Interview: Sydney Architect Anthony Gill

Anthony Gill‘s eponymous, award-winning architecture practice was established in Sydney seven years ago. Anthony works alongside his wife, Sarah Mcspadden, and a small team of architects, graduates and students from their Surry Hills office. The studio won Emerging Practice Award at the 2012 Australian Interior Design Awards, and has since then gone on to claim their niche for consistently nailing small residential and hospitality projects with a limited budget. Not an easy gig, but someone’s got to do it.

You see, I’ve never personally met Anthony, but I’ve had him on my interview hit-list for quite some time. In fact, this interview took nearly 12 months to come to fruition, but we’ve persevered and here we are. I get a very distinct impression that Anthony is a hard working architect that’s completely committed to his craft, and doesn’t really take the time to share his talent with the world. Doing the job we do with Yellowtrace day to day, I find it extremely frustrating when clever, talented and hard-working professionals such as him are too busy producing the work, rather than finding the time and/ or resources to promote their work and their talent. In a way, thank goodness for that as there’s only so many fluffy press releases a girl can handle in a day, but there is a balance that needs to be found, and attention must be given in letting the world know what you’ve been up to. Dear other hard-core architect & interior design colleagues, I sincerely hope you are reading this because this is really important! “Promoting” is not a dirty word – it’s an essential part of our practice, and business of design. “Business” is also not a dirty word, FFS, ok?

Anyway, back to Mr Gill and his clever ways with architecture. I have always been really fond of his unfussy approach to spaces and the clarity, simplicity and consistency across all the projects, with Ester Restaurant & Bar in Chippendale probably remaining a personal favourite. But that’s enough from me, let’s hear it from the man who says “Tragically, I have wanted to be an architect since I was 12.” Oh dear!

Wilbur’s Place, Sydney. Photography by Peter Bennetts.

+ Hello Anthony, welcome to Yellowtrace and thank you for taking the time to e-chat. Could you please give us a quick introduction on yourself? When did you first decide you wanted to become an architect?

Hello Yellowtrace. Anthony Gill Architects has been going for about 7 years, we work mostly on single houses, but also do hospitality and retail projects and recently we designed a small multi-residential apartment building. I work with my wife, Sarah Mcspadden, and a small team of architects, graduates and students. We have two kids and are flat out trying to balance our family life with work. Tragically, I have wanted to be an architect since I was 12.

Ester Restaurant & Bar. Photography by Peter Bennetts.

+ What are you seeking to portray in your work? Is there something that is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?

I am just trying to create rich spaces that are comfortable and rewarding to inhabit. I like the idea of creating a framework for the end user (this could be a restaurant or a house) that can help to organise and order the space, but still allows a layer of occupation that is all about the end user. This last layer relates to them and all the things they need to live and ideally this is what activates the space, bringing it to life. Also, in terms of finish, I don’t think a house needs to be perfect, there is a level of roughness that I think is essential to a beautiful home.

121BC Cantina & Enoteca. Photography by Katherine Lu.

Berta Restaurant. Photography by Peter Bennetts.

+ How important is the ability to balance the design and business in today’s market? How much time do you spend on each side of your practice?

The business side is very important and does not come all that naturally to me… It is getting easier as the work becomes more substantial and more steady – so far so good. It is a slow profession however and after an initial burst of projects we completed a few years ago, we have not had much to show for our efforts. We do have a number of projects on site now and plenty in development.

Paddington House. Photography by Peter Bennetts.

+ What are some of your methods to staying motivated, focused and expressive?

I have no problem staying motivated. Architecture is a remarkable thing and if you have a good client, extraordinary things can be achieved. The potential of architecture is enough. Saying that, I feel much better about everything if I have had a long swim at the beach with my daughter. In terms of expression, I don’t really think about this. Design for me is a very intuitive process, I do not start out with an idea regarding the outcome, we work through options in plan and model, organising and refining.

Potts Point Apartment. Photography by Peter Bennetts.

+ Who or what are some of your influences? What other photographers, architects and creatives in general do you admire?

In terms of contemporary architecture I gravitate towards the English and the Portugese. Specifically, I like the work of architects like Tony Fretton and Stephen Taylor in the UK, and Alvaro Siza in Portugal. The English are measured and thoughtful, carefully considering proportion, material and context. Siza’s reading of the site and sense of space is extraordinary.

Surry Hills House. Photography by Peter Bennetts.

+ What advice would you give to emerging architects who want to follow your path? What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting your practices?

We were lucky in terms of our first job, a big house that sustained the practice for almost 2 years. This meant there was no need to frantically search for work and in time we picked up a few other residential jobs and some hospitality work. This allowed us to steadily grow our business. The hospitality work has been very important for us in terms of business. Commercial projects are, of course, much quicker than residential and I find them quite refreshing. You have a very limited amount of time to design and document so you need to be clear in your thinking from the outset. These projects help balance our practice, keeping us fresh and (relatively) happy in terms of design, and helping the business in terms of CASH FLOW.

+ What has been your career highlight?

Getting our own office.

Bondi House Model.

Brownlow Hill House Model.

Maggio’s Bakery Model.

Let’s Get Real:

+ What’s the best mistake you have ever made?

Marrying another architect.

+ Best piece of advice you’ve been given?

You get out of architecture exactly what you put in. Mistakes made on a project can often be traced back directly to a bad decision or a lack of conviction on my part. This is a very sobering thing. If you work really hard on a project, you will be rewarded.

+ What’s one thing other people may not know about you?