Bronte Scott - Research Booklet - Bower Studio 2020 by BowerStudio20

Bower Studio

KALKARINGI 2020 BRONTE CAROLINE SCOTT 1

Bower Studio KALKARINGI 2020 JOURNAL BRONTE CAROLINE SCOTT STUDIO 30 SEMESTER 1- STUDIO E

ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to acknowledge the Tr a d i t i o n a l O w n e r s o f c o u n t r y throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We all pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

People viewing this booklet should be aware that names may be mentioned, or images portrayed of people who are now deceased. Any distress this may cause is sincerely regretted.

Ma, Bowen, 2019 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Road to Kalkaringiâ&#x20AC;?

memories are essential to the type of people we all are...

the dream and reality merge

we all hold them close...

and a beautiful depth is created

we share them...

one a white-fella like me will never truly grasp

tell stories... so how do we create? they hold a special place in our minds... how can we start a new thread l a y e r u p o n l a y e r t h e y a d d u p t o c r e a t e a n i n t r i c a t e t a p e s t r y. . . and within it created more memories it is a tapestry we all have

memories for all to share?

something to cherish...

-bronte caroline scott 2020

some people and cultures have found a way to join theirs together the thread weaving through everyone the past, the present and the future exist simultaneously linear time is not a concept... the land is ever present u n i t i n g t h e m t o g e t h e r. . .

Yanez, Maria, 2019 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Treeâ&#x20AC;? 7

Contents

Page no.

01 introduction 02

the project overview the project the community

an understanding

the culture Australia today- modern conditions working with communities

aboriginal place making background mini documentaries

design preparation

esquisse- art centre understanding constructibility- community centre precedents- family centres consultations

design overview

the users the brief the site

141 142 146 149

15 17

30 32 48 70

design processes the development finding the story design consultations concept presentation understanding the structure further development

153 155 164 171 175 179 182

80 83

design proposal

187

overall scheme details vignettes

188

09 reflection

210

196 202

97 99 105 109 129

9 Yanez, Maria, 2019 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sunsetâ&#x20AC;?

01 Introduction Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Pavillion”

Bower Studio

Ma, Bowen, 2019 “Road to Kalkaringi”

Bower Studio is an award winning Masters of Architecture studio run through the University of Melbourne. It is a platform for students to engage with indigenous communities both within Australia and the South Pacific. It allows the chance for student to experience and form connections in a parts of Australia and overseas that would otherwise be too isolated to engage with.

The aim of the Studio is the respond specifically to the needs of each community. As such, consultations and discussion with members of these communities is a keystone for Studio, and is an element the students are encouraged to engage with fully, allowing skills in this form of communication to be formed. This in turn, allows the Studio to build meaningful outcomes that the community will hopefully engage with, long after the team leaves. This focus on collaboration on all

Bower Studio, 2019 “Construction”

levels, aims to ensure that everyone is engaged with the creation of the final outcome. The relationships built through Bower has allowed multiple projects to be completed within the same community, allowing relationships to be fostered and projects to grow in scale. In 2020 the focus is on designing future community buildings for the Gurindji people of Kalkaringi, where three previous projects have successfully been completed and embraced by the community. 11

I am a student in my final year of my Architecture of Masters at the University of Melbourne. I ran head first into the study and pursuit of Architecture, having worked in practice from my second year of studying, and have taken every opportunity to push myself to learn more about the possibilities and the true privilege it is to work as a designer and architect. One of the main aspects of architecture that continues to prove this to me is the understanding of how to smallest detail can truly impact someone’s life.

About Me

Bronte Caroline Scott

I was once on a site visit to help design a new hair salon for an aged care facility in Banora Point and ended up chatting to one of the residents. As I discussed the design with her, all she asked for was a clear sign to help her find the salon. She then revealed to me that she would often spend up to an hour wandering around trying to find the correct location and having a proper sign was all she wanted to improve her experience. I think it was in this moment that the true capability of

Architecture really struck me, I realised that is was these small moments and interactions that can give it power. And although this came from a very specific sector and speaks of a very specific need, it has become clearer to me that the consideration of people and the smallest acts to create a better experience of space can be translated to all forms of architecture and across all scales; from a gesture seen only from the distance to the smallest threshold. Bower Studio for me seemed like the perfect opportunity to continue to explore these ideas, and gain a better understanding of how architecture can be used to benefit people within a remote community. The nature of the studio focuses on engaging with and learning from the community, fostering experiences that are incredibly enriching and insightful. It has allowed me to think about a place and experience of Australia that is so foreign to me, and to explore ways to design and create place that I otherwise never would have.

The team

Dr David O’Brien

BPD, BArch (hons), PhD Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design and Technology

“David has twenty-five years experience in the construction field designing and building for both commercial and community based clients. He has project managed the construction of community development projects in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. David initiated the Bower Studio in 2007 and has more recently co-developed the HomesPLUS initiative.”

George Stavrias

2020 Students

B.A (hons), B.Sc, MArch

“George Stavrias is a registered

Emma Martin

architect and a director of the HomesPLUS program. George has worked as a designer and project manager on six Bower Studio projects in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. His role includes community liaison, project design and documentation, site management and post-occupancy evaluation.”

Sarah Fearn-Wannan

James Neil

Damien Cresp

“James Neil is a registered builder with thirty years experience in sustainable design and construction. James has led HomesPLUS projects in Central Australia and the Cox Peninsular. He designed the Bower composting toilet system and has coordinated projects to install facilities in Papua New Guinea.”

Bronte Scott Hermione Hines Shalini Rautela Caleb Matton-Johnson Leif Canuto Andrew MacKinnon Gaby Miegeville-Little Alexia Baikie Annabelle Roper

02 The Project Overview

Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Basketball”

The Project This booklet documents the research and design undertaken as part of the 2020 Bower Studio, which centres on creating new community based facilities for the town of Kalkaringi. In particular the following three projects will be explored across the studio:

Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Kalkaringi View”

A New Cultural Centre

A New Family Centre

To provide a place to celebrate the Gurindji story from before colonisation, through to the Wave Hill Walk Off and the stories of today. It will aim to alleviate the pressure on the current art centre and allow it to act more as a workshop. It will provide a new space for gallery displays, cultural heritage archives, and gathering, along with a new Kalkaringi cafe.

The Family Centre project aims to create a new facility within Kalkaringi that will support young mothers and families within the community. It will provide confidential spaces for meetings and set up a place for gathering to share knowledge. It aims to be a warm space where families can receive the information and care they need from a number of services.

Renovation to the Social Club The Social Club is open between 5 and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 2 to 5pm Saturday and is the only place in the community that serves alcohol. It serves a significant role within the community as members gather to relax and enjoy a beer. However, it is restricted to those not old enough to drink and this often-times means kids are stuck outside waiting for food. The renovation aims to address this issue with the inclusion of a new family area.

Border, Gemma, 2019 “The Club”

Overview This booklet specifically, will focus on a design for the new Family Centre in Kalkaringi, and explore the value a space like this can add to remote Indigenous Community. The design will be based in an understanding of constructibility and rely on insights from previous projects completed in the community along with details of the 2020 Community Centre project who’s prefabricated parts await the studios arrival in Kalkaringi post Covid-19 shutdowns. Nevertheless, there is still much to learn from the design process, detailing and steps taken for this project, that will add great value to the new proposals for Kalkaringi. Bower Studio has a strong tie to the community of Kalkaringi and each of these projects hopes to add more value to that connection, as they aim to provide a vast array of ideas and inspiration for the community as they decide how they want these projects to appear within the town.

THE COMMUNITY Kalkaringi

Seah, Liz, 2019 “Sign”

Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Construction”

Border, Gemma, 2019 “Gurindji Corp” 16

Location

Kalkaringi is located in the Northern Territory, 780km South-West of the states Capital Darwin. It is 480km from Katherine and is accessed by following the Buntine Highyway. It sits on the banks of the Victoria River and is neighboured by the town of Daguragu, which is a 5 minute drive from the town. The population of the town sits at approximately 330 people, however this varies throughout the year as people travel in and out of the community. Kalkaringi was established in the 1900s as a settlement community to service the Wave Hill Cattle Station. This was until the Walk Off Walk Off strike which began in 1966 as the Aboriginal workers protested for their Land Rights, and after 9 years were successful in reclaiming the land as their own.

Google Maps, 2020, “Kalkaringi”

Kalkaringi is a town of great importance within Australian history and is full of pride, as the people within the town hold great reverence to the story of the Walk off and their knowledge of the significant impact the movement had on Land Right acts across the country. 18

Wave Hill Walk Off “In a remote part of Australia, at a time before social media and internet was around, one indigenous man was able to stand up, be heard and change the course of Australian history” ‘Australians Together’ On the 23rd of August in 1966, Vincent Lingiair led 200 Indigenous stock men and their families to walk off the established Wave Hill Cattle Station in protest against the abusive work and pay conditions. The Walk Off took place 80 years after the British invaded Gurindji country, to use it for cattle and farming that destroyed the land and livelihoods of the Indigenous people who called it home. In these 80 years massacres and killings, stolen children and other abuses by the early colonists of the cattle station were devastatingly common. For many Gurindji elders

alive today, these abuses happened to their passed loved ones.

“They were shot on their own country by the foreigners. When they came here, they found blackfellas and shot them like dogs — that’s not right! I’m telling it how the old people who were there told it.” — Ronnie Wavehill, speaking in Gurindji in 1997, translated into English. (Yijarni, page 50-51) These memories of brutal treatment over several generations weighed heavily on the mind of the Gurindji people as they walked off the station. The British initially believed the workers would return when offered higher wages and conditions, but as the Walk-off occurred Lingiari had another vision for his people, and instead sort to acquire the rightful return of their land. The group walked 30 kilometres from Wave Hill Station to Wattie Creek where they stayed in protest for nine long years. During these years of protest that made

headlines across the nation, and Lingiari travelled across Australia to lobby politicians and gain support for their cause.

“What I got is this story about my father and my grandfather. (…) That Land belongs to Aboriginal men before the horses and the cattle came over on the land where I am sitting now. That is what I have been keeping on my mind and still got it on my mind.” - Vincent Lingiari, 1966. In 1975 the Gurindji people finally achieved victory. The nation witnessed the first piece of Australian soil being returned to Indigenous hands, when then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam ‘handed back’ the land to the Gurindji people. “Vincent Lingiari, I solemnly hand to you these deeds as proof, in Australian law, that these lands belong to the Gurindji people’. - Gough Whitlam, 1975 19

Freedom Day Festival

As the Wave Hill Walk-off was taking place in Gurindji Country, the civil rights movement around the rest of the globe was occurring, galvanising change across the world. The Wave Hill Walk-off inspired Indigenous people around the country to begin to fight for their land rights and recognition in parliament, with the Freedom Ride lead by Charlie Perkins in 1967 starting a year later and tent embassy being constructed in 1972 in front of parliament house.

Each August in Kalkaringi the historic Walk-off is commemorated with the Freedom Day Festival. People from all over Australia make the pilgrimage to Kalkaringi to celebrate the festival and remember to Elders who took a stand. The festival stretches over a weekend and is filled with arts, culture, music and sport. At the 50th Anniversary in 2016 an estimated 10 000 people from all over Australia attended the event. Many people take the opportunity to walk the path taken by those as they left the cattle station.

The Walk-off was instrumental in heightening the understanding of Indigenous Land Ownership in Australia and was a catalyst for a number of laws changing throughout the country.

