to conduct meetings using “non-contact” methods such as Zoom, Skype or Teams and only initiate face-to-face meetings if absolutely essential. Should a meeting be essential, but social distancing measures are not enforced or followed, our team have been instructed to leave for their wellbeing.

We have also made it clear to our team that if they are not comfortable in attending meetings and site visits at this time as they are concerned for their personal health or the health of vulnerable family members, we will fully support their decision not to attend.

Avoid travel

To protect our team and be in alignment with Government travel advice, we have directed our staff to avoid interstate travel unless absolutely necessary. If necessary, domestic travellers should refer to State Government websites for isolation requirements.

Seek support

Staff are encouraged to talk to their manager if they require support in any way. If additional support is needed, our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is also available to all employees (casual, part-time and full-time) and their immediate family members.

Professional counselling and coaching are key services of AccessEAP, with access to support services available 24/7. Staff members and their immediate family members are entitled to five 1-hour counselling/coaching sessions each year. This service is confidential, and AccessEAP will not provide Guymer Bailey with the details of matters discussed.

In the event of a confirmed case within our studios

If there is a confirmed case within one of our studios, all people within close contact of the infected staff member in the 24 hours prior to the development of symptoms are to be identified and notified and are required to self-isolate immediately. The studio will be closed until a hospital-grade clean is completed. Staff who have not been in close contact with the confirmed case will be permitted to return once the office has been cleaned, and as a precautionary measure, all staff who have been in the studio in the previous week will be tested. If more than one case is confirmed the studio will be closed for 14 days.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, muscle pain and fatigue, if any team members are suffering from any of these, they will be required to call the COVID-19 24-hour hotline on 1800 675 398 or contact their GP or local emergency department to arrange testing and appropriate care.

As the situation continues to develop and new information comes to light, we may need to change our approach detailed within this policy. In this case, we will do so with careful consideration and open communication with our team. As we do work collaboratively with clients, we are open to adapting to other organisation's requirements during this time and welcome conversations accordingly. 

If you have any questions regarding Guymer Bailey's response to COVID-19, you are welcome to contact our directors, Kavan Applegate on (03) 8547 5000 or Phil Jackson on (07) 3870 9700.

At the forefront of rehabilitative design

As prisoner numbers in Australia continue to break records rising 40% since 2012*, greater focus is being placed on reducing recidivism rates among offenders. With more than 20 years in the design, documentation and construction of prisons, leading correctional architect Kavan Applegate, believes the key to minimising recidivism rates is in rehabilitative design.

As the lead design consultant on many of Australia’s most innovative correctional projects including the $200 million Hopkins Correctional Centre expansion and the multi-award winning $670 million Ravenhall Prison Project, Kavan Applegate knows how crucial architecture is in secure environments.

 “Our environment has a profound effect on us. It changes how we interact with others and how we view ourselves. It reasons, therefore, that the physical environment of a prison influences prisoners, staff, and visitors in a myriad of ways. This leaves us as architects of correctional facilities with a great opportunity, but also a substantial responsibility.” Kavan said.

He continues, “Research demonstrates that if prisoners feel safe, they are more likely to engage in rehabilitation and education programs. With this in mind, master planning of secure accommodation needs to create communities that are engaging, uplifting, and interactive, and also communicate a sense of safety and security.”

Ravenhall Correctional Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Despite his strong passion for rehabilitative design, the Melbourne-based architect and director of multi-award winning architecture, landscape architecture and interior design practice, Guymer Bailey Architects, hasn’t always specialised in correctional architecture, in fact, getting into it was “by accident” he explains.

“I started to see the size and complexity of some of the correctional projects in the office and was keen to get involved. Once I started, I never escaped.”

While many people may wonder how design could have such a profound impact in the correctional environment, Kavan is resolved, to change behaviour, you must improve the environment. 

“As part of our design strategy for secure environments we create normalised environments as much as possible, so there is less institutionalisation, and the transition out of the prison system is easier. Increased access to daylight and external spaces, and minimising unnecessary auditory pollution are methods of decreasing stress levels and subconscious anxiety. They also enhance the likelihood of improved sleep, which is another key factor in improving physical and mental health.”

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

He continues, “A calm physical environment is more likely to be a safe and secure environment. The removal of hiding spots through increased passive surveillance and clever planning solutions improve security and this, in turn, decreases user anxiety. Lighting solutions with optimal uniformity are more secure and help to create more pleasant spaces. We place a lot of emphasis on interfacing the design with the operational needs. And on this basis, a high-quality rehabilitative prison operating philosophy, combined with a rehabilitative design is the optimum framework for rehabilitative outcomes.”

According to Yvonne Jewkes, Professor of Criminology at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, the main difference in Kavan’s approach is that he understands that good architecture is designing not for prisoners, but for people.

“Kavan is unusual, in my experience of prison architects, at least, in that his designs are underpinned by clinical and social scientific research evidence. Designing prisons to rehabilitate offenders is not easy, because of the systemic, structural and social disadvantages that most prisoners come from, and return to, on release from custody. Kavan understands this, but he also believes that prison design can make a profound difference to rehabilitative outcomes.”

She continues, “In part, it is about making practical decisions concerning where to situate key workers like prison officers, psychologists and teachers in relation to prisoners, how many workshops and classrooms are required, how prisoner movement can be facilitated to allow a degree of autonomy and choice, and so on. But these things are also about treating prisoners with decency, dignity and respect to help them on their rehabilitative journey.”

Hopkins Correctional Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

According to Kavan, there will be a more significant push towards rehabilitative design in corrections as the government continues to combat rising prisoner numbers moving forward.

"We have seen notable changes in Australian correctional architecture, and many of these are State-based. Design in some States is definitely moving toward a more rehabilitative approach, especially influenced by Public Private Partnership (PPP) prison projects. The aim for ‘normalisation’ of correctional architecture has had a lot of traction, and in the future I believe this will significantly increase, drawing from contemporary education, university accommodation, and specialised health and mental health typologies."

He continues, "Counter to this, there has been a significant increase in the number of remand prisoners throughout Australia, which has required additional accommodation to be quickly put to market, often within existing secure facilities. This increase in bed numbers within an existing secure perimeter often results in more segregation of prisoner cohorts to manage prisoner movements and congregations. It is then incumbent on the skills of correctional architects to do all possible to retain or enhance the rehabilitative focus in even more contained and intense environments."

