Geoff Bailey is executive director of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and an architect and planner.

He has over 25 years experience in planning and managing environmentally sensitive precincts and is currently is involved with the Outpost Project, the street art festival being held in Sydney November 4-11.

A&D spoke to Bailey about public projects, heritage work and when design ‘feels right’.

You have been involved with several public projects. What is the greatest challenge for you with public projects?

The greatest challenge and the greatest rewards are two sides of the same coin — listening to and engaging with the community, responding to their concerns and turning those concerns into positive, socially enriching outcomes.

You have been involved with the conservation of Albert Namatjira’s cottage and the village of Hermannsburg in the Northern Territory. Can you tell A&D about those projects and some of the challenges and solutions?

For me these were fascinating because of the cultural challenges. Hermannsburg is a 19th century German Lutheran mission in the desert, west of Alice Springs and home to the Aranda people. They were acutely aware of the heritage value of the village but had limited resources and infrastructure and even more limited access to skilled tradespeople due to the remoteness. In these circumstances you are compelled to be frugal and pragmatic, creatively applying the limited resources at your disposal and not too hung up about deadlines.

Albert's two-room rendered stone cottage was a few kilometres west of Hermannsburg on the banks of the Finke River — a beautiful setting. Getting the building weather-proof and the foundations stable were the major tasks. All of the joinery was destroyed by white ants; the roof structure had to be rebuilt and the footings underpinned. Also, sourcing, cutting and milling suitable lengths of desert oak (which is incredibly dense) was just one of many challenges.

What is it about central Australian conservation work that you enjoy?

Conservation work in general is rewarding because old buildings are a reminder of where we've come from. Taking care of them so they can continue to serve us in new ways is intrinsically satisfying.

You are involved with a lot of conservation and heritage work, which often requires thinking outside the square for solutions. What is one of the most unique or innovative solutions you have come up with for a project?

Most commonly the challenges can be in the details. However, I think the idea of turning a contaminated ship yard on Cockatoo Island into a camping ground where — for a small outlay — people can wake up to their very own waterfront view in the middle of Sydney Harbour is pretty cool.

You established the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust as a new Commonwealth agency in 1999. What was your aim for the organisation when you established it and what is it now?

My original aims for these eight former Defence sites scattered around the Harbour were to decontaminate the land and buildings, conserve the heritage and open them up to the public. Now that the life of the Trust has been extended, I am keen to make them central to the cultural life of the city.

What is the most important lesson you have learnt in your career?

If it feels right, do it.

What project are you most proud of and why?

The collective rehabilitation and opening up of a range of beautiful harbourside sites, but also demonstrating a new way of managing parklands that permits more innovative ways to enjoy Sydney's beautiful harbour, climate and culture.

Visitors have until December 11 to experience the Outpost Project street art festival, which has already attracted record numbers of more than 53,000 people to Cockatoo Island. For further information visit: www.outpostproject.com.au