The Walk- off route includes the locations of key moments from the historic event from Jinparrack (the Old-Wave Hill station), the fence line that the Gurindji people followed, the resting point in Junarni (Gordi Creek Waterhole), Lipanungu (where the first camp was established) to the final settlement in Dagaragu. National Museum of Australia, 1975, “Vincent Lingiari, addressing the media after Prime Minister Gough Whitlam officially returns Aboriginal land at Wattie Creek”

Jeff Tan, 2016, “Freedom Day Festival”

From Little Things Big Thing Grow From Little Thing Big Things Grow, is a song written by Paul Kelly that tells the story of the Gurindji Walk-off and Vincent Lingiari. It has become an Australian anthem and sung by people across the country. It is performed at multiple events and has been covered by many artists. The song commemorates the actions of those in the walk-off and has allowed a piece of Australian history to be sung across the world. “Gather round people let me tell you’re a story \ An eight year long story of power and pride \ British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiarri \ Were opposite men on opposite sides \ Vestey was fat with money and muscle \ Beef was his business, broad was his door Vincent was lean and spoke very little He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor From little things big things grow From little things big things grow

Gurindji were working for nothing but rations\ Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land\ Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter Gurindju decided they must make a stand\ They picked up their swags and started off walking\ At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down Now it don’t sound like much but it sure got tongues talking\ Back at the homestead and then in the town From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Vestey man said I’ll double your wages Seven quid a week you’ll have in your hand \ Vincent said uh-huh we’re not talking about wages \ We’re sitting right here till we get our land Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered\ You don’t stand the chance of a cinder in snow Vince said if we fall others are rising From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Then Vincent Lingiarri boarded an aeroplane \ Landed in Sydney, big city of lights \ And daily he went round softly speaking his story\ To all kinds of men from all walks of life\ And Vincent sat down with big politicians This affair they told him is a matter of state\ Let us sort it out, your people are hungry\ Vincent said no thanks, we know how to wait

From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Then Vincent Lingiarri returned in an aeroplane\ Back to his country once more to sit down \ And he told his people let the stars keep on turning\ We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns\ Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting\ Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land\ And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony\ And through Vincent’s fingers poured a handful of sand From little things big things grow From little things big things grow That was the story of Vincent Lingairri\ But this is the story of something much more\ How power and privilege can not move a people Who know where they stand and stand in the law From little things big things grow From little things big things grow From little things big things grow From little things big things grow” - Paul Kelly

Jeff Tan, 2016, “Freedom Day Festival”

Gurindji Corporation The Gurindji Aboriginal Corporation is a community-owned enterprise and the body corporate for the Kalkaringi Township native title area. They advocate and work to improve the social and economic well-being of Kalkaringi, by improving housing conditions, seeking funding for new infrastructure, providing local employment and preserving the Gurindji culture and heritage through the organisation of events. In 2014, the Federal Court of Australia made the determination that the Gurindji Corporation should become the Prescribed Body Corporate for the Kalkaringi Indigenous Land Use Area. As such, the Gurindji Corporation is able to determine the use of native title land and water and ensure it aligns with the thoughts of the Traditional Owners.

The Gurindji Corporation relies purely on their community enterprise model and fundraising to support their programs. They run and oversee a number of businesses in the community including the: • • •

•

Kalkaringi Store and Caravan Park The Gurindji Construction and Maintenance company The organisation of Freedom Day Festivals and preservation of the National Heritage Listed Wave Hill Walk-off track The oversight of Community Facilities and services (including the sport oval, multi-purpose courts, and community transport).

The Gurindji Corporation has worked collaboratively on all the Bower projects in the community. Both Phil Smith (the General Manager) and Rob Roy (coordinator, Traditional Owner and Community Liaison) have been great supporters of our work throughout the semester, viewing works in progress and providing invaluable feedback. They, and the

organisation, have been great vehicles for the continued push to better the community of Kalkaringi and their input has been invaluable.

Gurindji Corporation, 2014, “Traditional Owners at the Federal Court hearing”

Gemma Border, 2019, “Gurindji Sign”

Karungkarni Arts “Karungkarni Art and Culture Aboriginal Corporation exists primarily to strengthen and pass on the artistic and cultural knowledge of the Gurindji people, and to support the production and sale of artwork by the local artists. The Centre is also a focal point for many cultural activities in the community.” - Karungkarni Arts Karungkarni Arts is a centre and community run organisation that focuses on supporting local artists and spreading the stories of Gurindji Culture both through the community, but also across Australia. The corporation has a membership of approximately 50 artists, with a core group of 15-20. The board of directors consists of 8 of these local aboriginal artists.

number of different cultural programs being run from the centre. From wood carving, to a number of painting projects within the community, festival organisation and heritage projects, the arts centre has established itself as one of the primary distributors and collector of Gurindji stories and cultural artefacts. The centre has also supported the artists in the creation of and inclusion in exhibitions around Australia, allowing pieces created by the artists to be included in museums and collections across the country. It aims to be a place that can preserve the Traditional Culture of the land, as non-traditional practices have led to the loss of language, ceremonies, bush behaviour among many other communities across Australia, as a result, having an institution that aims to document and protect this knowledge is increasingly important.

Since it’s opening in 2011 the Arts Centre has become a hub of community activity in Kalkaringi with a 24

Gemma Border, 2019, “Paintings from the Art Centre”

Charlie Ward’s a handful of sand documents the Gurindji struggle from the Walk-off itself to the years following. He’s interest lies in answering the not often asked questions around the desires and dreams the Gurindji had for the land and community outside of receiving their land rights. He breaks down the desire the Gurindji people originally had to turn their settlement at Wattie Creek into an operating Cattle Station, with the ambition for their children to be educated in a way that would allow them to run the European style business. With the overarching goal for them to be able to operate and live in an autonomous community.

“A Handful of Sand” Charlie Ward

After the walk off the community able to operate the cattle station for 15years, however, the ultimate goals for the company were never realised. The elders were unable to make the company self-supporting and struggled to find a way to past it down to the next generation of Gurindji leaders for many reasons.

Ward documents how this dream is destroyed in many ways by the hoards of white people who arrived to ‘help’ the Gurindji people, forming cracks in their ability to govern themselves. The business of the cattle station became a mix of Indigenous practical how-to knowledge and the ever changing advice and array of the European staff and agencies. As larger scale cattle operations grew across the continent the goal of the elders was beginning to become unachievable. With dwindling government subsidies for the company, made worse by the formation of the NT government, the company eventually had to stop operations. The led to the dwindling control the elders had over their community as the enterprise dissolved.

infrastructure all at once, under the direction of white government workers. This also increased tensions between members of the community as their social structures were challenged by the new consumer economy they were being placed into. With an increasing number of non-indigenous workers arriving to fill the new stores and schools, the community quickly was losing it’s autonomy. In the 1980s Ward details how the new government established in Darwin continued to threaten the Gurindji, leading to the elders of the community banning their presence on their country. The tensions between both groups threatened to destroy the progress of the past. Since then however, the new generation of Gurindji leaders have carried forward the elders’ visions and have redefined them to suit the new post-cattle millennium.

The scale of development that came after the hand over of land also destroyed the Gurindji people’s ability to build the community as they saw fit over time. Instead, injecting

Ward writes that when visiting Kalkaringi and Daguragu today the 26

Gurindji culture is still increasingly strong and vibrant. Despite the 2008 dismantlement of the Daguragu council and the resulting obliteration of Aboriginal self-determination in the area, the people of Kalkaringi and Daguragu have established their own corporation designed to reassert control of their communities. This group the ‘Gurindji corporation’ is engaging with Vic-Daly Regional Council and slowly reclaiming the assets for the community, bringing enterprise back and allowing a new day to arise. As Ward writes, “Against all odds, Lingiari’s legacy lives on. Reflection:

of Kalkaringi. Ward’s breakdown of the modern issues the community face also allows a clear understanding to be gained of how the contribution made by Bower Studio fits in the greater picture, as well as forming an understanding of their aims. Hearing these stories makes the design task being undertaken as part of this booklet appear even more special, as it adds in a small way a new line to the story of the community. It is a privilege to be involved in the story and I am undeniably grateful to have been provided the opportunity.

The book is written based on the countless stories and recounts Ward was able to collect through interviews with both people present at the Walkoff, their children, pastoral leaders, Vestey’s workers, politicians and countless others who were involved in the story. His book as such, is a powerful and incredibly detailed account of the community and people 27

“Yijarni” Introduction by Felicity Meakins and Erika Charola

The book Yijarni focuses on documenting the accounts of the Gurindji people before the Walk-off. It documents the previous decades of massacres and killings, stolen children and the other abuses of the early colonists. The book features stories told in both English and Gurindji, with the oral accounts of the events coming from Gurindji elders who either witnessed or heard from their parents and grandparents the atrocities that occurred. The book is a collaboration between elders, linguists, photographers and visual artists from Karungkarni Arts. The introduction to the book explains how the history for Gurindji people is broken into two parts, the first is Puwarraja, the Dreamtime and the second is Yinjarni, being the true stories. The book, focuses on these true stories, giving voice to Gurindji told-stories. The histories presented by the Gurindji elders are then combined with archival material from police records, biographies and

newspapers etc. to create a full image of the stories being told, and fold them into the history told by white settlers. The introduction recounts how the Yinjarni stories intersect with European occupation which began in 1882 when Nat Buchanan took up the first pastoral lease on Gurindji country and the first Wave Hill Station was established. During this time the country was stocked with cattle, and when the Gurindji people resisted this with violence they were met with even stronger forces, leading to mass deaths in the region. By the 1900s, the numbers of Gurindji had significantly diminished and with this so did the active resistance to protect their lands. This marked the period of time when Gurindji stopped living in the bush and began working and living on the cattle station, only returning to the bush during the wet season. With this move the Aboriginal people on the stations began to provide the majority of the labour for cattle station masters, where they 28

were treated poorly, and expected to live in horrendous conditions. Accounts from this time include stories of stolen children (who came to be known as the Stolen Generation) and the incredibly harsh treatment of stock workers both in life and death. One such account from the book is included here: “Cusack and Carpenter meikim im cartim jangilany. ‘Alrait yu cartim wud.’ Wal imin gedim wud na. Imin gedim wud, stackimap. ‘Rait yu stand up deya. Stand up longsaid langa faya.’ Jutim deya binij on top of the wood. Gedim kerosin an barnimap rait deya top of the wud jukim kerosine barnim. Puka kartiya brobli. Dat ai bin siim acting langa mairoun eye ai bin siim wen ai was piccininny.” “Cusack and Carpenter made my uncle get some firewood. ‘Alright, you cart some wood,’ they told him. Well, he got some wood then and stacked it up. ‘Right you stand up there,’ they said. ‘Stand lengthways to the pile of firewood.’ Then they shot him so he

fell on top of the wood. They got some kerosene and burnt him right there. Those whitefellas were rotten to the core. I saw them do these things with my own eyes when I was a child.” — Jimmy Manngayarri, recorded in 1975. (Yijarni, p. 60-62) However, the Gurindji people still kept their connection to country and culture alive, despite the pain and suffering the stories recounted in the book demonstrate. There is also an overall sense of hope presented in the book, as the Gurindji people were able to persevere against all odds. “Wurlurturr-warla pani ngumpit ngaliwuny-ma ngumpit-ma Gurindjima. Nyawa-ma-lu yuwani marrunganyju-warla. Nyawa-ma-rla ngurra karrinya ngumpit-ku-rni. Kula wapurr pani kaya-ngku-ma lawara. Nyanuny maramara-rni ngunyunu. Ngumpit-turni nyangani-ma murlany-mawu-ma kayirrak kurlarrakkarra. Yumi-ma-rla karrinyani.”

ancestors. Then they put up their station houses, yards and stock camps. But this land is Aboriginal land and whitefellas haven’t succeeded in getting rid of us. Aboriginal people still recognise each other as the traditional owners all ‘round this area. The law has always been here.” — Pincher Nyurrmiari, interviewed in 1978. (Yijarni, p. 30-31) Reflection: Yijarni presents the stories of Gurindji history that aren’t often expressed in great detail. Reading some of the accounts from the book moved me greatly, and helped form another layer of understanding of how traumatic and destructive the European settlement of Australia was for Indigenous people of this country. The stories help formulate a full picture of the journey Gurindji people have been forced to travel, and how their stories today sit within this overall history. The stories are heartbreaking to read, and will stay with me for a long time.

“Whitefellas massacred our Gurindji 29

03 An Understanding

This chapter explores a number of books, films, reports and articles that add together to help create a deeper understanding of aboriginal Australians, in order to create a strong foundation to base a design on. It is broken down into three parts, the first focusing on forming a deeper understanding of the culture and the history of the people. An element that is essential to understand the beliefs and social structures that exist within communities today. It is about knowing the moments of loss, the battle and the beauty of the oldest continuous culture in the world.

an understanding of the importance of respect, and how spaces should be created to best suit all those involved. It aims to help us understand how architecture can add value to a community, without promising to solve all the problems. Together these three areas of research help to form a strong foundation of understanding that will be carried through the design process, and inform the decisions made both now and for future projects.

The second part focuses on more contemporary works, that explore the current condition of Indigenous Australians within the country. Helping inform more closely the issues that exist within the community the project is based in. The final part breaks down articles that discuss how to work with Indigenous communities, to help gain

Ma, Bowen, 2019 “Kalkaringi Landscape”

Lang, Rosie, 2019 “Screen” 31

In W.E.H Stanner’s essay ‘The Dreaming’, written in 1953, he conveys the rich and unique nature of Aboriginal culture. The essay is a deep exploration of the way Aboriginal people view the world based on the ‘remarkable conception known as the dreaming’. There is no condescension in his writing as he aims to explain an entirely different way of seeing the world.