Statistic source: *Corrective Services, Australia, June quarter 2018, Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4512.0

A Tribute to Ralph: Q&A with Guymer Bailey Landscape’s Rob Waddell

This year we say goodbye to our remaining founder, Ralph Bailey, as he heads into retirement. As an AIA Life Fellow, Ralph has had an impressive career spanning five decades and has built a reputation for designing award-winning architecture and landscaping in the community, education, corrections, justice and resorts sectors.

To honour Ralph, and celebrate his time here at Guymer Bailey, we sat down with Principal Landscape Architect, Rob Waddell, who has had the privilege of being mentored by Ralph over the last two decades. We hope you enjoy, as we have, getting a small glimpse into the impact Ralph has had, and the legacy he leaves behind.

How long have you known Ralph?

I’ve known Ralph since I was six years old. I went to primary school with Ralph’s son Luke. He also gave me my first Landscape Architecture job back in 2002 when I was 19 years old and a 3rd year student.

If you had to capture Ralph in just a few words, how would you describe him?

A passionate, dedicated and talented architect, a reliable friend and mentor, and as stubborn as a mule!

What have you learned from him as a mentor?

Ralph has taught me more than anyone in terms of design and technical skills. He has also taught me to back yourself and advocate strongly for what you believe in – particularly with regards to design.

Do you have a favourite moment?

There are many. Though the best would have to be receiving the QLD Architecture Medal for the Frew Park Arena Play Structure together with Ralph. The project epitomises the true collaborative working relationship we’ve had for many years. That and the lovely speech he gave at our wedding.

On the lighter side, Ralph has been a pretty good sport when the subject of practical jokes, some of which were instigated by me. Years ago, I doctored a fake letter from a Queensland Police client saying Guymer Bailey had been terminated from a project due to Ralph’s unpaid traffic offences. We had to tell him it was a joke to stop him from ringing the client. He was pretty annoyed initially, but months later he eventually saw the funny side.

Another memorable moment was at the Anderson Street Office. Ralph is a notorious hoarder and his old workspace used to resemble a human sized bird’s nest. One time his desk collapsed under the weight and all the paper flew out across the mezzanine and showered down on everyone working on the lower level.

Lastly, there was the time he accidently heated his meat pie in the microwave for 20 minutes instead of two minutes on the weekend. He smoked out the office and the meat pie had completely petrified to the microwave plate. Ralph was so amazed that he kept it to show everyone the next Monday.

What is the best advice Ralph has given you?

Earning the trust of the client is of the utmost importance and this means approaching each project with conviction and fighting for what you believe in.

What will you miss most with him retiring?

His presence. There is always a comfort knowing that he is available and nearby to provide assistance, support or advice.

What legacy do you think he leaves behind in the company and sector as a whole?

The company carries his name, which is synonymous with quality and architecture and high standards in customer service.

2019 Pop Up Art Show

The GBA Brisbane Studio was transformed once again for our annual Brisbane Pop Up Art Show fundraiser for Hear and Say. The popular community event is held on LOUD Shirt Day each year, a national community initiative to raise funds so that children affected by hearing loss can live life loudly.

Now in its seventh year, the Art Show raised over $4,400 and welcomed more than 200 guests through our doors to admire the incredible talents of our team and local artists who showcased a variety of mediums including drawings, paintings, prints, photography, engraved glass, sculptures and more.

The art, along with live music, good company and a delicious grazing table kept guests captivated in between raffles and the auction, which featured the beautiful painting ‘Wings of Freedom' by local artist Lara Accarias.

Phil Jackson, director of Guymer Bailey Architects, said:

“The Annual Art show is a proud tradition of ours that supports a wonderful not-for-profit organisation in Hear and Say. Every year they help thousands of children and young adults who experience hearing loss, providing them with the highest standard of clinical care.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our artists, sponsors, clients, business associates and of course our local community who continue to support this event each year. A special thank you also goes to our Art Show team who work tirelessly to make this event a success.”

— Phil Jackson

We had some amazing raffle prizes on the night that were donated by the following generous sponsors:

• Edmonds (CSR) - G.H.MUMM Champagne

• Kingfisher Bay Resort Group - Fraser Island Adventure package ($449 per person twin share) which includes, 2 nights' resort hotel accommodation, hot buffet breakfast daily, return passenger ferry transfers ex River Heads, full-day 4WD 'Beauty Spots' tour of Fraser Island in a custom-built coach, including morning tea, lunch and National Park Fees

• PGH Bricks - $100 JB HIFI Voucher

• GWA Group - Caroma Sink Mixer (Black)

• Light and Design Group - Roses Chocolates & Moet

• Fire and Ice Hair Studio – Hair Products

• Arc Panel - $100 Red Balloon Voucher

• Armstrong Flooring - $150 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Gift Voucher

• USG Boral - New Farm Confectionery Box & Chateau de Chantegrive Graves 2015 – Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

• Built Environment Channel Pty Ltd - $100 Voucher Ticketek

• CIS - Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1

• Polytec - The Hamper Emporium – Moet Champagne & Morgan’s Classics Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans, Fruit and Nut, Toffee Popcorn Brittle, Polytec small coffee cups and saucers, Polytec Clip car mount

• MLight - A selection of Champagnes

• Alinta Energy - Australian Men’s Cricket Team Pack with Shirt

• SHAW Contract - Human-Centric by Shaw Contract and a selection of books: Joyful, Colorstrology - What Your Birthday Says about You, 10 Essential Hugs of Life, Get Sh*t Done,

• Point Pod – Point Pod (an integrated and functional pop-up power outlet hidden within your bench top)

• Luxxbox - Outdoor South Chair (purple)

• Dulux - 1.2m high Dulux Fluffy dog & $150 Dulux Voucher

• Fytogreen - 2 x 100 ltr bags of Hydrocell

• Harvey Norman Commercial - Delonghi Kettle and Toaster

• Kingspan - $100 Woolworths Voucher

• Schiavello - 1 x Cache Ped

• Konfurb – 1 x Link coffee table (black)

Even if you missed the Art Show, you can still donate! Click here to help children and young adults who are experiencing hearing loss continue to get the highest standard of clinical care.

For more images be sure to head over to our Facebook page.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the role it plays in correctional design

By Craig Blewitt

Have you ever noticed how some built spaces feel inherently comfortable and homely, and others can feel unwelcoming and unnerving? From a design perspective, there are many factors behind this dichotomy – scale, materiality, orientation to name but a few.

