"They have a rawness and style and authentic fabric and patina," says Thalis, who's won more than 40 awards, commendations and competitions for architecture, urban design, planning, public domain and heritage projects. "These buildings have a gutsy quality of a life lived in another time, which shouldn't be erased in the conversion by too much styling."

His pick of the best include:

Peninsula Apartments, Balmain –  the conversion of the old 1920s and 1930s  Colgate–Palmolive factory into 110 apartments and townhouses by bokor architecture + interiors, on a public waterfront park

The Boatshed at Lavender Bay – the conversion of a heritage-listed three-storey boatshed, with the slipway turned into the master bedroom, with a partly glass floor, by Stephen Collier.

The Gantry Apartments, Camperdown – four new apartment buildings and 26 terraces by architects Bates Smart provide over 190 new homes, and contrast with, and reference, the restored heritage buildings

The Majestic, Petersham – an old 1921 theatre which later became a cinema, then a skating rink and finally a social club before being converted by Hill Thalis into apartments with semi-outdoor gardens

Egan Street Apartments, Newtown – a former mechanic's warehouse was converted into three apartments and a studio by Mackenzie Pronk Architects, arranged around a north-facing courtyard, with large skylights between the original trusses

M Central, Pyrmont – the 3000sqm communal garden by landscape architect Daniel Baffsky of 360 Degrees is the highlight of the conversion of two Goldsbrough wool stores into 164 apartments by Marchese Partners and Dale Jones-Evans Architects

What are your favourite warehouse conversions?