T H E C U LT U R E “Our spirituality is a oneness and an interconnectedness with all that lives and breathes, even with all that does not live or breathe.” – Mudrooroo

“The Dreaming” WEH Stanner

Stanner’s piece breaks down the meaning of the Dreaming, as he explores the depth this spiritual belief holds within Aboriginal culture. He explains how the central meaning of the Dreaming, “is that of a sacred, heroic time long ago when man and nature can to be as they are; but neither time nor history as we understand them is involved in this meaning.” It conjures up the idea of a sacred time, long ago, that still exists in the present moment, the stories from the past informing the choices of today, and forming the landscape around the people. It is an unchallengeable sacred authority, unlike the wistful longing for the Garden of Eden present in Christian belief, the Aboriginal Dreaming still exists in today’s reality, it seems to be ever present.

It is clear Stanner struggles with methods to explain this idea of a timelessness in English that is so reliant on it tenses. So he instead pivots to explain the world view of a ‘black fella’. Stating, “In our modern understanding, we tend to see ‘mind’ and ‘body’, ‘body’ and ‘spirit’, ‘spirit’ and ‘personality’, ‘personality’ and ‘name’ as in some sense separate, even opposed, entities though we manage to connect them up in some fashion into the unity or oneness of ‘person’ or ‘individual’. The blackfellow does not seem to think this way. The distinctiveness we give to ‘mind’, ‘spirit’ and ‘body’, and our contrast of ‘body’ versus ‘spirit’ are not there, and the whole notion of ‘the person’ is enlarged. To a black-fellow, a man’s name, spirit, and shadow are ‘him’ in a sense which to us may seem passing strange.” There is a unity between the waking- life and the dream-life in this way of seeing the world, as the stories of creation flow through every part of the land. It is perhaps best explained as a cycle, as things from the past recreate themselves today. There are no gods driving the decisions, rather the Dreaming tells of a 33

way of being. It is an absolute validity. Stanner explains the discomfort of European minds as they find the stories of the Dreaming often ‘preposterous’. Although caveats this by stating that, “they demonstrate the ability of transcend oneself to make acts of imagination so that one can stand outside of oneself ... [and] show the ability to make sense of the human experience.” The stories do not seek dominance of the environment or the will to change it, they instead focus on being at one with it. This way of seeing the world has existed with Aboriginal Australians for over 10000 years, as with no foreign influence it appears to Stanner that “Absence of change... means certainty of expectation, [which] seems to them a good thing in itself”. It all ties back into a view of the world based in cycles, of a never ending creation. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: Stanner’s writing, even today, provides a deep insight into the structures of

aboriginal culture that even today, as a person who grew up in Australia, were quite foreign to me. The surface level learning provided at school, never provided the same attempt to truly try and gain an understanding as to why aboriginal society was structured in a certain way or how the dreaming influenced all these elements. To actually attempt to break it down, through Stanner’s analysis, and to read about the intrinsic ties the Dreaming has to all elements of the cultures was incredibly interesting. It, in many ways, places their society and way of life on a much more equal level to the seeming dismissal of a lot of history written by white Australians, and in some cases elevates it above that viewpoint. His view of the culture as a society where connections and leisure time were more present is in many ways idyllic, and it demonstrates the beauty created by the Dreaming and found in the Aboriginal out look on life foreign to our metropolitan society. It ultimately, helps understand the culture on a deeper level, a level that is essential when looking at creating a design.

“The blacks do not fight over land. There are no wars or invasions t o s e i z e t e r r i t o r y. T h e y d o n o t e n s l a v e e a c h o t h e r. T h e r e i s n o m a s t e r- s e r v a n t re l a t i o n . T h e re is no class division. There is no p r o p e r t y o r i n c o m e i n e q u a l i t y. T h e re s u l t i s a h o m e o s t a s i s , f a rreaching and stable.” - WEH Stanner

34 Wikimedia Commons, [photo taken] 1896 “Baldwin Spencer seated with the Arrernte elders”

Wikimedia Commons, [photo taken] 1901 “Baldwin Spencer, Arrernte welcoming dance, entrance of the strangers, 35 Alice Springs, Central Australia

“Dark Emu” Bruce Pascoe

Bruce Pascoe’s book ‘Dark Emu’ published in 2014 has been a ground breaking retelling of Indigenous Australian history and has aimed to show Australians a truer way of viewing the country. The recount of history in “Dark Emu” drops into the crack of the myth recounted by colonial settlers, that the new country was built peacefully and not on brutality, and blows it apart. Pascoe’s writing deconstructs the traditional notions of Aboriginal people as hunter and gatherers, as he works his way through the original, non edited accounts of the first European explorers and colonial painters, to piece together a more accurate picture of what was truly found when they arrived in Australia. It challenges much of what he, and the majority of white Australians learnt at school.

He quotes explorers such as Charles Sturt, who in the middle of the Australian dessert in 1840, weak with thirst climbed a ridge and was astonished to find a thriving village that he described as: “So far from exhibiting any unkind feeling, they treated us with genuine hospitality, and we might certainly have commanded whatever they had. Several of them brought us large troughs of water, and when we had taken a little, held them up for our horses to drink … they likewise offered us some roasted ducks, and some cake.”

of cattle. It must have been shattering.

such rich detail.

and history fills Australian schools.

And to see those same mobs of cattle destroy a field of murnong [yam] or grassland that had been cultivated for thousands of years must have been shattering... I think that’s still the trauma that’s reverberating around the country at the moment... The country is sick. It’s in pain. It’s thirsty.”

Discovering this history was really enriching and helped me begin to truly understand the connection that Indigenous people have with the landscape and the cylindrical nature of their livelihood prior to invasion.

In terms of the design project being undertaken in this booklet, the knowledge gained from Dark Emu reinforced to me the importance of celebrating landscape and connection to country in the design. As such featuring moments, and creating opportunities for this will be a key feature and driving factor for me in the creation of a Family Centre in Kalkaringi.

Dark Emu rests on a foundational truth: that the European explorers saw things that the first settlers didn’t want known, and that subsequent settlers couldn’t see, because the gentle approach to the land was erased. It tells the history that was for so long sidelined by the accounts of louder voices.

In discussions about the book Pascoe speaks of the anguish the Aboriginal ancestors must have had watching the land they so carefully cherished over thousands of years be destroyed by colonisation in the matter of a decade. Pascoe stated, in an interview with the Guardian that is must have been:

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: Dark Emu was definitely an insightful and powerful read for me. It presented Indigenous history in a way that I had never read before, and helped form an image of a country and a culture in

“Devastating... There were reports of whole dams being drunk dry by mobs 36

Gaining an understanding of the way the used the land, but also inhabited it before the invasion of the country and the destruction of so much of these patterns by the English made the pain in the loss so much clearer. It was the complete destruction of country and the ways of life that had nourished a people for centuries. It is something that in nearly all ways is unforgivable. The retelling of Indigenous history by Pascoe, however, gives me hope that more Australians will take the time to learn this history, and begin to breakdown the bias present in the history books written by the victors. I hope that his teachings become the mainstream, and a more balanced understanding of Indigenous culture

“I was of a generation who were taught to laugh at the colonial painters because they’d got it wrong. They were trying to paint England, with the beautiful g r e e n u n d e r s t o r e y, o p e n p l a i n s with oases of taller trees among parkland. They were accused of trying to paint England, and they were in fact painting what they s a w. ” -Bruce Pascoe

“Sand Talk” Ty s o n Y u n k a p o r t a

The introduction to Tyson Yunkaporta’s book Sand Talk, presents a great number of interesting points to consider when discussing Aboriginal culture and knowledge, as well as the experience they faced at the hands of white settlers. He begins by immediately undermining the view that most people have, that our species as the intelligent centre of the universe, when in fact there are beings of higher intelligence already here, and always have been. Namely the echidna. The reader, as such is immediately set up to consider a different point of view, a point of view that undermines the simplicity of thinking that fills to minds of most humans. That they are the most important and that our law is the clearest guiding light between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. He writes of how all humans evolved within complex land- based cultures, over immense time, developing a brain that has ‘the capacity for over 100 trillion neural connections, of

John Glover’s The River Nile, Van3 Diemen’s 8 Land, from Mr Glover’s farm, 1837 [via. The Guardian]

which we now only use a tiny fraction.’ Most people today, however have been displaced from those cultures of original and evolution, through the global diaspora of travellers and refuges, removed from their land, and all the knowledge that comes from having a relationship to it. This is an idea that is so true to me, and I imagine many White Australians and migrants, all of who have come from a different place and travelled across the seas, whether it was a hundred years ago or last week, we have lost our original home, and have replaced it with stories. My heritage is mostly Irish, and I often wonder if when I visit Ireland will I feel some deep sense of homecoming, or a knowledge of belonging? I certainly look Irish, with a large forehead, pale white skin, reddish hair and blue eyes. But does that genetic heritage translate to the love of a place? Or a deep knowledge of how that land should be cultivated. Probably not. And if this is true how would I, or all 39

those displaced through thousands of years of history ever find that feeling? We have to find a new home. So how can we even begin to dismiss those people who have been able to keep that feeling alive. To stay with the land that their family has lived since, for all intensive purposes, the beginning of time? This understanding forms a central point for Yunkaporta as he moves onto explaining the people who still have that connection, and the belief Indigenous Australians hold that, “if you don’t move with the land, the land will move you.” And by extension the knowledge that there is nothing permanent about settlements and the civilisations that formed them. They will all one day return to the land. He explains how Indigenous thinking relies on the pattern of the universe and everything within it. Their traditions follow this pattern to maintain balance. Patterns that have been broken by the desire for simplicity, and the narcissism that this

calls for. Yunkaporta speaks of how he packaged Aboriginal culture to fit into this simplicity, how he, “taught drama and languages, making my digeridoos and spears and clapsticks and dancing corroboree and hunting kangaroos and performing the exotica of my cultures that I’d learnt over the years. But it was all disconnected and hollow, just fragments and windowdressing. I cringe when I think about it.” He explains how it is not these objects of a culture that sustained them by rather their way of thinking, that even though lost to some is still found in snippets throughout the country. This leads the author to discuss the complex history of Indigenous Australians as the ‘first people’ of a country. That the version rendered in the history books does not reflect the true conditions of the nation before the arrivals of settlers. The organisation into discrete nations did not reflect

the complexity of their identity and cultures, where people held multiple languages and traded among different groups, including some from New Guinea and Asia. He explains that for many Aboriginal people elements of the laws and customs that predate European settlement are still in place, but for many, it resulted in the removal from communities and forcible assimilation.

the culture today is ignored, or worse viewed with distaste and scepticism.

It was a true attempt at biological genocide, as the white settlers attempted to breed out dark skin. So how in a nation with so many people of scattered identities and lost homes can we as Yunkaporta writes, “identify and utilise the various sets of Indigenous Knowledge scattered throughout this kaleidoscope of identities”?

The knowledge is deep and without a concept of time, allowing it to exist in all tenses. Much of it cannot be described in the English language as there simply aren’t the words to explain the processes. The notion of time in particular cannot be described in any way, nor is there a word for it in theirs. It does not fit in to the English notion of linear time, one event happening after the other, as “nobody would consider travelling, thinking or talking in a straight line in the first place. The winding path is just how the path is and therefore it needs no name.”

It seems that in many ways Indigenous knowledge is only valued if it is fossilised and can be displayed in a museum along with some renaissance art. The evolving nature of indigenous knowledge and its importance to 40

Yunkaporta explains that indigenous knowledge is based on a big story, as story that connects all of Australia, ‘through massive songlines in the sky.’ He explains, “It goes everywhere that turtles go and there are turtles all over the world, even in desert country, so it connects everybody.”

break away from the ‘polite’ acknowledgement of the Indigenous connection to the land and rather breakdown the true engagement with it. Through this a new way to consider the earth and the environment can be established an informed in a new light. Indigenous pattern thinking can reclaim a place in modern interpretation. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: In the context of this journal, it helps to define once again the unique nature of Indigenous thinking, as discussed in ‘The Dreaming’ but it also highlights that this is not common to all Indigenous people. Some no longer have this connection to country, in the same way I no longer have a connection to Ireland. Designs therefore, have to cater for more than one stereotype or assumption. Ideas of creating atmosphere and experience are as important as ever, it is not about simply taking motifs and throwing them onto a wall.