As designers, we always aim to create comfortable and welcoming spaces, but have you ever paused to wonder how that feeling of being truly comfortable is created on a psychological level? Instead of thinking about what a place needs for us to feel comfortable, perhaps we should be asking the reverse - what do we need to feel comfortable in a place?

If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology class, you’ve more than likely heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. If we start at the bottom of the hierarchy and move upwards, the needs are physiological, safety, love or belonging, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualisation and transcendence.

The bottom four needs are characterised as deficiency needs. These needs arise from deprivation and are said to motivate people when the need is unmet. The motivation to fulfil deficiency needs becomes stronger, the longer they are denied. For example, the longer you go without food, the hungrier you are. The top four needs are characterised as growth needs. These stem not from the lack of something, but from a desire to grow as a person.

All sounds a bit too cryptic and abstract? Stick with me; it gets interesting when you apply this theory to the buildings and spaces we live in and view their design through this lens. For me, it gets even more interesting when you apply the theory to my area of expertise, the design of correctional facilities.

In many ways, the hierarchy that Maslow has given to human needs mirrors the progression that we aim for prisoners to experience during their time inside. Firstly, they are given accommodation and a place in which they hopefully feel safe (the basic needs).

Then, through programs and counselling, they try to repair relationships and rebuild their sense of self-esteem (the psychological needs). Finally, with education and rehabilitative support, prisoners hopefully reach a point where they have the skills and confidence to rejoin society upon their release (the self-fulfilment needs).

If the ultimate goal is for prisoners to progress to through the needs to reach the self-actualisation stage (rehabilitation) and the transcendence stage (helping others), then we need to consider what we can incorporate into designs to help each of the preceding needs to be met.

Ravenhall Correctional Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Physiological needs

While all prisons provide the basic needs of shelter and food, the design of facilities determines how well these needs are met. This includes the provision of natural ventilation for fresh air, heating and cooling to maintain a comfortable temperature range and acoustic treatments that allow for a quiet place for rest. All of these areas help in meeting the physiological needs of prisoners.

Safety needs

Creating an environment that feels safe for both staff and prisoners is always a challenge. The knee jerk reaction is often to create physical barriers to separate prisoner groups from each other and staff.

But simple things like designing in good passive surveillance, encouraging interaction between prisoners and staff, and the creation of spaces that range from private areas of seclusion to larger communal spaces, can often have a greater effect in making a correctional facility feel safe.

Love and belonging needs

We often, quite rightly, focus on destressing and normalising the experience for visitors so that prisoners can maintain a connection to loved ones. However, to properly address the need for ‘belonging’, our designs also need to enable a sense of community within correctional facilities, particularly for prisoners with longer sentences. Small things like creating gardens that prisoners can look after, and the installation of prisoner artwork can create a sense of ownership and belonging.

Hopkins Correctional Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Esteem needs

A great example of building self-esteem through design is the design of spaces that cater for people with disabilities to provide them with an increased sense of dignity and independence. The same focus on increasing dignity and independence can also be applied to the design of correctional facilities.

Technologies such as full-body scanners can improve prisoners sense of dignity through reducing the need for strip searches, the use of self-catering facilities for meals and laundry can improve prisoners sense of independence, and the provision of educational programs can provide prisoners with a sense of achievement. All of which can help improve prisoners sense of self-worth.

Cognitive needs

Inside a correctional centre, the freedom to learn and absorb knowledge can often be restricted by the environment. However, technology is making information and learning more and more accessible to prisoners.

About the Author

Craig Blewitt is one of our most experienced correctional architects, managing all correctional and justice projects in our Brisbane Studio and assisting on the large correctional projects managed by our Melbourne Studio.

What is a DA and BA?

By Suzanne Goodson

Have you ever wondered what the terms DA and BA mean? It's quite common to hear the acronyms DA and BA thrown around by the architects, planners and building certifiers working on your project. To help you, here we explain what a Development Approval (DA) and Building Approval (BA) are - and what you need to know about them.

What is a Development Approval (DA)?

To carry out certain types of developments, an application may need to be made to the Local Authority for a development permit. The development application provides information about the proposed development to enable the Council to assess the application properly.

Depending on the type of development proposed, the application may likely require information about what the development will look like, the proposed materials, and any impacts it may have on the surrounding environment.

Development applications are assessed under the Planning Act 2016.

Development Application steps:

We recommend a specialist (Town Planner) is engaged for the process of determining if a Development Approval is required. They have a detailed understanding of local authority requirements and the local City planning instruments.

• Preparation – if a DA is required, the Town Planner will prepare a report to explain the proposed development. Our drawings will form part of the submitted material to Council

• Lodgement – Once lodged the packages can be tracked through Council. Council can request clarification and ask questions during this period. Often queries are raised as RFIs (request for information)

• Referrals (in some cases) – sometimes your proposal may trigger additional referral agencies. This is if your development impacts them in some way. For instance, agencies such as Transport and Main Roads, Heritage or Department of Natural Resources and Mines.

• Public notification - This is a statutory period of time in which the project proposal must be advertised to give residents, neighbours and the public an opportunity to lodge their concerns.

• Assessment – The Council then assess the application. This can take several months. The Town Planner may be able indicate approximate time frames.

• Making changes to your application - Throughout the process, development applications may be modified by the applicant. Depending on the nature of the change, some steps of the assessment process may need to be repeated.

What you need to know:

• The Local Council dictates timeframes. Some properties don't require a DA, some can be fast-tracked and dealt within months, and others trigger several processes and referral agencies which can take years.

• Town planners are the specialists in this field and should be commissioned early to provide the best advice. We work alongside Town Planners preparing drawings and documents to support the application.

• The local authority sets the application fee, and the client must pay them to proceed. Infrastructure charges are also charged depending upon the nature of the project and complexity.

• Clients should be aware this process is entirely out of our hands (as architects) and controlled by the Local Authority. We will facilitate the process by providing prompt responses, help and assistance where possible.

What is a Building Approval (BA)?

A Building Approval is also referred to as 'certification'. It is required for developments that involve carrying out building work under the Planning Act 2016, as well as under specific building legislation.

Building approvals require assessment against the Building Code of Australia (or the National Construction Code) and each States Building and Plumbing Regulations. These codes and regulations are mainly concerned with issues such as:

• Structural safety and stability

• Appropriate fire protection and safety

• Pest protection (termites etc.)

• Adequate sewer and drainage

• Meeting minimum energy and water efficiency standards (often referred to as ESD – Environmentally Sustainable Design)

While building approvals are usually issued once for a specific structure or building, building legislation may require various technical inspections at different stages of the building process, including completion.

