Christie Bailey, senior associate at HASSELL, led the recent $3.6 million restoration of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Bailey has worked in Australia and the United Kingdom on commercial offices, heritage-based projects, healthcare, community and educational projects.

Stephanie McDonald spoke to her about being a woman in architecture, finding the line between modern and heritage features and the challenge of choosing colour at the Art Gallery of SA project.

One of your specialist areas is environmental design. Is sustainable design currently dynamic or is it just about ticking the boxes?

Currently I believe it is both. There are some visionary thinkers who are driving sustainable design and connecting with like-minded people from all industry sectors to generate powerful ideas.

Unfortunately, few of the ideas are realised but the ideas themselves are still powerful and able to be drawn upon. The box ticking is alive and kicking, though I would like to say not driven by designers, more so those who are familiar with the rating systems and understand sustainable design only around those tools as measurement.

Another specialised area of yours is heritage projects. What is one of the most difficult heritage projects you have worked on and why?

I designed many conversions of listed buildings in the United Kingdom, typically residential accommodation within (and through) heritage walls. The most challenging of these was a proposal for the conversion of King Edward VII Hospital in an area of natural beauty in Midhurst UK.

Over four levels and across four wings, 300 high-end apartments were planned, complete with a ‘bat flythrough zone’ amongst the penthouses to protect the local endangered species.

Do you approach heritage projects by sticking solely to the heritage of the building or do you try to incorporate modern aspects? How easy or hard is it to do this?

Every heritage project requires a unique approach. There are always many aspects to consider and various people to consult with to understand what the limitations are.

It is very helpful to meet early on with the heritage body governing the building to understand the key elements to be preserved. I think the best outcome for heritage projects is that the original fabric is respected and sits comfortably alongside or woven into contemporary design so that the space becomes activated, lived in and noticed by a new generation.

You led the refurbishment of the Art Gallery of South Australia. What surprises did you encounter on the project?

As is often the case, the difference a new colour scheme and fresh coat of paint makes. It was a huge process selecting the new colour scheme for the gallery.

We sampled 30-something whites and 60-something wall colours to arrive at the powerful palette sequence for each gallery space.

The refurbishment was more about removing the obstacles years of operation had accumulated and providing new functional elements integrated within the gallery space as art pieces in their own right.

What was the most important lesson you learnt on the project?

To achieve an exceptional outcome it helps to have a client with exceptional vision.

Photo of the reopened gallery, via Adelaide Review

You are involved with Building a Better Future, which highlights the diversity of roles available to women in the construction industry. How and why did you decide to become involved?

Not having the courage to head down the often hard road of ‘artist’ or ‘musician’ I determined that architecture might satisfy my creative need within the academic and business worlds.

The construction industry is so wide and varied, there is not always enough space for creativity, but we (architects) will keep on keeping on.

Do you think being a woman in architecture has influenced your career path or approach to the industry?

I wouldn’t say so. The industry remains male dominated, particularly at the upper levels, and more often than not I am the only female around a meeting table.

A gender balance is likely to evolve over time with social change.

In terms of influence and approach, male and female work styles can be quite different. As for working together I believe it goes both ways — men can be just as challenged working with women as we are with men. We all offer a unique perspective, influence and approach.

Stephanie McDonald

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