Images from ‘Sand Talk’ drawn by Yunkaporta

The book therefore, wants to 41

“This PlaceArtist Series” ABC Series

This series of web episodes from the ABC gives small insights into some of the Indigenous artists creating work in Australia today. It is lovely in the way each artist explains how they learnt the traditional craft, or the reasons behind creating the work they do. They all speak about how place and landscape influences the art they create, along with a desire to carry the culture froward into the younger generations. Many relaying the sentiment that the know a culture you have to practise it. Some of the artists such as Yvonne Koolmatrie, found a way back into their culture by taking workshops by other members in the community later in life, and have been able to rekindle a relationship with the past and carry Wild , Andrea, 2014, ‘Indigenous Sand Drawings’ 42 [via. CSIRO]

to forward in new creations for people today. She speaks of how her own mothers passed away on a mission camp and never learnt how to weave, nor did her grandmother. Their is a sadness in her voice as she talk about it, but also you can see the pride she has in finding a way to reconnect herself with the culture, in a way her mother and grandmother were never given the chance to. She is also taking the time to teach her granddaughter how to create the weave patterns, in the hope that she will practise it throughout her life. Other artists like Banduk Marika have grown up learning the art from their family. Marika, speaks of learning the art from her family as a young child, and her desire to continue to teach. She speaks of representing the dreaming stories, and travelling to significant places in country. On these journeys she often take the younger members of the community with her, teaching them the stories of the country as they walk, letting them know that they fit into the grander story and what the mark of their ancestors is on the land.

Koolmatrie, Yvonne, 1995,‘Weaving’

Marika, Banduk, 1985 ,‘Painting’ 43

The artists often talk through the traditional processes that they use to create the work, from when the best time to harvest grasses to how to know which tree has the strongest bark and how to dry it out over fire.

“What we Know About Australian Slavery ”

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design:

Episode of the ABC Podcast ‘The Signal’

The series highlights the importance art has in containing and teaching the laws, protocols and knowledge to be passed on. It teaches of the ancestors and how to country holds this knowledge and translates it into the art work. For me it captures the importance of symbolism and the reverence Indigenous people hold over the teaching and passing down of traditional forms of representation. For the design of a building it indicates that the use of symbols and cultural motifs should be treated with the same respect, consideration, and always done with the assistance of artists who understand the stories and hold within them the knowledge of the land.

ABC, ‘Still frame from series’

“The message was very clear; that they belonged to the cattle station master, and would leave at their peril.” This episode of the ABC Podcast the Signal provided an overview of the Indigenous slavery that was present

ABC, ‘Still frame from series’ 44

in Australia for over 100 years. They explained how many of the practises of slavery across Australia were state sanctioned. Pastoral managers were issued licenses to determine the life of Aboriginal workers, including the power not to pay workers if they were providing food and shelter.

Australia could be built on something that was hugely discriminatory and repressive.

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design:

Throughout the semester however, this complacency Australians once had seems to be shifting, as Black Lives Matter Protests breakout across the globe, members of the public are opening their eyes to the fact that Australia is not a unique gem of perfection in comparison to the rest of world simply isn’t true. Many people are now seeking to find the truth, which is why there was such a backlash to the prime ministers comments, when years ago I could easily picture is being completely accepted.

The fact most Australians have no understanding of this history reflects a failure of the education system and a failing of our leaders to recognise and give justice to that history. It reflects a level of comfortability within white people to ignore these histories as they do not fit within their mindset. There is a closing of the eyes to the fact that

Given the way the Gurindji people were treated under the Station Masters at Kalkaringi , this history is all to real for the community. Keeping this in mind is essential to understand both their story and how the projects we are working for are helping create a future driven by the needs of the community and not the dictation of a white man.

This discussion came about after the Prime Minister Scott Morrison made comments to the effect of suggesting that Australia never had slavery on it’s shores. This however, clearly is an entirely flawed belief and statement that many Australians seem to hold.

“Rabbit Proof Fence” ” Directed by Phillip Noyce

Rabbit Proof Fence is a fictional retelling of the true story of the young Aboriginal girls, Molly, Daisy and Gracie who were taken from their family in 1931 and sent to the Moore River Native Settlement. The story being set in the 1930s focuses on the policy decisions made by Australian leaders of the time to take ‘half cast’ children from their home in order to in effect breed the Aboriginal from them. The film shows the girls arriving to the settlement where their culture and language and looked down upon as they are forced to speak in only English. As the girls struggle to comply to the rules at the settlement the eldest Molly finds a way to escape, taking her younger sister and cousin with her. The rest of the film shows the girls travelling

home along the Rabbit Proof Fence, a journey that took over nine weeks.

and end result of the invasions of Aboriginal lands by white settlers.

The Rabbit Proof Fence is the film that took the terrible story of the stolen generation to the world, and many saw the film as a political statement at the time of its release, as the Australian government was yet to apologise to the Indigenous people of the country for their complete mistreatment under these policies. The film in many ways helped shift the perspectives of many Australian’s as they realised the brutality of the past policies and the impact it had on an entire generation of Indigenous Australians.

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design:

The film highlights how white Australian’s failed and continue to fail the Indigenous people of this country. The film highlights at many points throughout that the story it is telling was not an isolated incident. It attempts to breakdown the notion that many Australians hold, that the Stolen Generation was a by product of wellmeaning but ill considered policies, but instead was rooted in vicious abuse,

Rabbit Proof Fence is a film I have watched a number of times, and when I came to re-watch it when undertaking research for this design project, I was reminded once again of just how cruel the policies that allowed this to happen were. The film captures the horrific nature of the Stolen Generation, and the trauma that was inflicted to so many Indigenous children and families. Understanding the levels of mistreatment that has happened to Indigenous people at the hands of White Australia throughout history is essential in approaching the design. Particularly when it comes to consultation, we as the designers can not walk in with the solutions to all the problems. That clearly is not the answer. We have to listen and learn, and attempt to truly understand in order to be successful. 46

Noyce, Philip, 2002, ‘Still from Rabbit Proof Fence’

Stan Grant’s ‘Talking to My Country’ is a beautifully written memoir that focuses on his family and their experience of being black in a white Australia. It is an incredibly moving retelling of events, and acts as the representative story for the hardship that many Indigenous Australians have faced hidden by the shadow of the ‘Great Silence’. It makes me question, and I’m sure many other white Australians question, my part in pushing a certain narrative of a country that is hiding the truth. That boasts to be a place of multiculturalism and acceptance, when the reality sees this not being the case for many.

MODERN ISSUES “Adam was told to toughen up. Get over it. We hear this a lot. History is in the past, bad things happened but it is time to move on. But history is not past for us.” - S t a n G r a n t , “ Ta l k i n g To M y Country”

“Talking to my Country” by Stan Grant

It is clear Stan Grant speaks for many as the deep pain he feels as he battles for the best way to communicate his story so clearly comes through. In the moments of describing the suffering of his parents or the loss of a friend, the story is one that could be told by many different families. Realising this as you read through the pages, makes the stories even more heartbreaking in many ways. It memoir begins with Grant taking his

son back to their ancestral homelands: Poison Waterholes Creek. He speaks of the massacre that occurred on the site, and the knowledge that much of the land across Australia has seen similar brutality swept under the rug. The only sign of a horrific act being the names of places, with the rest of the history ignored. From here, the book moves into the past and meet Stan’s mother and father, and the stories of the family moving from town to town, uprooting their life in a place before it was ever really established. The lived on the margins in each of these places, barely there. They seemed to live in a constant state of mourning as members of their community died young. He speaks of one friend, “this boy I played football with and laughed with; this boy made one false move. He listened when the principal told us to leave school.” When they were 15 the Aboriginal kids had been called to the principal’s office and told they no longer had to attend school and were told to find other paths. In the eyes of the school, the colour of the boys skin was enough to seal their fate. 49

we truly believe that – should be held to great account.” Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design:

Stan Grant’s school group [via. The Guardian]

They did not get to have an education. He speaks of his grandfather who fought alongisde other soliders in WWII without even being considered a citizen of the country. How he himself was counted amoung the Fauna and Flora of the country when he was born and not as a person. Racism is embedded was and is embedded in the Australian constitution. Along with the recount of his own history Grant speaks of the invasion

Grant’s writing is incredibly moving and makes me feel a deep pain in my heart for the knowledge of how our country has attempted to erase a whole culture from its home. How people don’t want to act in any way that is deeper than surface level and choose to roll their eyes as an acknowledgement of country begins. There is something dark seeping underneath the surface of a ‘great’ nation, and it is something everyone wants to pretend does not exist, until it doesn’t anymore.

Stan Grant’s Speech about the Australian Dream in 2015 [via. The Guardian]

of Australia, the marginalisation, the institutionalisation in the missions, racism and the permanent assumption of insignificance. He demonstrates how all of these things reflected back on his family and in turn highlights the truth and the sadness of what happened to them, and what is still happening in Australia, as people refuse to accept the past. The story of Australia is full of juxtapositions: settlement against invasion, the stolen against the found. The country was taken by those

who are now long gone from other people who are gone, and what can we possibly do about it now? Is the justification that sits ready on the lips of many white Australians. Grant writes in response to this that, “Being good and great does not absolve you from a terrible sin and a pain inflicted on a people who did nothing to deserve it. Remember that: the first people of this land who have suffered for your greatness did nothing to deserve it. A truly great country – if 50

It is heartbreaking, because I don’t even begin to know how we can change it. If it is even possible or if I can do anything as a complete outsider to a culture do I have the right to do anything? Or are those who have taken the time to read and learn forever stuck on the sidelines as the minority of a world so consumed by their own self importance?

“Indigenous protesters in Sydney in 2015, rallying against plans to close communities in Western Australia” [via. The Guardian] 51

“The Australian Dream” Documentary Film

“I saw my reflection in Australia and felt diminished. Everything told me I wasn’t equal. The whites told the story of this land now; there was no glory in us. There was nothing that redeemed my ancestors. In books proudly titled The Making of Australia – a key school text of the 1960s – we were dismissed as the “darkskinned wandering tribes who hurled boomerangs and ate snakes”, not fit to be counted in the glorious tale of white men and women who found the land, explored it, and made it a nation.

“The Australian Dream”, written by Stan Grant, tells the story of AFL legend Adam Goodes exploring his life and career as the base to gain a deeper insight into race, identity and belonging within Australia. Adam Goodes went from a shy country kid, to an AFL star, to Australian of the year, making him an inspiration for many. The footy field was where he thrived, gaining the respect of fans, and as he stated, seemed to be the only place where the colour of his skin did not matter. This feel apart however, when he became the target of racial abuse during a game, which went put through the media circus ended with public backlash against him. The underlying issue being, that he spoke out against racism when the nation did not want to hear it. It lead to him retiring

Back then no one wrote of our great deeds. If we existed at all, we were a footnote, a prehistoric relic.” - S t a n G r a n t ‘ Ta l k i n g t o M y C o u n t r y ’

from the game, as the documentary puts it, completely heartbroken. The documentary asks questions about Australia’s relationship with its own past and the underlying racism that appeared to bubble to the surface. It asks, ‘what does it mean to be an Australian’ and what it takes to stand up for what you believe. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: Immediately after watching this film I wrote the following sentence: “This documentary broke my heart. To see those children booing and yelling at Adam for no real reason, for a hatred spread to them by other, was just overwhelming. I thought I lived in a better place. I thought I could be proud.” I think this speaks to the message of this story more than anything else, it highlights the dark and deep seeded hatred and unspoken racism that bubbles under the surface of Australia.

The Australian Dream, 2019, via. ABC

“Little Children are Sacred”

We are stuck in a loop where lack of understanding or appreciation sees Indigenous Australian’s always on the back foot. Those who are successful are seen as ‘an exception to the rule’, as they are stuck behind a wall of people refusing to accept that they are capable of doing wrong. It was terrifying for me, and I hope many other white Australians felt the same way.

R e p o r t b y N T government

This report documents and inquiry in the problem of sexual abuse within Aboriginal communities and the possible solutions to the problem. It aimed to study how and why Aboriginal children were being abused and identify the problem in government response to the issue.

How can we hide behind the facade of being ‘one of the best countries in the world’, with ‘the most livable cities’ and slogans of ‘nothing like Australia’ when we have the capacity to as a population treat someone the way Adam was treated by those stadiums full of people.

“In cases of sexual abuse, the child is often removed from the community (to be taken to a place of safety or to be interviewed). This can lead to the child believing they have done something wrong, and make families reluctant to report as it is the child who is removed rather than the alleged perpetrator.”