An accredited private Building Certifier needs to issue a Building Approval. Your Certifier is responsible for lodging building approvals and certification information with the Council.

What you need to know:

• The Building Certifier does not deal with the development approval or town planning matters (other than confirming compliance) including specific regulatory overlays such as heritage and character buildings or protected vegetation.

• The Building Certifier will need to review lots of documents and certificates regarding the compliance of the design and the completed physical build.

• They require Certificates from other building professionals such as Registered Engineers (Structural, Hydraulic, Electrical, Mechanical etc.) in the form of “Form 15s” in Queensland to attest to the fact that that particular design component is in keeping with Australian standards and other regulations.

• The Certifier will request certificates from the builder/contractor that ensure the project has been built in accordance with the endorsed design.

• Building work that impacts on stormwater infrastructure or sewer infrastructure may require a “Request to Build Over Infrastructure Application“ to be lodged with the Local Authority and/or Utility.

• Stormwater for your property needs to be connected to a legal point of discharge and requires the same Engineering compliance and forms.

• Changes and additions of vehicle crossings and driveway gradients require an Operation Works Approval.

• We suggest the early engagement of your Certifier to allow for compliance advice during the planning stages and avoid abortive work.

• Timeframes vary and depend on the complexity of your project and the Certifiers workload.

• A stamped approved set of drawings must be kept on the construction site.

About the Author

Suzanne Goodson has more than two decades’ experience in architectural design, documentation and contract administration, and has been the project architect for numerous commercial, residential, multi-residential, judicial, leisure and education projects. As an associate Suzanne also acts as the Marketing and Quality Systems Manager at Guymer Bailey, ensuring our client’s needs stay at the forefront of designs to deliver high-quality projects that exceed expectations.

Biophilic Design in Prisons

By Rachel Hur

Scenario

Imagine that you are in a cubicle located in the middle of the office floor plate. Your office has a glazed front, but you are looking into another open office. You have no real window or view to the outside, so you can't tell if it's raining outside or sunny. If you are lucky, and you do have a window, it's fixed, and you are looking into an office in the neighbouring building that is five metres away.

The fluorescent lighting that you sit under for eight hours has thrown out your body's natural circadian rhythm. The ventilation is alright, but you start to feel droopy at around 3pm because the carbon dioxide levels in your shoebox have risen. It might even feel a bit stuffy, regardless of the door being open or closed. As you don't have an operable window, you have been breathing in recycled air all day. When you get outside and take a breath, you will instantly notice that the air outside is fresh.

Now multiply that by five days a week, 48 weeks a year. Maybe you will get a pot plant in a few weeks.

The Biophilia Hypothesis

Exposure to the natural world is essential for human wellbeing because humans have an innate connection with the natural world (Gills).

It sounds obvious, doesn't it? But how often do we rely on the natural world to recharge and reconnect? We live in a world full of distractions and in a culture that prioritises efficiency, quick change and instant gratification. Is it any wonder that the rates of anxiety and depression are increasing, and our knowledge and awareness of mental health issues and mindfulness are growing to combat this?

We need the natural environment now more than ever. To look beyond the concrete jungle that has become our normal life, and find moments to breathe, destress and recover. Nature has been there all along, patiently waiting for us to stop, take a breath and recharge.

What does this have to do with design and architecture, you might ask?

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Biophilic Design – what is it?

Biophilic design philosophy encourages the use of natural systems and processes in design to allow for exposure to nature. Exposure to nature has been found to have positive responses on human psychology and physiology in contribution to improved health and wellbeing (Gills, Soderlund).

It is the integration of the biophilia hypothesis into design. Biophilic design has been further incorporated into environmental psychology theories of Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Recovery Theory. Both theories suggest that there are stressful and non-stressful environments and that non-stressful environments can actively help people recover from stress and fatigue (Gills).

These theories are supported by studies that have found that exposure to nature reduces heart rate variability and pulse rates, decreases blood pressure, lowers cortisol and increases parasympathetic nervous system activity, while lowering sympathetic nervous system activity (Soderlund).

Biophilia is not merely about providing trees and greenery, but consists of different natural layers, which can be divided into direct experience of nature (light, air, weather), indirect experience of nature (natural materials, evoking nature) and the experience of space and place (prospect and refuge, organised complexity).

What do we do with it?

As we specialise in correctional facilities here at Guymer Bailey, we strive to create humane environments that allow for rehabilitation. One of the key ways we do this is using biophilic design.

Let's face it; prisons are known to be "not nice". When we look at the statistics, 44.8% of prisoners released during 2014 – 2015 returned to prison within two years across Australia.

With a design focus on rehabilitation and not punishment, part of this rehabilitation is creating therapeutic spaces and calm environments where people can feel safe and secure. A lot of our decisions in the design process are around biophilic design such as providing access to natural light and fresh air, views to the landscape and use of colour and materials.

Enhancing living quality doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, it just comes down to prioritising and efficient design, and in the case of our secure facilities, the balance with security requirements.

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre, a project completed almost a year ago in the Grampians Region, is an example of successful biophilic design implementation with views out beyond the perimeter fence to the mountains, natural light in every room for both residents and staff, and either operable windows or natural ventilation units in every room across the site. Timber has also been used internally and externally, and we retained as many existing trees as possible to keep that connection to nature. So far, we have received positive staff feedback about the therapeutic design of the facility and the benefits of being able to open all the office windows.

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

What can you do with it?

Biophilic design can reduce stress, improve cognitive performance and positively impact emotions and mood. What's more, it can be implemented in all typologies, including residential, education, commercial, health, and as you have seen corrections. We've even started to implement it in our own studios.

Our Brisbane studio has many operable windows, granted Brisbane has much better weather than Melbourne! In Melbourne, we are restricted from major modifications because we're on the fifth floor of a building but have a row of potted peace lilies to help filter the air. We have also recently replaced a fixed window with operable louvres, and even though it's only one, we've already started feeling the difference in the air (and no, it's not just the cold air of winter!). The CO2 levels are lower on that side of the studio as well.

It's not the easiest thing to change in a building already built, but biophilic design is something that we can design into new projects. Hospitals are seeing the benefits of biophilia for patients and have started building in courtyards and windows. Prisons are doing it; schools are doing it. When will you start doing it?

