Maya Bailey
Solace Circle Community Centre
Interior Design
2026
This thesis project examines the adaptive reuse of a heritage building into a mental health community centre, arguing that such transformations can extend beyond preservation to actively support community well-being. The Solace Circle Community Centre reclaims history as a foundation for healing, expression and belonging. Integrating preserved architectural elements with contemporary design interventions, such as natural light, material warmth, and inclusive spatial programming, fosters a sense of continuity, belonging, and collective care. By bridging past and present, this project demonstrates how heritage spaces can be reimagined as accessible, therapeutic environments that strengthen social connections within the community.
“My work comes from a personal curiosity about how spaces make us feel, especially in moments when we are overwhelmed, anxious, or in need of support. I’ve become increasingly aware of how much our surroundings shape our mental state, how light, silence, texture, and even the feeling of enclosure or openness can either comfort us or push us further into isolation.In my thesis, I explore this relationship through the adaptive reuse of a heritage building, reimagining it as a mental health community centre. For me, working with an existing structure feels important. There is something meaningful about preserving what already exists and allowing a building to carry its past while making space for new experiences of care and healing. I see this process as a quiet dialogue between history and the present.My design approach is intuitive and sensory. I think about how someone might move through a space when they are not at their best, when they need softness, clarity, or simply a place to pause. I’m drawn to warm, natural materials, filtered light, and moments of stillness that invite reflection without feeling isolating.This project is also deeply connected to my belief in community. Mental health is often experienced privately, but healing doesn’t have to happen alone. I’m interested in creating spaces that gently encourage connection, spaces where people can feel supported without pressure, and where care feels embedded in the environment itself.Ultimately, my work is about designing with empathy. I want to create architecture that feels like human spaces that don’t just exist but quietly support, comfort, and hold the people who move through them.”