It makes me hope even more for project like Bower, where outreach and understanding take the forefront. I hope they begin to feed into the zeitgeist and turn the tables within the Australian consciousness, as people learn to respect the history and culture of Indigenous Australians, rather then pretending it does not exist. The Australian Dream, 2019, via. ABC

The inquiry collected information by listening, learning and drawing on prior knowledge to find ways to protect the children and families. Finding a way to 54

breach such a sensitive topic within communities required the creation of setting where people felt safe and found it easy to communicate. The results of the inquiry indicated that the abuse of aboriginal children is largely happening as a result of the breakdown of their culture and society.

education programs that focused on the mandatory reporting of sexual abuse were all seen as positive steps to take. Alcohol is still the gravest threat to the safety of children. There is a strong connection between alcohol abuse and that of children. It in more than one way is destroying communities.

Much of the violence and sexual abuse occurring in Territory communities is a reflection of past, current and continuing social problems which have been developing across many decade. It us the combined effect of poor health, alcohol abuse, poor education, poor housing and a sense of identity loss and control. It is impossible to solve the problem of sexual abuse without also dealing with these social deficits.

Empowering communities was also highlighted by the inquiry as a way to help solve the issue, with men and women find important roles to play within the community, allowing a more community lead justice to take hold. The report hopes that by creating a range of possible responses to the issue that positive steps will be taken to prevent mitigate the abuse of children in communities moving forward.

Education was seen as key by the inquiry to help address the issue within the communities. The desire to get children to school every day to provide them with a safe space away from home, combined with community

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: What is most upsetting about this report is the understanding of the terror and dysfunctional nature of 55

“$500m meant for Indigenous services was spent elsewhere by NT government”

these communities. The loss of identity and marginalisation of Aboriginal people is putting little children in the most horrific danger. Of course the problem is not only present in Indigenous communities, unfortunately is found across society. But it seems the conditions of these communities is exacerbating sexual abuse and the whole system and foundation of how these communities are seen at a government level, along with the boarder Australian society needs to change, in order to allow the funding to help solve the issues as much as possible. The children need the support in order to escape these ordeals.

Helen Davidson for “The Guardian’

In her 2018 article Helen Davidson writer for ‘The Guardian’ she highlights the enormous underspending by the Northern Territory State government on Indigenous services, with $500 million in GST payments being spent elsewhere.

The design for a Family Centre in Kalkaringi seems like a very significant step forward in providing a service that may prevent something like this happening to a child, and that seems like a deeply significant and important task to undertake. Creating a safe space.

The report accuses the government of creating policies that prevented Indigenous people in the NT from contributing to economy and as such benefiting form the wealth of the nation. A quote from Denise Boweden highlights that, ““The full potential

“Painting from the front cover of the report” 56

of the Territory will never be realised until Aboriginal people living in remote and regional parts of the Territory are able to assume a rightful place in its economic and social life.” The article quotes the desire for fundamental reform in the way the government chooses to spend it’s money in relation to remote indigenous communities, where the funding is much needed. With 70% of the states Indigenous population living in remote communities, as large amount of the population is at a great disadvantage because of these choices from the government. The pattern of underspending is able to be traced back to the 1990s particularly in areas regarding to social welfare. As such there seems to be a systematic choice not to spend government money on these communities, apart from when it is absolutely necessary.

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: With Kalkaringi being in the NT articles like this highlight the struggle it is for communities to receive the government funding they need to complete the projects. It makes the fact that the project Bower are working on have received some funding/ support from the community even more significant as they seem to represent an exception to the rule rather than the reality of working in these communities. For me, this highlights even more, the potential impact designing for a remote community can have, as an element of design thinking can be added to the infrastructure that might have otherwise just been done with the bare minimum materials and cost.

“Kartiya are like Toyotas” Essay written by Kim Mahood

Kartiya are like Toyotas. When they break down we get another one.’ – remark by a Western Desert woman about whitefellas who work in Indigenous communities This essay written by Kim Mahood explains the conditions that surround white people coming to Indigenous communities to work, many of whom do not last long in these communities. The often leave behind dying garden, misunderstandings, many unfinished projects and a bag of misplaced good intentions. A few manage to leave a foundation for the next to continue to build upon, whilst others leave a community in complete chaos. The essay explains that what often causes the ‘breakdown’ of these Kartiya is the impossibility of carrying out the work they are expected to The Guardian, 2018, “Remote community”

do, with the amount of consultation required being all consuming, and the fact that the default if to blame the Kartiya for everything that goes wrong. Mahood highlights that remote Indigenous comm-unites have a significant white population that is “disproportionately influential while being unequipped, unprepared or unsuitable for the work it does. There are the good people, who are overworked and undervalued; and there are the sociopaths, the borderline criminals, the self-righteous bullies and the mentally unhinged, who gravitate to the positions no one else wants, entrench themselves and contribute in no small degree to the malaise that haunts Indigenous communities.” There is a complete lack of any screening programs or training to determine if the people heading out to work in these communities are properly equipped with the correct cross-cultural knowledge to actually complete their job. Nor a method to

determine if someone does not have the correct skills to do it well. “The contradiction at the heart of the story is that for the quality of desert Aboriginal lives to improve in the terms demanded by humanitarian standards – in health, education, housing and the like – the people themselves must become more like us, and to become more like us requires them to relinquish the identity from which their resilience and sense of self is drawn. Without their Aboriginal identity they are reduced to society’s dross: the poorest, the least employable, the shortest lived, the least literate, the substance abusers and losers and wife bashers. And one of the most powerful ways in which they keep hold of that identity is by defining it against white people.” The essay explains that at the moment there is no real alternative to Kartiya as kinships pressures make is almost impossible for Aboriginal people to sustain a management position, and the few who take on the role are put 59

under so much constant pressure and demands if they refuse to do something for someone. Mahood goes on to recount a typical story of a new Kartiya arriving in a remote community, with great effect to proving how broken and disjointed this system is. In the small isolated communities in the extreme environment they sit in, perspectives change, irritations grow to be larger than they truly are. The Aboriginal people of the community witness feuds, coups, fights and power struggles within the white Kartiya, and of course the constant turnover of staff. The Kartiya relationships are full of politics and manipulation that fill up the minds of those involved. It is toxic and hurtful to the communities in the long term. No matter how good the strategies are and programs developed at a higher level, the way the programs are delivered on the ground is what matters, and it is here where it consistently fails.

Although as Mahood writes, “IT ISN’T ALWAYS like this. There have been times when the white population has consisted of mature, sensible, capable people who co-operate with and support each other, and the difference in the mood and function of the community is dramatic. And occasionally, when the planets are perfectly aligned and whatever unpredictable entity that rules the universe is in a benevolent mood, a group of exceptional people gathers, works together with skill and generosity, and achieves remarkable outcomes. Several times now I have had the good fortune to be part of such a team, and it’s the one thing, apart from the resilience and humour of the Aboriginal people, that allows me some optimism for the future.” It is an environment that calls for the best and the brightest and instead it too often attracts the opposite, and provide the example of white pole that the locals can so easily resist.

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: This essay highlighted a lot of the ‘on the ground’ issues that are occurring in remote Indigenous communities and shines a light on the broken system that is in operation. It suggests that the complete lack of training and oversight into who is allowed to work in these communities has lead to the creation of systems where there is no trust in the white people from members of the community, as they assume they will not be around for long. It also highlighted to me the fragile structure that holds up so many of these communities and it’s ability to break. Understanding these structures is important when embarking on a project that sits squarely within them. Thankfully from all our discussions it seems Kalkaringi is a rare example of a community that has the right mix of people, who really care about the outcomes of the work they do. 60

“Marcia Langton Calls for power for Indigenous Sector at Anzog Conference” Speech by Marcia Langton

“Give the money to the Indigenous sector and the power to the Indigenous sector.” In her speech at the ANZOG conference in 2019 Marcia Langton spoke about the current state of governance in Indigenous communities, and how the lack of economic inclusion has lead to the current disaster that is being experienced. She spoke of how the current system where indigenous communities rely solely on welfare reduces the human capabilities for Indigenous people.

Without this, the communities are unable to be in control, take risks and learn from the past, instead they are entirely reliant on the government. With 50% of indigenous people excluded from the mainstream economy the path from poverty is increasingly difficult, as business and job creation has not been supported. “Indigenous people need to set their own priorities, rather than have them set by the Canberra bubble.” Her speech also highlighted the overall lack of attention the problem in Indigenous communities receive, with the media and many politicians not choosing to make it a headline issue, despite the fact the conditions in many of these communities is so far removed from the image of an Australian ‘way of life’ with basic sanitation and clean water needs not being met. Her overall message focused on the importance of giving Indigenous people control over their communities

and their decision making, in order to determine the best way forward for themselves. It can’t be dictated to them by people so far removed from the issue. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: Marcia’s speech for me captured a lot of what I have been struggling with when trying to work out how the situation in these communities has been allowed to occur. Her highlighting that it still sits in white Australia’s inability to allow Indigenous people to make decisions for themselves was incredibly eye opening, and very much aligns with the overall image of the problem I was beginning to piece together. Her speech also demonstrated to me the importance that consultation will have in the creation of the design being undertaken in the semester. It is a constant reminder to always go back and reflect on the discussions we had with the community members 61

before making any large decisions. The last thing I want to do is create a design that excludes the community and the ambition they have for the project. It instead should be an opportunity to collaborate and create something that reflects both ambitions and inspire an exciting joint outcome.

“Why is trachoma blinding Aboriginal children when mainstream Australia eliminated it 100 years ago?”

It is a reminder that although we may have the skills as designers to model and think of a building, those skills do not mean we have any idea what is the best option for the community and it is incredibly important to remember this always.

A series of articles written for ‘The Conversation’ by Hugh Ta y l o r

“Many people don’t know this, but Indigenous Australian children are born with much better eyesight than non-Indigenous children. Yet, at the population level, Indigenous people at the age of 40 have rates of vision loss three times that of nonIndigenous Australians. Rates of blindness are six times higher among Indigenous adults.” The opening of this article on Trachoma in aboriginal children, very quickly highlights the overall problem that is being addressed: that indigenous children are being exposed to conditions that heighten the risk of contracting trachoma, which was eliminated from the majority of Australia 100 years ago as hygiene, water services and living conditions increased. In the Northern Territory, 5% of children have an active trachoma infection, which is a high enough figure for the spread to be considered

ANZOG, 2019, “Marcia Langton Speech”

an endemic. Australia remains the only high income country in the world to still have trachoma, as it persists in remote Aboriginal communities. This is linked to the lack of safe washing facilities, and overcrowding in houses, which allows the infection to spread easily. Children often spread the infection back and forward among one another, building the number of times each has caught trachoma, which increases the likely hood of chronic infection and impacting sight in the long term. There are currently a number of programs being run in Australia to help combat trachoma, such as “Clean Faces, Strong Eyes”. Bodies such as the Indigenous Eye Health group at the University of Melbourne continue to work closely with community groups to build on this work. Milpa the Trachoma Goanna mascot features in educational materials and is involved in community activities, such as the development of music videos, 63

roadshows and football clinics. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: This article highlighted to me in many ways, how the conditions of living in remote Aboriginal communities is not really comparable to the standard of living that the majority of Australians have. Although Trachoma itself is on the path to being eliminated within Aboriginal communities, with an aim for it abolition by the end of this year (2020), the conditions that allow it to continue to spread remain.

“Pretty For An Aboriginal” the new podcast hosted by Nakkiah Lui and Miranda Tapsell challenges the traditional notion and perceptions of Indigenous Australians. It is based in a fascination of how race informs everyday experience, and how their aboriginality effects people’s perceptions of their successes.

on a lot. With the understanding of the eye infections within community, preventing further irritants, specifically that of dust become even more important to me. If children are running through the Family Centre, making sure they are not put in any additional harm, and instead are coming to a safe place is essential. So having the ability to close of the building to dust storms, and using landscape and slab levels to prevent, as much as possible dust being kicked into the building will be included in the final design outcome.

“Pretty for an Aboriginal”

It also puts into focus the importance that an institution like the family centre could have in providing the educational resources to spread information about prevalent infections throughout the community in a fun an informative way. From discussions in class, designing to limit the amount of dust that is spread through a place was focused

Podcast- BuzzFeed

In the first season of the show the two hosts unpack the influence of AfricanAmerican popular culture and politics on young black people in Australia. They also discuss a number of more personal issues, that nearly all young people face, from navigating relationships, body images, work life and social media. The aim of the podcast is to find a common ground with all people and break down the invisible barrier Australia has marked out around them.

upon them by society. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: What I have enjoyed about this podcast is it is a slightly lighter way to think about the issues in our modern Australian society. It frames it in a context that is much more relatable, and highlights that an understanding and respect can go a long way on a day to day basis. It doesn’t ask you to solve the problem but rather just realise what is there and how it impacts Indigenous Australians every day. It provides a new platform for thought and discussion, that is a little further removed from political ideology.

