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.​​

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre, a secure residential treatment facility designed to house 20 residents from serious sex offender and violent offender cohorts, has recently opened in the Grampians region of Victoria.

The post-sentence facility, designed by Guymer Bailey Architects, has been created to provide intensive treatment to target rehabilitation prior to transitioning back into the community and includes staff offices and training spaces, various rooms for programs, training and education and individual residential units to encourage independent and community living.

Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Kavan Applegate the Project Director on the Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre, said the Centre had been designed to reduce recidivism rates in Victoria.“This facility is the first of its kind in Victoria and displays the commitment Corrections Victoria has to providing intensive treatment and supervision to serious offenders to reduce risk of reoffending.”

To avoid an institutional feel, the Centre uses a mix of warm materials such as timber both internally and externally throughout the buildings, as well as landscaped outdoor areas (with walking paths, gardens and exercise equipment) to provide a greater connection to nature from both staff and resident areas. Independent living has also been encouraged through the design, with individual residential units linked to communal spaces.

“The individual residential units are designed to encourage independent living for residents to help them transition back into society. Shared communal spaces also allow for community-type interactions with other residents in a way that is very different to the operations within a correctional facility. Research from the UK has shown that supported housing like this is an important part of effective rehabilitation and reintegration.” Kavan said.

There are three standout design features of Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre:

The Perimeter Fence

Due to the secure nature of the brief, the perimeter fence still needed to function like a prison perimeter – but these traditionally feel harsh and overbearing. To minimise the correctional feel, a fence was designed with precast concrete panels at the bottom and with a perforated steel fence above. An image of trees is created with the perforations in the fence providing visual relief in the perimeter border. The fence has been detailed in such a way that it maintains the required security levels.

The Timber Cladding

The main building is clad in timber on the second floor to distinguish it from the other single-storey buildings and almost eliminate the feeling of being inside a secure facility. The timber cladding also forms an anti-climb façade to the resident side. Blackbutt timber was used due to its amazing, rich tone that will naturally grey over time.

Programs Building at Rivergum. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

The Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) Initiatives

To ensure sustainability through the design of the Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre, we worked closely with our expert ESD Consultant who guided our material and systems selections to maximise quality and long-term savings. These initiatives also aim to reduce energy consumption and decrease impact on the environment.

Passive Design: Passive environmental design principles were incorporated into the buildings to reduce the need for mechanical heating and cooling, and calculated sun shading elements such as the timber fins on the main building’s northern façade were also built in to reduce summer heat loads. Other passive design techniques include attention to building orientation, insulation, natural ventilation and thermal properties of materials.

The windows of the facility were specified to have high performance, double-glazed units, which minimises heat transmittance, and thermally broken aluminium window frames to eliminate cold bridges from the outside temperature into the buildings. The staff offices also have double glazed operable louvres, which operate automatically depending on the internal office conditions to maintain optimum indoor air quality. 

Putting preference on natural ventilation to achieve high indoor air quality levels, most of the rooms across the site, including the residential units, utilise a Lunos unit, which continuously trickles in fresh air from the outside without the need for a full HVAC system and thus decreases energy use. The main Programs building was given a central, triangular courtyard to minimise depths of floor plates to maximise natural day light into the spaces, reducing the need for full internal lighting during the day.

Central Staff Courtyard. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Materials: Insulated precast concrete sandwich panels were used inside to maintain high R-values and stabilise internal temperatures. The floors throughout the facility are generally honed concrete, which also attributes to thermal mass, reduces the need for additional flooring material and creates a raw but characteristic finish to the spaces.

Insulated sandwich panel roofing completes the continuous insulation around the buildings. This was achieved by careful detailing of the insulation in the walls and to the underside of the slab which all join with the roof insulation like an uninterrupted wrap around the building. This essentially stops any heat or cool air leaking out of the buildings, which can lead to overuse of HVAC systems and creates a continuous insulation wrap around the buildings .

Staff Breakout. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

Residential units use the thermal mass of the brick veneer and concrete filled structural walls to keep the units cool in the summer and warm in the winter without mechanical systems . The floors in the residential units have in-slab hydronic heating. The high thermal mass of the concrete allows for it to absorb, store and release heat, thus making the heating system more effective with less energy use for winter months. All the residential units also utilise the Lunos units and have operable windows, filling the units with constant fresh air and freedom for users to control the internal environment based on their needs.

A geothermal system supplies energy for the hydronic heating, further reducing the heating energy consumption. The geothermal system also provides cooling for the mechanical systems in the main programs building by circulating coolant through loops in the ground that use the natural sub-surface temperatures to cool down before recirculating again.