References

Gillis, K., Gatersleben, B. "A Review of Psychological Literature on Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Biophilic Design"

Soderlund, J., Newman, P. "Improving Mental Health in Prisons Through Biophilic Design"

About the Author

Rachel Hur specialises correctional architecture with a strong focus on rehabilitation and creating therapeutic spaces. This, combined with her passion for sustainability and biophilic design in prisons, makes her a valued member of the Guymer Bailey corrections team. Rachel was the Project Lead on the Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre, which was recently shortlisted in the 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards Sustainability Category.​​

Normalisation in the Correctional Environment

Normalisation has become a bit of a buzzword in the design of correctional facilities, but what does it really mean? A group of the Guymer Bailey team sat down recently to discuss what constitutes a normalised environment and how close we’re getting to achieving it.

What does normalising a correctional environment mean? What do you see as the main benefits?

Kavan Applegate –  The normalisation of ‘what’ needs to be asked. Is a correctional environment aiming to be/look/feel like a house? Or a school campus? Is a cell trying to feel like a bedroom? Or is it more about normalising daily routines and activities? “Normal” environments are often messy or untidy, but institutions aim to be clean and tidy. Is it OK if a cell is a mess, like someone lives at home? Maybe ‘normalised’ isn’t the right word?

Yoshi Seki – In my opinion, normalcy is about allowing prisoners to manage their life within prison to give them a better chance of adjusting back into society upon release. Normalisation comes about through a combination of the physical environment and the way the correctional centre operates. It’s about emphasising the rehabilitation aspect more than punishment, which ultimately reduces chance of reoffending. 

Hopkins Correctional Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Rachel Hur – For me, it’s about providing a humane space – which is difficult to define because there are so many different views on corrections and there is a certain dogma around what a prison should be.

Amanda Larsson – The environment should cater for the natural variations in people’s personality and mood. The interiors and landscape should cater for everything from large active social groups, to quieter conversation spaces and areas of solitude. The simple act of providing variation in the size of seating groups can create different zones of privacy and interaction that mimics societal norms.

Ben Roberts - I think the research on this topic speaks for itself. We need to change the mentality of prisons as a tool of punishment. How can people be expected to rehabilitate and normalise back into society if we lock them in a hard concrete box?

Alie Kennedy - Making sure that it is not institutional is so important for rehabilitation of the prisoners. I see that giving the prisoners an environment that they can be proud of will generally encourage them to treat it with respect, as well as changing their mood about their environment and themselves and each other. We know that most prisoners have not had the easiest life and a “normal” environment might be the one they have never experienced – which comes back to Kavan’s earlier point about defining what ‘normal’ means. I think we need to do our bit to promote this and contribute to dropping recidivism rates as much as we can. 

Ralph Bailey - If prisoners are treated well and given opportunities, they can develop behaviour management and self-control skills, and can learn vocational skills that will benefit them on their return to society. Treat them poorly and they’re more likely to leave prison angry and with limited skills to obtain work and integrate back into society, which makes recidivism more likely.

Craig Blewitt – I agree, prisoners are sent to prison as punishment, not for punishment. The vast majority of prisoners are released back into general society at some point, so it’s important that the conditions inside help prisoners to develop and maintain a normalised routine so that they’re better prepared for release. Simple things such as getting up and going to work or education, taking care of their own health, meals and laundry can play a huge role in helping prisoners transition to normal life once they are released.

Ralph Bailey – Ongoing visitation from family and friends is critical to normalising the life of prisoners. It allows them to maintain and, in many cases, repair the relationships that will support them throughout their sentence and underpin their integration back into society when they’re released.

Amanda Larsson – The landscape environment plays a huge role in destressing this experience for visitors. The approach to the site, and the walk from the carpark to the gatehouse set the tone for the visits experience. The connection between the gatehouse and visits which can often be a sterile and confronting environment, has the opportunity to provide a zone of respite for visitors to decompress after moving through security screening – and we have had the opportunity to embrace this approach in recent projects.

Ben Roberts - Nature and the built environment can drastically change people’s emotions, and there is no reason a prison can’t take advantage of this. If we provide spaces where visitors feel welcome, they’ll come back. If we can provide spaces where prisoners can reflect, learn, grow they must have a better chance when they get back into society.

Rachel Hur – It begins with the architecture of the whole place because it can influence how someone feels and acts in a space. Therefore, being able to inject elements for basic human needs such as access to daylight, fresh air and nature are very fundamental and pretty much a necessity for any sort of design.

Yoshi Seki – I couldn’t agree more, and I think that’s where design can play a big role. Prisons are often a very confrontational place for visitors, so by making the experience for visitors – the gatehouse, security screening and the visits centre – as welcoming as possible, it helps to encourage visitors to return.

Hopkins Correctional Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

How do you balance creating a normalised environment with the security and movement control required for a correctional centre?

Ben Roberts - This is the challenge. In part comes down to the architecture and partly the operations. I think we need to rely on both for the best result and not just one or the other. We need architecture that gives prisoners opportunity and need to trust the staff enough to manage this.

Rachel Hur - This is actually quite an interesting design challenge. The security and movement control are obviously a top priority for the safety of everyone in the facility, including staff, but it’s trying to find a creative solution for “normalising” this that’s a good challenge and can be achieved in different ways.

Yoshi Seki – I think the approach generally depends of the security level of the facility as this often determines the level of freedom afforded to prisoners and the approaches we take as designers to normalising the environment. An example would be the selection of finishes to suit different security levels of accommodation. In a minimum-security facility, we’re able to select more domestic style finishes in order to soften and normalise environment. Where dealing with higher security classifications, we need to specify more robust and durable materials, so the challenge becomes making selections that still create a normalised and engaging feel for occupants.

Amanda Larsson – The same consideration for materiality and finishes applies in the landscape design for different security classifications. Our objective is always to ensure enough soft scaping in the form of garden beds and trees make it into the design without compromising safety, but the security level then influences how we achieve that objective. In lower security facilities the experience of the landscape is generally tactile – planting prisoners can touch and interact with. In higher security facilities its more of a visual connection to borrowed landscapes, with the accessible landscape elements becoming more subdued.

Ralph Bailey – The effective segregation and movement controls for different prisoner cohorts can also help to provide normalised environment for all prisoners. By designing correctional facilities to reduce the likelihood of conflicting prisoner groups from coming into direct contact with each other, it helps to create a sense of safety for prisoners. And, this is even more-so when it can be achieved without relying on timetabling to avoid the interactions. When a prisoner feels safe in their environment, they’re more likely to be more social and more willing to participate in rehabilitative and vocational programs and training.