Throughout the show they interview other Indigenous creators in order to get a greater view of how other young Australians battle against certain stereotypes and thought paths imposed

The Conversation, 2016, “Milpa the Goanna Running an Educational Program”

“Samson and Delilah” Film, directed by Warwick Thor nton

Samson and Delilah tells the moving and provocative story of two young teenagers from a remote indigenous community. It documents the realities of the lives of many people in these remote towns, and the lack of resources and ability to find a life somewhere else. It details to poverty, isolation, drug abuse and despair in a poignant and highly reflective manner. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: I found watching Samson and Delilah to be an incredibly difficult experience. The way the film is shot completely immerses you into the lives of these two young teenagers and the struggles each of them faces. The film seemed to capture the reality of what some of these remote communities are like in the way no other book or piece of literature I read was able to. The repetition of routine, and lack of services was pushed to the forefront as Samson and Delilah seem to repeat the same day over and over in the

tiny town. This idea of an unbreakable cycle becomes even clearer when the two leave the town only to find themselves homeless and further abused by the world. To the point where they have no choice but to return back to their community. The movie for me made this experience so incredibly palpable, and I have to say made the thought of being able to make any sort of impact in breaking these cycles seem near impossible. It filled me with a hopelessness, and a true sense of sadness in the fact Australia as a country has allowed this to happen to so many people who did nothing to deserve it. In terms of the Family Centre, it proved to be a reminder that one building will not solve hundreds of years of abuse and neglect, but it may add the opportunity for people to have the chance to receive services that may improve their life even a tiny bit, and that ability is not one to be taken lightly.

66 Thomson, Warick 2009, “Still from the Film Samson and Delilah”

“Australian Black Lives Matter protests: tens of thousands demand end to Indigenous deaths in custody” Article written by Luke Henriques-Gomes and Elias Visontay for ‘The Guardian”

In June this year (2020) right in the middle of a global pandemic tens of thousands of people marched through Australian cities as part of the Black Lives Matter Protests. This article written for the Guardian documents the events that occurred throughout the protests on Saturday the 6th of June, from the number of people who attended, acts of police to disperse crowds and the legalisation of the protests by the supreme court despite fears over public safety. The protests sought to bring attention to racial profiling, police brutality and the over 400 Indigenous people who have died in police custody since 1991. The movement of protests was sparked by the death of African America George Floyd in the USA, which sparked weeks of protests in America and lead to the outrage of the same problems occurring on Australian soil. ““It’s the same story on different soil,” Ky-ya Nicholson-Ward, 17, told a rally in Melbourne of the similarities between

what has been happening in the US and Australia.” There was a sense of frustration between some protesters that is took the death of someone on the other side of the world to draw attention to the plight of Australia’s First Nations people. At each event protesters fell silent to mourn the deaths of all those Indigenous people in custody. Speeches from the family members of people who had died in custody, bringing light to stories that are so often tucked away. “All we want is justice and to be treated as equals,” he said. “It’s not much to ask for is it? There is no room for racists in this world. We need change and it needs to start happening now.” Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: The protests surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement represented to me the beginning of change and increased recognition for the problems

that so many indigenous Australians are faced with. It is a recognition of the problems that have been detailed in this booklet. The issues I have previously noted are bing tucked away and ignored y the greater public. It brings me a sense of relief and joy to see that people are starting to stand up. To fight for change. That people are starting to realise what has been happening for so many years, for decades and declaring that it is no longer acceptable. I have to admit hat prior to staring the research for this project, a lot of these issues were hidden fro me to, as I didn’t take the time to look. But I am grateful that I had the opportunity to educate myself and to be part of a program that exemplifies the ability consultation and community engagement can have on the creation of building that can add value to a community. It is this knowledge, formed through the research in this booklet and applied through design that will last a lifetime, and I hope I have the chance to apply it again in the future.

The Guardian, 2020, “Black Lives Matter Protest in Melbourne”

This report acts as a guide for building a capacity to understand and develop culturally responsive services, which is an incredibly important understanding to have given the project we are focusing on. Although the report provides more general information, it is a good starting point for gaining a base knowledge of what is/ is not acceptable.

WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES “ Maintaining the integrity of Aboriginal culture is vital, h o w e v e r. . . a v o i d a n c e b y d e s i g n e r s results in a lack of visibility which impacts on the reconciliation process and the progressive development of an ‘Australian style’ and an historically authentic national identity” -Aborignal Design Charter

“Working with Aboriginal People” NDSWA

The report breaks down what values are central to much of Aboriginal culture, that I believe are important to list here for reference: • Family • Shared Responsibility- each person has a role • Acceptance • Sharing- it is seen as an honour • Equality • Belonging to your people • Ownership is a shared experience • Land creates a sense of belonging • Respect • Time orientation- no focus on the future, with the attitude of “live for today” • Person Orientation- human relationship valued, material gain

may have little to no interest. The concept of country is fundamental to the culture. The whole environment sustains and is sustained by people and culture. The land is the core of all spirituality. Aboriginal families including extended families tend to have strong bonds, with aunties and uncles often taking on the same role as parents. This closeness means that the death of an extended family member can create deep grief in a large portion of the community. The report details all the past legislation that has impacted the lives of Aboriginal people within the country. Indicating that the steps being taken now are only very small in comparison to the decades of marginalisation and persecution. This leads to the discussion of how communities today are still suffering from these past laws and in many cases much of the distrust to white Australians is driven by this treatment. It is important to gain this understanding of years of neglect and purposeful destruction of culutre by the government to see the 71

impacts it is still having on people, and the ceaseless ripple effects created. The ability to survive these attempts to diminish the culture however, is a testament to the adaptability and strength of the people and of the culture. This past mistreatment has lead to the following social and personal challenges for many Aboriginal people, including: • Feelings of shame • Low self esteems • Poverty- lack of educational and vocational opportunity and long term dependence on welfare • Displaced from country • Mental and or physical health problems- the standard of health Aboriginal people is amongst the lowest in the country. • Learning- in Aboriginal society was based on a very rich oral tradition, environments that lack this can sometimes be very alienating. • Mistrust of the Government and

their Representatives. It, as such, is essential to be mindful of the experience of Aboriginal people and the ongoing consequences of the past.

• • •

Relationships developed with aboriginal people need to be underpinned by ‘respect, honesty and an acknowledgement of the person’s cultural identity. As with most relationships, trust is built over time.’ The report goes through a number of steps that can be taken to make Indigenous people feel more comfortable in a discussion. They are as follows: • Consider allowing people to sit facing the door. • Make allowances for children by providing them things to play with. • Try not to sit face to face across a desk with people. • Empower people, by ensuring they have an understanding of what you are saying and allow them to contribute to the direct conversation.

•

“Australian Indigenous Design Charter”

When building repport discussion of family can be really helpful. Eye contact can sometimes be offensive, allow the other person to initiate it. If you ask a question always give the person the time they need to answer, there may be periods of silence If a person identifies as Aboriginal this should never be questioned.

Dr Russell Kennedy Dr Meghan Kelly

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: The report focuses on a number of keys points that need to be considered when consulting with members of the community, as well as what is important in a design. Particularly given I am working on a Family Centre with consultation rooms, the desire to be able to see outside the door as well as sit next to each other, rather than across the table could be implemented into the design to ensure it is a comfortable space for members of the community. 72

The Australian Indigenous Design Charter focuses on the representation of Aboriginal peoples in regards to cultural communication thorough the design. It discusses how the designs should be Indigenous lead, self determined and community specific. It speaks of how the project should be based in deep listening and respectful engagement as well as considerations for the future impact of the design. It also asks how projects can be improved with indigenous knowledge and the importance of sharing knowledge with the community. The Charter notes that Australia has a history of inappropriate representation and miss use of Indigenous culture in the design practice, which has lead to many designers avoiding referencing it today in contemporary practice. This sense of avoidance of the issue is a deeper problem as it continues the nation wide silence on Indigenous issues. Incorporating elements of Indigenous design, where appropriate, could really add to the establishment of an Australia style and unity.

In terms of the creation of new work, it is essential that the designer demonstrate patience, respect and determination when working with the Indigenous clients. The use of artworks and iconography must be overseen by the people of the community as respect should be given to how they want to be represented in the design in both any images of text used. It is also important to consider the needs of each different community and group, the same set of guidelines cannot be applied to every design or project, they need to be altered to suit the needs of each user group and client. Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: The Design Charter in many ways provides a very broad overview of simple steps that can be taken when designing for or with Indigenous groups. Most of the information, come back to the simple point of being respectful and considerate, and 73

ensuring that the community feels engaged and supportive of what you are creating. You cannot make any assumptions as to what will be the best outcome or what they will navigate towards. It is about sharing knowledge and creating a design that represents the culture in a way that can foster good conversation and is appreciated by the community as a true representation of what they want to show to others.

“Building Visibility” Lisa Findley

Lisa Findley’s chapter of her book on the design and construction of the UluruKata Tjuta Cultural Centre describes many of the difficulties that come with design a project for a community and the successes and failures that can become associated with the process.

willingness to expose the knowledge of the culture to the indiscriminate eyes of thousands of tourists. In many ways this sharing and opening up of a doors is an act of generosity and cultural vulnerability, as they put their faith in the understanding of the tourists.

The main focus of the chapter is to discuss how the contribution of the centre has changed peoples’ perception of Uluru and Indigenous culture. People who now come to Uluru have a different understanding of the rock that those before 1996. Tourists now know that for 10 000 years the rock has been called Uluru and is held sacred by the Anangu people who have lived on the land surrounding the rock for just as long. Most of this knowledge is gained by a visit to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre near the base of the Rock.

It reveals to the tourists what was invisible to quite recently, the place is ancient and profoundly sacred. It challenges to mistake of assuming that because the people had little material wealth that they were primitive savages, and instead provides a platform for understanding the highly developed culture, based upon relationships, process and an understanding and experience of the landscape and time that is outside the grasp of European knowledge.

The centre has become a way to tell people of the importance of the place and how the traditional owners are so deeply engrained in the landscape that surrounds it. It allows the stories and knowledge of Uluru to be shared. It represents a 74

The desire for the construction of a centre to communicate this knowledge began in the 1980s when the tourist centre was moved 18km away from the Rock to a place called Yulara and the Anangu established a fixed community at the south of the Rock named Mutitjulu. Being in such a remote location and 75

little means of contributing to the economy many of the people live in poverty. The centre was to be a way to communicate the richness of the culture that may not otherwise be apparent to those who visit. Interestingly, Findley’s chapter also dives into the history of the Anganu and their response to white settlement, from their work on cattle farms, to the translation of their art onto canvases to sell to a tourist market and appeal to the European art market and form. It details their struggles to live on the land that was taken away from them. Thankfully in the Land Right Acts the land and park surrounding Uluru was given back to the Anangu, and in the late 1980s the community decided they needed a more substantial place to serve as a kind of translator of what they are willing to reveal of their culture to the minga (their name for the tourists who come to park and climb the rock, which is a great sign of disrespect to the sacred site and the men tasked with caring for it).

The centre was funded by the money that had been accumulated by the community since the establishment of the Joint management of the park after the Land Rights Act. The funding coming from within the community allowed the Anangu the agency to present themselves, their culture and their Tjukurpa (spiritual name for Uluru) to the tourists as they wished. The project was awarded to Greg Burgess who was know for his experience working with Aboriginal communities. His approach was based on the architecture acting as a ‘social art’ and the creation of a poem that gets to the heart and the body. As such the design for the centre is formally unpredictable and is the furthest thing from a dead container. There is a strong association with the landscape in the built form, in terms of the formal kinships, climatic adaptation, selected view points and the interaction people have with the ground. Burgess knew right from the start

that to have open participation by the Anangu he would have to form a meaningful connection to the community and in many ways earn their respect. As such he travelled to Uluru to acquaint himself with the Anangu, the Rock and desert.

counterpart.