Geothermal energy is still not very common in Australia, but when used in conjunction with the other sustainable initiatives at Rivergum, such as understanding thermal mass of materials like concrete and combining it with effective systems like in-slab heating, it is designed to reduce energy consumption and provides a better environmental outcome as it relies on natural ground temperatures and only requires a small pump to recirculate coolant through the pipes.

Multi-Faith Chapel and Contemplative Garden. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

On Site Collection: External sustainable initiatives were also included in the design such as solar panel shade structures over the car park and thoughtful design of networked swales to maximise stormwater capture for storage in underground water tanks.

The solar shade structure use is a two-fold: one was to provide off-grid power to the facility; and the other, to provide staff vehicles protection from the extreme summer and winter temperatures. Each car space is estimated to provide approximately 3kWh. To compare, an average household of one person uses approximately 9kWh per day. 60 car spaces are covered, which means there is enough power generated to supply around 20 single households per day.

The facility is 100% electric, and the inspiration behind this innovative idea was the Department’s aspiration for Net Zero Energy in all new facilities. By harnessing clean energy, the facility can reduce its carbon footprint and has a chance to offset the embodied and consumed energy of the materials, construction and use of the facility.

Solar Panel Shade Structure. Photography by Scott Burrows Photography.

The Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre is a clear example of what can be achieved through innovative rehabilitative design. Providing a non-institutional space which still operates as a secure facility, residents can more easily adjust to life in the community.

The Rivergum Residential Treatment Centre 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).

Interior Designer Q&A – Severina Galvin

With our internal environment playing such a crucial role in our happiness, productivity and wellbeing we sat down with Guymer Bailey’s Senior Interior Designer Severina Galvin from our Brisbane studio to ask her what really goes into creating interiors people love to live, work and learn in.

First things first, tell us a bit about yourself...

My interest in the design field began with visual arts exploring painting, printmaking and sculpture initially and then evolving into installation art. Interior design then became the next logical step for me as I was more interested in exploring a person’s interpretation of their environment and how they come to assign meaning to their experience of it.

I graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 2000 with a Bachelor of Built Environment (Interior Design) and Graduate Diploma in Interior Design. I then worked in interiors for a variety of Interior Design and Architectural firms and also Government both in Brisbane and Sydney on projects big and small, which eventually led me to my current passion for sustainable design.

What do you love most about being an interior designer?

Interior design is a collaborative process of a series of ideas, constructs and decisions about function, aspirations, culture, cost, time and carbon among others that have a very tangible built environment outcome. I thoroughly enjoy seeing how this unfolds in its unique way on every project like a puzzle or a maze.

Who or what inspires your design? Do you have any influences?

Influences and inspiration that affect my thinking come from a mix of sources that are mostly sustainability, popular culture and technology based.

Some of these include the ReNew and Sanctuary magazines, Dezeen online, Indesign magazine, Australian Institute of Architects’ EDG newsletter, GBCA publications, newsletters and events, Design Institute of Australia’s Artichoke magazine and Spark newsletter, CSIRO’s publications, blogs and newsletter, Meetup environment and sustainability group’s events, and a host of sustainability vlogs.

Walk us through your design process, how do you create an interior clients love?

My design process begins with getting to know the client, their brief and the project background so that I can understand the main drivers for the project and what really matters to both the client and end users of the interior.

Next, I explore the specific sustainable design possibilities and challenges that can be influenced. A project-specific strategy of ideas then emerges to align the values and drivers of the project with its functional requirements and the desired sustainability outcome. The rest is negotiation and teamwork.

What has been your most favourite project to design?

Rather than having one favourite project, I tend to enjoy bits and pieces from various projects, such as:

• Incorporating beautiful daylight and sky views in a fitout with no windows through the use of solatubes

• Achieving just the right “quiet in the zone’ feel at the work pods in a co-shared workspace space

• The way reflected sunlight shines and sparkles off the mirror splashback tiles in a breakout space

• Achieving just the right feel of quiet and ‘in the zone’ sense at the work pods in a co-shared workspace space together with the sparkly mirror splashback tiles

• Reading that violence is down, and staff-inmate relations have improved in a prison project I worked on; and

• Getting away with specifying only ESD certified wall cladding for a large townhouse development

To name only a few!

What would be your dream design project?

Anything where sustainable outcomes are valued, and we don’t have to demolish what is there to build it new again.

What is your top interior design tip?

Reuse, recycle and reduce of course!

“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.”