Amanda Larsson – How you go about creating a secure barrier to accommodation communities or a whole facility can have a huge impact on the whether an environment feels normalised or not. While there is always the security reality of needing fences and walls to contain and separate prisoner cohorts, innovative design solutions can break down the visual scale of the barriers. Through varying materials and creating views to landscaped spaces through and beyond the fences and walls, it can decrease the feeling of prisoners feeling enclosed or being ‘caged in’.

Ben Roberts - Technology is providing opportunities for managing prisoner movements, and this is something that will keep improving. Advancements and cost reductions are already allowing surveillance in areas that would have previously put a guard in a dangerous position. I’m sure this will improve further allowing us to stretch correctional design in ways that we couldn’t before.

How close are we getting to creating a truly normalised correctional environment? What areas can we improve on or give more consideration to?

Kavan Applegate - I think we’ve come a reasonable distance toward a normalised environment in some jurisdictions. Hopkins Correctional Centre and Ravenhall Correctional Centre both have open campuses which are approaching the scale and aesthetic of university campuses. Individual buildings still use concrete and blockwork, which is necessary from a construction approach, but there definitely needs to be more focus on reducing the scale of the large accommodation buildings – at least in terms of visual bulk, variation, and colour.

Yoshi Seki - I think the design of cell fit outs and colour schemes still needs more work – this is where many prisoners spend the majority of their time. While the need to minimise ligature points does decrease design options, and the robustness requirements limit the options for materiality, this is an area that will see more development in the coming years.

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Craig Blewitt – I think smaller scale projects such as the Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre and Totalspace Design’s redevelopment of the Ruby Unit at Adelaide Women’s Prison have shown how the incorporation of many materials not normally allowed within secure facilities allows the creation of a very domestic feel within quite a secure environment. And, with minimal risk.

Alie Kennedy – These projects have gone a long way to creating a normalised environments for prisoners, but we still have to acknowledge the security overlays of the environment we’re designing means that normalising every aspect of a prison design has limitations – and that inspires us to constantly strive to find ways of getting as close to the normalised environment, within these limitations.

Design differences between American and Australian Correctional Facilities

Brisbane based Associate Craig Blewitt has recently returned from a study tour of the USA, Mexico, UK and Germany. During the tour, Craig visited correctional and court facilities in the USA, supplier factories and showrooms in the US, Mexico and UK; and attended the ISH trade show in Germany.

Written by Craig Blewitt

I recently had the privilege of being invited to join a correctional study tour through the USA, Mexico, UK and Germany. While there were many highlights along the way, the biggest takeaway for me from the trip was the contrast in design of correctional facilities in the USA – not only with what we do here in Australia – but between individual American facilities that are located within a few hours’ drive of each other.

Despite working in the correctional design space for more than a decade, I have to admit that I left Australia with the preconceived notion of American correctional facilities that you see on TV and in movies. I was both pleasantly surprised and greatly shocked by what I saw.

The two correctional centres I visited in the US were both County Jails – which are essentially the equivalent of Australian remand and reception centres.

In the USA, prisoners remanded into custody are typically housed in a correctional centre operated by the local county. If a prisoner is found guilty, they will generally remain in county run facilities if their sentence is less than 12 months.

With over 3,000 counties across the USA, that results in a vast range of different design and operational approaches for correctional facilities – and the two facilities I visited potentially represent the two extremes in design and operational approach.

Las Colinas Women’s Correctional Centre

Photo Source: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College

The Las Colinas Detention and Re-entry Facility has a maximum capacity of 1,270 female prisoners and is the primary county jail for women in San Diego County. Of the two facilities I visited, this was closest to the Australian approach to the design of correctional centres.

The facility has an open campus style masterplan, which de-stresses the external environment within the complex. The main street links key support services and stretches from the Gatehouse to the Multi-Faith building at the rear of the site. The accommodation is arranged in communities of different scales and classifications around the perimeter of the site.

The minimum security accommodation is dormitory style where each prisoner has a cubicle with a bed, desk, wardrobe and TV. Similar accommodation styles have recently been tested in the recent rapid-build facilities in NSW with up to 25 inmates per unit.

At Las Colinas there are up to 60 prisoners in each unit, however, rather than housing them in one large room, the accommodation is separated over two levels to provide zones of privacy within the communal space; with a central double height communal living area in the centre.

Photo Source: KMD Architects

The materials used within the accommodation buildings are simple, yet through thoughtful selection create a sense of warmth and calmness. The timber grain of the joinery units and doors, variation in colour and texture, provision of natural light, domestic style furniture and the use of large scale landscape imagery converts what could be a stark and institutional environment into a relaxed and welcoming space.

Photo Source: Vanir Construction Management, Inc.

In a departure to the ‘on unit’ dining approach used in Australian facilities, the Los Colinas centre used a large central meal hall with scheduled meal times for each accommodation unit. This approach removes the need for transportation of meals across the site, but conversely requires the movement of prisoners to the meal hall, which may pose larger operational challenges.

While the environment of the meal hall facilitates greater communal interaction between inmates, it conversely removes the rehabilitative benefits of normalising daily routines through self-catering units.

Photo Source: Vanir Construction Management, Inc.

During the tour, we stopped at the on-site coffee shop, which is staffed by prisoners and serves both staff and prisoners. Speaking to the barista, we heard an inspiring story of how the design and opportunities provided within the Los Colinas facility created a rehabilitative environment. She spoke about how the program had changed her life – she came into prison not having finished high school and was going to leave in a few weeks with a hospitality management qualification and a goal of setting up her own coffee shop.

East County Detention Centre

Photo Source: Clark Constructions

The East County Detention Centre (ECDC) is a high-density multi-level correctional centre located within the downtown area of Indio, California. The design of the ECDC facility has several substantial differences to what we do in Australia, which made the visit to the nearly complete facility quite an eye-opener.

One of the primary differences in the design at ECDC compared to Australian facilities was the density of the accommodation. Once complete, ECDC will house approximately 1500 prisoners within a 3.75-hectare site – which equates to 25sqm of the site per inmate.

By means of comparison, the Metropolitan Remand & Reception Centre in NSW has approx. 115sqm of site area per prisoner and the Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Victoria has approx. 230sqm per prisoner.

The density of the site is achieved through double bunking of all cells, employing a radial design and increasing the height of the cell blocks to eight levels. The compromise to achieve the density of the site is the provision of limited outdoor space and the removal of access to natural light from internal prisoner spaces.