Once he established basic trust with the community, the first series of project meetings were held around an aerial map of Uluru. In this meeting the community told the architects the stories all the sacred places around the base of Uluru, and they were marked on the map. This dense accumulation of knowledge and stories communicated to the architects the deep connection the people had to the rock and reveals what no tourist was able to see. What was interesting here is how Findley pointed out how the abstract thinking in plan came very easily to the members of the community. They were able to very easily understand plan in place and in the landscape, more so than a typical white 76

From these initial discussions a site was chosen by the community by some ancient oaks. At the site sand drawings were completed as the Traditional owners expressed their desires for the project. Findley writes: “Barbara Tjikatu [one of the traditional owners] wove slowly, rhythmically with smiling enthusiasm through the ancient oaks, lovingly touching this one, that one, walking, walking, looking, looking, imitating the minga arriving. She wants them to experience the beauty and power of her place . . .slowly, deliberately, with depth of feeling, keenness of observation.” From here the architects made a rough paper model of the project as two buildings forming a large open space around the oak. The community was excited by this initial model, as they could see within it the two dreamtime snakes glaring at each other across the courtyard.

From here the project began to be detailed and constructed, with adobe bricks, rammed earth floors, ply wood, timber and terra cotta tiles making up the majority of the materiality. The tectonic manifestation of the project sits somewhere between control and chaos, with the joints and connections being expressed in unique ways.

as ceremonial and craft not possible. It also became apparent the Anangu were not particularly interesting in having idle conversations with tourists, finding the superficial natures of the interactions not at all rewarding.

For tourists who visit the centre, it is unlike anything else they have ever seen and in this sense the design Burgess created is a powerful contribution to the desire for the culture to be seen as unique. The centre as such has been a success in communicating the culture to the tourists as they are shown the importance of the landscape and it lead to many choosing not to climb the Rock. What was less successful however, is how the Centre functions in the every day life of the community. Given it’s distance away from the community centre, with an impossible walking distance being established. Making it use for other activities such

Diagram created during consultation 77

04 Aboriginal Place Making

Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: In many ways it seems that the community design process undertaken by the architects created an expectations for a place of deep cultural exchange and communication, which in many was the project failed to deliver, as the community disconnect from it’s day to day function. It has become more of a place for tourists and not for the community. I don’t

think this can however, be blamed on the architecture as it was clear the designers took large steps to develop the project alongside the elders and traditional owners. They had a large focus on incorporating their ideas and ensuring their strong tie to place was captured. I think a part of it is, simply, that one building cannot solve all the problems a community is facing no matter how much you wish it will.

This is a thought that is important to keep in my mind when designing for a remote community. Packing to many functions into the design of a project, and filling it with too many expectations may mean that it falls short on some of them. It perhaps is more important to find the key function of the space and find ways to ensure it performs this, in order to enhance one aspects of the community rather than promising to solve all the issues. 78

Traylen, Alex, 2019 “Wave Hill Site” 79

“Indigenous Place’ is a deep dive into the existing attempts of Indigenous Place-making around Australia, with a specific focus on South- Eastern examples. It is the outcome of a collaborative ARC Linkage Project. The book provides elaborate detail of places throughout the country and provides a high level on insight into what is successful and what is not both in landscape, memorial sites and in built examples.

Place Making There is a lot to learn from the previous attempts to construct community focused buildings in Aboriginal communities around Australia. Gaining knowledge of these attempts is essential before attempting to design a Family Centre in Kalkaringi or any other project based in a community. As the previous chapter explored,

there a lot of significant elements of Aboriginal culture, the history and the modern conditions with Australia that all need deep consideration and thought before embarking on a new project. Consultation with the traditional owners and members of the community is key to the success of the project. We need to ask ourselves, who is empowered in the creation of these spaces? What histories are enabled or erased? How is the culture enhanced

and respected? And most importantly what is the purpose the buildings are serving? Creating Indigenous place and sustaining it’s presence is critical to all Australian designers and the successes and failures of previous efforts at the task serve as important lessons, moving forwards. This chapter of the book explores these examples and the tasks/ research undertaken to deepen this knowledge. 80

“Indigenous Place”

Anoma Pieris et al.

The authors explain how, “the most familiar form of Indigenous presence encountered by settler Australians are material traces of Indigenous settlement, place-names, community centres and Indigenous tourism activities” and how understanding these is significant in breaking down the status of indigenous people within the country. Adding more places like these increases the exposure and understanding white Australians have to the countries history, and prevent them from pretending it doesn’t exist, or is too far in the past to consider now.

The book details how, “sites of conflict and of massacre sites are frequently connected to the lives of community leaders. Contemporary sites including Aboriginal organisation, commemorative sties, political site and cultural centres include those used temporally or temporarily by the community during the twentieth century. Such places are often closely connected to histories of political activism and community empowerment.” They explain that many of these sites have been created without the influence of outside forces, and instead are an organic effort to state a claim over space. This is in contrast to the more current place-making activities that take the form of art installations, parks, bushwalks, and other non- architectural interventions that re-introduce Aboriginal place into the everyday, and create a greater awareness of the culture. Efforts such as these are incredibly interesting to explore as they highlight in many ways what simple inclusions can be made to a space, to tie it back to the Traditional Owners of the land and the communities 81

that surround them. Simple steps can have a large impact. The authors also provide a framework for evaluating these spaces as they state, “What seem critical in evaluating such endeavours is their origin and function, whether created as an outgrowth of a community organisation... or produced privately for tourism...” The function of the space often deems whether it is adopted by the community or abandoned as the space simply does not involved them. They explain how funding for many small local centres is gleaned from numerous sources and supplemented by sales from arts and crafts or guided tours. Their survival depends on their links with the local community. Larger regional cultural centres focused on tourism depend on sustained collaboration with state government heritage and environmental organisations. They service specific regional communities and are more visible nationally.

Ultimately the listing of a plethora of examples from around the country creates an interesting breakdown of the different conditions that has lead to the construction of cultural centres throughout Australia and the varied success of the results.

both in one space? How can they be both and be successful and not simply exploitative of the community they are meant to represent?

Mini Documentary Task The Mini Documentary task completed with the studio, focused all of the students on different elements in relation to creating Indigenous spaces, from landscape interventions, to cultural centres both internationally and locally. The focus of my groups documentary which I created alongside Hermione Hines and Caleb MattonJohnson, explored specific Australian Indigenous Cultural Centres around the country, with the aim to highlight both the positives and negatives of each example and the approach taken to make an Indigenous Place.

From the reading through the extensive list it is clear that each of them had their own issues in the design process. With the most successful ones still being caught up in years of consultations and decision making. It is an expensive endeavour to do them well, and often times this leads to many upsets in the process. The examples demonstrate the balancing act between the requirements of the community, that of the government and those of visitors that all collide in these spaces, making them so difficult to construct and remain successful. It also really brought up to me the importance of asking the question who are these spaces really for? Are they for tourism or are they for the community? Is it possible to do

The documentary focused on understanding the distinct culture present in Australia, that is based on a reverence for the land and in the belief of the Dreamtime, family, law, ceremony and language, which are all interconnected in a way that is uniquely 82

indigenous. It demonstrates that although western cultures may find significance in the material artefact, many Indigenous cultures contrastingly manifest themselves in process, performance and rituals. It therefore makes sense that the translation of the culture into architecture has proven to be challenging and often times problematic, due to this disparity. Using this understanding the Documentary then launches into Australian examples which range from the pragmatic response of providing functional spaces within communities, to purpose designed facilities that aim to represent identities. In turn, it explores the outcomes of these places, which often times battle between excluding those outside of the culture, or becoming a pastiche space filled with stereotypes. It is focused in the understanding that the centres are difficult spaces to create and critiques them as such. The following pages will run through the examples explored within the doco. Scott, Hines, Matton-Johnson, 2020 ‘Stills from the Doco’ 8 3

Documentary Example 01 Garma Cultural Knowledge Centre

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With only 8 Indigenous architects practicing in Australia, the task of designing Indigenous cultural spaces is often left up to non-Indigenous Architects. In approaching these projects, it is vital that outsider architects take care in understanding the culture and customs before working on Indigenous land. A compelling example of such an approach is the Garma Cultural Knowledge centre, Located in North east Arnhem land, the centre lies on the ground of the Gulkula, a historically sacred meeting place for the Yolngu people. In this case the aboriginal clients had an unprecedented amount of control over the design, as a result of extensive community engagement, the Yongu people were able to employ deep-rooted cultural symbols and

meanings within the design, some of which the was unknown fully to the architect. The Cultural centre is an example how Aboriginal people can use the medium of Architecture as a piece of cultural storytelling. As a result of the near absolute control of the architectural direction, the clients were able to ensure the building abided by the Yirritja Kinship law. By doing so, the layout accommodates the traditional Sociospatial and avoidance practices needed to ensure the buildings ongoing use of the local community. Despite the success in the Garma Building, using Indigenous symbolism as part of the built form can cause an array of cultural insensitivities and misinterpretations... The Garma Cultural Knowledge Centre Like all community orientated buildings must be evaluated in the post occupancy stage. The success of this project can be largely attributed to the extensive community involvement which actively sort to use architecture

to tell their culture without the interference of outside forces. Use of the space has surpassed expectations proving it to be a powerful agent in preserving and conveying cultural knowledge along with demonstrating the ingenuity of Yolngu cultures.â&#x20AC;? (extract from Documentary written by Caleb Matton- Johnson)

Peter Eve, 2019 [via. Architecture AU]

Peter Eve, 2019 [via. Architecture AU] 84

Peter Eve, 2019 [via. Architecture AU] 85

The award winning architecture of the centre, as such, features large Corten steel walls curving to create the goannas path. However, the remote location has meant the centre acts as a museum for displays created by the community, rather than an enriching hub of exchange for the three Aboriginal groups so strongly tied to the design of it. ‘Visitor Centre’ via wikicommons, 2011

Documentary Example 02

Karijini Visitor Centre The Karijini Visitor Centre was born out of a desire to represent the indigenous culture of the National Park it sits in. The creation of the centre was undertaken with extensive consultation with the Traditional Owners, who chose a large goanna, moving through country to be the base of the design.

It is now only really inhabited by tourists who enter the park, to gain phone reception that is otherwise spotty and the only indigenous engagement is from those who, encouraged by the government, offer tours of country, and not as a place for gathering and sharing on a greater scale.

‘Visitor Centre Internal’ via parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au

‘Steel’, BCA Group, 2001 86

‘Visitor Centre’ via woodhead.com.au 87

Documentary Example 03 Mowanjum Cultural Centre

The government funding that supported the Mowanjum community and development of it’s cultural centre has created a rich and vibrant space for the community to share. The consultation for the project lasted for five years to develop a space to be utilised fully by the community and those who visit. The centre has become a vibrant space for indigenous artists and cultural festivals throughout the year, with a focus on carrying the uniting dreamtime story of the Wandjina spirit and passing it onto the next generation from all races. The centre although a little tokenistic in its design, literally being the dreamtime figures head in plan, has really been adopted as an important place for the community, whilst also being an engaging place for visitors to

However many tourists misinterpret this, and read the physical outcome as unsophisticated without truly attempting to engage with its metaphoric intentions.

come and learn the story, from a staff entirely consisting of the indigenous community. It is a successful combination of the professional establishment of a centre and the personal relationships the community hold.

‘Ariel View’, Sightseeing Tours Australia, ND

Documentary Example 04

‘The Centre’, Mowanjum Arts, ND

Uluru-Kata Tjuta Culutral Centre “The Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, engaged The Anangu people in the design process, such that the building reflects their traditional Tjukurpa tale in a metaphoric sense. This tale is part of Anangu law and is critical to the Anangu people’s connection with the landscape encompassing Uluru.

‘The Centre’, Mowanjum Arts, ND 88 ‘The Centre’, Mowanjum Arts, ND

This misunderstanding between cultures means that the Anangu people have had to create and sell artefacts that are a form of nonIndigenous cultural production. These artefacts and performances communicate what is vital for the Anangu people in a way that Western Cultures understand.

Uluru climb was closed permanently from October 2019 out of respect for Tjukurpa) custom. This displays how cultural centres can function as avenues for tourists to at least understand Indigenous culture as distinct from white Australian culture and significant in its own right.” (extract from Documentary written by Hermione Hines)

Furthermore, the original vision of the centre as a place for ceremonial and craft activity for the Mutitjulu Community has failed. This is due to its inaccessible location from the community, as well as the cultural chasm previously mentioned Despite this, The Anangu people have asserted that the tourists often re-frame how they engage with the landscape after visiting the centre, and many now understand why The

‘People at the Centre’, Explore Aus, 2014 89

Documentary Example 05

Brambuk Cultural Centre “The Brambuk Cultural Centre depends on sustained collaboration with the Grampians District Tourist Association, thus its promotion of the area as Aboriginal is again tainted by the tourist domain. Its marketing of ‘exotic otherness’ through artefacts occurs within an environment that feels predictable for uninformed tourists, minimalizing the critical thought provoked by confrontation with difference. The project does however reassert the presence of Koori culture and seeks to maintain its dignity and legitimacy amongst Kooris by making it a place for gathering.” (extract from Documentary written by Hermione Hines) ‘Internal View’, Gregory Burgess Architects, ND

Further Examples

to this history of segregation, the centre serves as a bridge between cultures. In this respect, the symbolism of the building is grounded in site. The centre is intended to become the new gateway to carnarvon.