Each of the accommodation towers has four double storey accommodation units (eight storeys in total), each featuring six accommodation pods with 16 bunk bed cells opening onto a dayroom. Rather than having internal service ducts between cells, or an external catwalk around the outside of the building, the design provides a continuous service corridor around the outside of the building – which means none of the cells has an external window.

As the cells are located around the outside of the building, the dayrooms also have no access to natural light or ventilation. They are dim, stark spaces that rely on overhead artificial lighting. The only access to natural light and natural ventilation provided to prisoners is the few hours per week they are allowed into one of the exercise yards. These ‘yards’ have a high-level glimpse of the sky but are otherwise no different to the dayrooms.

Photo Source: HOK

The other revelation was the system employed for visits. Rather than having a contact visits hall, or even a series of non-contact visits booths, the centre relies on video conference links between visitor booths located off the main foyer, and screens located in the accommodation dayrooms.

While several Australian jurisdictions exploring the idea of higher density, multi-storey accommodation, the compromises to natural light, outdoor space, programs and visits facilities that were made to achieve the accommodation density at ECDC would be a step backwards from the rehabilitative correctional environments that have been developed across Australia in the last few decades.

* Craig attended the correctional study tour as a guest of AVAC Australia.

About the Author

Craig Blewitt is one of our most experienced correctional architects, managing all correctional and justice projects in our Brisbane Studio and assisting on the large correctional projects managed by our Melbourne Studio.

Brisbane Celebrates 30 years of Guymer Bailey!

You saw how Melbourne celebrated 30 years of Guymer Bailey, now let's see how our Brisbane Studio marked this important milestone.

The Brisbane event was held at Bougainvillea House at Howard Smith Wharves where we enjoyed fantastic views of the city and the Story Bridge as we mingled with more than 120 of our valued clients, consultants and business associates.

Our large GBA #30 sign lit the way in green and guests were welcomed with drinks, delicious canapés and music from Guymer Bailey's own Steve Fisher as part of the Steve and Andre Duo.

The live Sushi Chef kept us fed and entertained throughout the evening with his culinary skills that have been passed down through multiple generations. We were also fortunate to have the artistically talented Pat Giles from our Melbourne studio, who did remarkable caricatures of guests.

Our MC, Gerrard Gosens, shared his inspiring story as a blind Paralympic runner and adventurer and introduced Directors, Phil Jackson and Kavan Applegate, who honoured our founders Tim Guymer and Ralph Bailey in their speech. Phil and Kavan also spoke about their experiences as directors over the last thirteen years and the exciting recent developments that include the launch of Guymer Bailey Interiors and Guymer Bailey Landscape in Melbourne.

Here is a quote of Phil's speech at the event.

"The practice has always been born from a connection between architecture and the place in which it sits, and Tim and Ralph instilled this sense of design responsibility into every project, which we continue on today. Thank you to you both for your knowledge, dedication, and humour. We'd also like to thank Paul who retired as director a year ago, for his contribution to the practice also.

We are so passionate about design that makes a difference in people's lives - sustainable designs that help to rehabilitate and to educate. And with so much of our work being around rehabilitative secure facilities, we are conscious that prevention is always better than a cure. Now more than ever, we are confident in our path forward together with you all as a practice, with a firm belief in the ability of design to provide a positive influence in all our lives."

From all of us here at Guymer Bailey we would like to thank you for your ongoing support, whether you are:

• A client we love working with

• A contractor that brings our designs to life

• A specialist consultant that works through the intricacies with us

• A hard-working member of our amazing team

• A partner, family member or friend that supports us on this journey

We've included a gallery of photos from the night below, but also check out our Facebook page for more photos, please feel free to tag yourself!

Melbourne celebrates 30 years of Guymer Bailey!

It’s been a month of celebration for our Melbourne architects at Guymer Bailey as we mark our 30th anniversary, concluding with two big parties hosted by our Melbourne and Brisbane studios.

The celebrations started in Melbourne with festivities taking place at Mon Bijou on top of the Adelphi Hotel, a fitting venue for a team with a keen interest in “researching roof-top bars” for an upcoming project.

The day began like any other, with meetings, workshops and business continuing as usual. But by the afternoon, the excitement was palpable. As 5.30pm finally rolled around, there was a rush to untangle the lit-up balloons that lined the literal red carpet that lead guests down the laneway and to the entrance of the venue. Soon after, clients, colleagues and guests started to trickle in.

Throughout the evening we enjoyed “Guymer Bailey Green” cocktails as well as delicious finger food, wonderful conversations and an incredibly large, green cake, all by a green-lit swimming pool.

Our MC, Sammy J, comedian and ambassador for the Melbourne studio’s preferred charity, Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, sprinkled the evening with hilarious words, introduced the directors Kavan and Phil for their speech and entertained us through comedic song.

The night was made even more special for Guymer Bailey as we announced the launch of our Landscape Architecture and Interiors teams in Melbourne, making us an even stronger multi-disciplinary practice across our two studios.

This night was made possible by the strong support provided by our clients and colleagues from inside and outside of the building industry, and of course, our team, who have helped the company grow over the last 30 years.

It was a delight to celebrate this amazing milestone with everyone who has been a part of the Guymer Bailey family, and we sincerely look forward to the next 30 years!

Here’s a quote of Kavan’s speech at the event.

““On behalf of my great mate Phil and I, thank you each for all you do, and for being here tonight to join in celebrating 30 wonderful years. The enormity of Guymer Bailey making it to 30 years has only dawned on me over the last month or two as tonight approached. And, for Phil and I who have both been at Guymer Bailey for 24 of those 30 years it’s both gone in a flash and feels like it’s always been part of our life.

In 1995, when I started at Guymer Bailey we had a team of 16; 13 architectural staff, 1 landscape architect, and 2 admin. It’s incredible now to think we have 73 fabulous team members across our Melbourne and Brisbane studios.

We now have the best team we have ever had, and I genuinely enjoy each day with every individual I get to work with. There is an incredible depth of project leadership with dozens of people that can lead complex projects, supported by a wealth of design and documentation experience.

…To everyone here tonight, thank you for your part in Guymer Bailey’s story. And a special thanks to Vicki for supporting me throughout this GBA journey, and beyond.””

— Kavan Applegate

We’ve included a gallery of photos from the night below, but also check out our Facebook page for more photos, please feel free to tag yourself!

Designing Inbox on 3: An Interview with the Designers

Co-working spaces are rapidly growing in popularity in the startup and small business sectors offering founders an affordable workplace away from home, a sense of community and all the benefits of collaborative working.

But what goes into designing a co-working space that allows for the collaboration of ideas while optimising individual productivity? We sat down with Associate Architect Suzanne Goodson and Senior Interior Designer Severina Galvin to find out what went on behind the scenes of the design of Inbox on 3, a co-working space located in Maroochydore on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the design?

Suzanne: The design was based on the concept of transitioning from shelter to exposure, a metaphor for how we viewed arriving at the beach – departing your vehicle, navigating vegetation and sand dunes as you walk out to the open beach and water’s edge.

The amazing location the building created natural synergies to what we wanted to provide. In the design of Inbox on 3, ocean views are gradually revealed as you navigate through the workspace and move from glazed private offices to semi-enclosed feature pods and then open edge workspaces. This allowed us to take advantage of the views while providing the occupants with a blend of privacy and the opportunity to collaborate.

Q: What were the main objectives that needed to be achieved?

Suzanne: With a desire to create a high-end workspace for platinum members, the main objective of the design was to create a luxurious workspace that skilfully balanced interaction for collaboration and retreat for high-concentration work.

As the client wanted to reach a particular occupancy, a mix of offices including private offices, workspace pods and open plan desks were necessary to achieve this.

Q: What challenges did you face through the design process?

Severina: One of the big challenges we faced through the design process was planning the layout to achieve all objectives. We needed to provide privacy and a sense of enclosure through the workplace without compromising the access to daylight, ocean views and opportunities for the exchange of ideas. We also needed to maximise the letting area while still creating fun and inviting breakout spaces.

Suzanne: As Inbox on 3 was the second co-working space we’ve designed for Inbox, following the success of Inbox on 2, one of the design challenges we experienced was to create a unique, luxurious workspace on 3 while also ensuring it tied into the design on 2.

Q: What are your favourite design elements?

Severina: My favourite design element is the meandering angled low height spine walls with planters that skirt the workspace pods and trace a path through the space reminiscent of the water’s edge.

Suzanne: I love the beautifully appointed kitchen. Often these spaces are very practical and not at all welcoming, and this is something we were motivated to change through the design. The result is a space that is both beautiful and relaxing.

Q: Why did you choose the colours and materials?

Suzanne: The material pallet selected was minimal and predominantly dark with navy and black and accents of rich copper, gold trims and smoky mirrors to provide a sense of depth and opulence. The teal through the design is representative of the ocean, as we wanted this to have a starring role.

The colours and materials were also chosen to marry in with the floor below, while also still being different enough to create a unique workspace for platinum members.

Q: Did you include any sustainable features?

Severina: LED lighting and low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) materials were used in the design. We also made a point of installing a shower room that was previously not available to building users. While this isn’t a direct sustainable feature of the building, it does provide ‘end of trip’ facilities to encourage workers to use alternative transport like cycling.

Suzanne: When working in an existing building you can be limited when it comes to sustainable inclusions. We did, however, make conscious choices around air quality including a dramatic curved living green wall, and internal screens that are planted out.

Q: What are your top tips for designing an office space?

Severina: Environmental sustainability should be high on your list of priorities when designing an office space as it can have significant benefits for both the client and end-user. Engaging a collaborative design team of architects and interior designers can also work to your advantage as together they can explore and develop the design in a way that achieves a more considered and refined space.

Suzanne: The key is to take a good brief from the client and also the users to find out what is needed and wanted for the space. Then it is a matter of finding how you can add value and uniqueness of the area without compromising on functionality and practicality. With commercial projects, we like to consider the triple bottom line to create commercial spaces that achieve maximum yields for owners, are flexible and appealing workspaces for tenants and are inviting and welcoming to customers and the general public.

To view Inbox on 3 and more of our commercial projects click here[HYPERLINK TO: https://www.guymerbailey.com.au/projects-all?tag=Commercial+and+Civic],or contact us on 07 3870 9700 (Brisbane) or 03 8547 5000 (Melbourne).

“Should I become a registered architect?”

“In each state and territory of Australia, it is a legal requirement that any person using the title ‘architect’ or offering services to the public as an architect, must be registered with the Architects’ Board in that jurisdiction”

— Architects Accreditation Council of Australia

Pictured: Kiril Petrov (left) and Patrick Smardon (right)

While there are many benefits and career opportunities when progressing from a graduate of architecture to a registered architect, frequent tales of a frightful process that is both long and tedious can be enough to make any graduate think twice.

So to find out what it is really like, we sat down with two of our newest registered architects, Patrick Smardon and Kiril Petrov to find out about their experiences through the process.

Q: What motivated you to take become a registered architect?

Patrick: “It was about finishing what I started when I began architecture at university. Becoming a graduate of architecture did not feel like I had fully achieved what I began, but now becoming registered does have that feeling of completion.”

Kiril: “The biggest motivator was the support Guymer Bailey Architects provided and the Practicing Architecture (PARC) course I attended. This really helped me get through.”

Q: Is the exam process as intensive as they make out?

Patrick: The exam is serious, but those of us from the office that undertook it participated in a night course to prepare for it. Having done the preparation, the exam is not as bad as it is made out to be.

Kiril: “There is a lot to read and absorb in a relatively short time. I think this can be very difficult if you have not experienced things first hand. I have been putting the registration off for a while until I felt I have the right kind of experience.”

Q: What do you think are the greatest benefits of being a registered architect?

Patrick: “The pay rise...no…well yes that’s great, but being registered was that next step in my growth for the past two years. Now that I have reached that target I can pick a new target so that I can continue to grow and develop.”

Kiril: “It’s the natural progression and final step to be able to use the title Architect and not have ‘graduate’ next your name anymore.”

Q: What was the most challenging part of the registration process?

Patrick: “Many people say the interview, but well, mine was mostly talking about myself, and I have no issue talking about myself! I think the most difficult part was waiting for the results. They really know how to make you wait.”

Kiril: ”This will likely differ from person to person. Some find the actual paper quite difficult, while others find the interview very daunting. The written exam was particularly difficult this year. For me, the interview went pretty well.”

Q: What advice would you give those who are contemplating whether or not they want to become a registered architect?

Patrick: “First, do it; and second, undertake a preparation course. I undertook the Practicing Architecture (PARC) course. They do a fantastic job not only preparing you for the exam but preparing you to become a confident architect in day-to-day work life.”

Kiril: “It is vital to be exposed to a variety of projects, contract types and have the opportunity to be involved with a project from conception right to completion of defects. Only then you appreciate the theory and things start to click in terms of real practice.”