Other projects found during the research stage

Bowali Visitor Centre The Bowli Visitor Centre in the Kakadu national park, struggles to engage the indigenous community who were heavily consulted for the design based on their own rock construction. Here the building however, serves the dual purpose as it also aims to highlight the joint management of the park, by the indigenous elders and the white scientists.

The following list features other projects found during the research stage of the documentary. They, as the ones featured all have their unique challenges, failures and successes, although many are not as clearly visible as the project selected for the final documentary. They are listed here for reference, and to provide a starting point for anyone who wants to dive deeper into Australian examples of cultural centres:

What failed in this project is the scientific community who also inhabit the building have overruled the traditional understanding of the land, by expressing the beliefs should be sidestepped in favour of modern conservation techniques should have been employed. This has created a divide and has led the indigenous community to feel as if their role is minimised leading the cultural elements of the centre, in many cases, to be left as a display and nothing more.

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“Bowali Centre” John Gollings, 2012 9 2

Gwoonwardy Mia Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage Centre Home to the Yamatji people. Screens depict the spirit of youth. It is sited on the point at which no Aborginal person was allowed to pass unless they were planning to work in Carnarvon. As a counter

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Champion Lakes Aboriginal Interpretive Centre Gresley Abas won an invited competition held by the Armadale Redevelopment Authority to create an Aboriginal Interpretive Centre at Champion Lakes. The project includes an amphitheater with seating for 350 people, an interpretive walk with local artifacts and trails that include bush tucker and medicine plantings.

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guided tours of the museum and view the variety of exhibits ranging from traditional hunting and fighting weapons, to bark canoes, fishing spears and boomerangs.

It is identified as the first purpose built Aboriginal cultural centre and keeping place in Australia •

Krakani Lumi Krakani Lumi which means ‘place of rest’ is a standing camp located in Wukalina (Mount William National Park) in North east Tasmania. 8 years of research with the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania and UTAS was conducted to ensure the project was culturally sensitive and accurate to the history of the indigenous people of Tasmania.

The Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative Visitors to the Keeping Place can learn, understand and appreciate the history of the Gunaikurnai people through guided or self

Bangerang Cultural Centre

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Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre Located in Kakadu National park in 93

the cultural centre was developed from extensive planning with the traditional owners, Bininj/ Mungguy. During this stage there was consultation regarding the role the building would have as well as the architectural form. During an early meeting Bininj/ Mungguy decided that a circular building would reflect traditional modes of communication •

Other MiniDocos The rest of the Studio created 3 other mini documentaries which explored the following topics: • “Gwoonwardy Mia Gascoyne ” David Grit, 2014

“Krakani Lumi ”, Adam Gibson, 2018

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Narana – Exploring Aboriginal Culture In Geelong ‘Narana’ means a deep listening and understanding. The vision for the centre is to promote “Reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people by developing a better understanding of culture through community connections. Narana is a place where everyone is welcome to join in, heal and walk together.”

Landscape and Memorial Sites (focusing on Australian examples) International Cultural Centres Community Consultation Techniques

Each of the documentaries dove into the complexities of both creating spaces for Indigenous people as well as the importance of consultation at all stages of the project. They provided great insight into elements that should be considered moving forward. The main points from these that I would like to carry into the next stages of the project are listed below:

“Champion Lakes Aboriginal Interpretive Centre ” Living Iron, ND

Memorial Landscapes • The lack of permanent buildings and instead the use of lightweight

“Narana”, Adam Gibson, 2018 94

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pavilions and sculptures allow people to bring their own meaning to place, without trying to manifest it in built form. Looking at place making features could help people connect to the project more than the building. Behavioural connections to land are important when trying to form a sense of place for Indigenous people. As such it is important to think through how a designed space can connect to existing practices and rituals to help encourage their continuation. Landscape design should feature local planting and native species. Art can create a powerful connection to place, as it is tied the practices of the culture. Finding ways to incorporate it could be very effective. Immaterial ideas that drive the culture need to find a way to be experienced and valued in the design, consultation is a key driving force in ensuring this is done correctly and sensitively.

International Cultural Centres • If the community is not interested or accepting of the design, it will not be utilised completely by those it was intended for, limiting its success. Establishing a sense of pride in the outcome of the project is essential. • Treating things as an ‘exhibition of culture’ is not effective. • Finding a way to bridge a gap between tourism and local cultural practices is incredibly difficult, a clear brief and consultation are essential to achieving a building that is used by both. • Genuine representation of the community in the design is what leads to the most effective outcomes. Community Consultation • In order to overcome the history of making decisions for indigenous people and not with them, community consultation is essential. • Bottom up projects, with grass root origins have proven to 95

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create highly successful projects, where everyone is excited by and committed to the outcome. Indigenous people need to be the driving force behind the decision making in the projects. Consultations must come from a place of genuine respect. It is up to the person entering the culture to educate themselves on the correct practices. You are making your skills available to the community, not dictating the decisions to them. In consultation it is important to create connections with a variety of settings and ways, from informal discussions to the established meetings with key voices. Receiving a variety of opinions will lead to a stronger design that reflects the desires of all the stakeholders. Collaboration requires the building of trust, which takes times. Visual communication can be very effective in conveying ideas. Silence and observation can be just as telling as a verbal response.

05 Design Preparation

The documentaries can be located at these linksLandscape and Memorial Sites: https://youtu.be/eV4Tga1tYAY International Cultural Centres: https://youtu.be/lMPzuxI74Sw Australian Cultural Centres: https://youtu.be/Ucp16VX2wNs Community Consultations: https://youtu.be/BUrTdmUhmR8

Bower Studio, 2020, ‘Stills from the Docos’

Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Plant” 97

Design Preparation This section of the booklet, looks at some of the tasks undertaken at the beginning of the semester to gain an understanding of the best approach to design in Kalkaringi. The include preliminary design exercises, discussion with the ARUP engineers about the design for the Community Centre and a deep dive into a number of Family Centre Precedents around the world.

DESIGN ESQUISSE A N D U N D E R S TA N D I N G CONSTRUCTIBILITY

This section also includes the preliminary consultations undertaken with members of the community to being to understand the brief and expectations for the Family Centre Project. Each of these elements provides the framework for the design moving forward, and represent the starting point for a number of thought processes and ideas that have found root in the final design proposal.

Ma Bowen, 2019 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Walk Off Pavilion Detailâ&#x20AC;?

Work-shopping Concepts

Border, Gemma, 2019 ‘Art from the Centre’

Art Centre Esquisse

A number of different types of storage/ display units were explored in class, with the idea of a modular, movable unit becoming one of the more common and simplest solutions for the space, given the versatility it provided in a centre used for multiple functions. With this in mind a number of different sizing/ stacking possibilities were work shopped and considered.

Bower Studio, 2018 ‘Art Centre’

The first design task undertaken this semester was to create a display unit for the Karungkarni Art and Culture Centre in Kalkaringi. The Centre currently is lacking storage and display space for the artists works, with many of the canvases being stacked on top of each-other rather than properly displayed for visitors and other members of the community to admire. The centre is used throughout most of the year as an artists workshop, so it made sense that the display unit should be movable in order to allow the space

to be used by the artists when needed, and then moved out for the Freedom Day Festival and other event throughout the year. My design for the display, consists of three framed units joined together by hinges, allowing them to fold out to create a larger display wall, or be tucked away. They are constructed from steel mesh, timber and MDF, with the idea that all parts could be prefabricated and joined together on site. 100

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PLAN (WHEN OPEN) 1:10 25 X 25mm (openings) METAL WOVen MESH 38x 38 black butt timber frame with c/s screws to secure frame

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12mm lam. mdf joinery carcass 25 X 25mm (openings) METAL WOVen MESH placed in routed rebate- silcon seal

concealed dowel joints for mdf carcass routed timber handle for drawer

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far outside the situations found when designing in an urban environment.

Presentations & Reflection ‘Ariel View’, Sightseeing Tours Australia, ND

Presentation to Penny Smith- Karungkrnui Arts Manager Before commencing on the main design project of the Family Centre, we were given the opportunity to present our esquisse project to Penny Smith over Zoom. To get a sense of what elements of a design she thought would work well both within the Art Centre but also in the community. The presentations gave a lot of insight into the potential pit falls in designing for a remote location, and scenarios that sit

From the discussions of the Studios presentations, one of the clear takeaways was that simple, clean solutions that a robust and sturdy seemed to be the most suited to the environment. Penny spoke a lot about how the Art Centre, and by extension other community focused buildings, are used a lot like a large home. Children are running in and out, dogs are lying on the ground, and even the occasional pig will wander in. Dust collects on everything and little dirty hands always find a way to touch things they shouldn’t be. The designs as such needed to respond to the every changing environment they are in. They could not be too delicate as to break easily or require to much fiddling with in order to constantly assemble and reassemble. Penny also seemed to really appreciate approaches to the brief that could also be used for other purposes (ie. a work bench). Having

these dual uses embedded into the projects allowed them to easily slot into the existing building, and quickly be adopted without too much extra work to rearrange the space. In terms of materiality, Penny did mention that elements being touched by people need special consideration, with steel heating up a lot in the sun, if it needs to be moved around by anyone, this heat gain needs to be thought about. Thoughts to carry forward: •

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Scott, Bronte, 2020, ‘ARUP Presentation’

Community Centre

Simple and clean responses are oftentimes the best answer: over-complicating things makes them to hard to integrate into the community Think about the busy and sometimes chaotic nature of community buildings, how does the design cope? Finding ways elements can serve dual purposes can be very successful 104

Scott, Bronte, 2020, ‘ARUP Materials’

The original plans for the studio, saw the group traveling to Kalkaringi to help construct a series of place-making screens for the new Community Centre within the town. This trip however, was canceled for 2020 due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

presentation about the structural design of the screens. Understanding these elements, will be useful to carry forward into the design of the Family Centre and in simply gaining a base understanding of what elements effect structures in Kalkaringi.

However, the design or the Community Centre and it’s constructibility are still valuable elements to learn from. Two engineers from ARUP, Rachel Ngu and Jorja Zanotto, also provided a

ARUP began by discussing the main points they considered when designing the steel structure for the community centre screens (drawings on opp. page) which included, the strength, stability and 105

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serviceability/deflection. These elements were then combined with an analysis of the forces that add stress to the structure, in this instance being the dead load (weight of steel), live load (if someone climbs or leans on the structure) and wind load.

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This thought process also led to the decision to use pre-cast concrete as the footings, placed in a 300mm hole in the ground to minimise the amount of digging and mixing concrete that needed to be done on site.

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Bower Studio | Melbourne School of Design University of Melbourne Victoria Australia 3010 Dr David O'Brien 03 8344 8761 | djobrien@unimelb.edu.au

GSEducationalVersion

CLIENT Gurindji Aboriginal Corporation Buntine Highway Kalkaringi Northern Territory Australia 0852 Phil Smith 0406 224 866 gurindjicorporation@gmail.com

REVISION

Along with these main structural considerations, the design of the system and the sizing of members also had to take into account that fact it was being constructed without the assistance of cranes and lifts, that would otherwise make transporting large steel member relatively easy. As such, each of the members were sized with the ability to be moved by people and also held into place by a group.

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Reflection and thoughts to consider in the design: It is thought processes like these that I would have never really considered before the ARUP presentation. It makes sense that breaking down the weight and size of each element to assist with its constructibility in a remote area should become a central point in the design for the Family Centre, particularity if the community wants to be involved with its construction. Thinking about how each part of the building can come together in a simple and neat way could add a powerful element to the design project. ARUP then highlighted how significant the wind force that these structures face are. With this high load putting a lot of strain on the overall structure and creating a large overturning moment. In order to mitigate these elements that the structural design focused on, by removing screens from the flat top and increasing the permeability of the screening in order to allow the wind to more easily pass through, and lowering the force it therefore applies to the main structural members.

We were given another chance to talk to ARUP about our specific designs later in the semster, refer to page XXX.

DETAIL DRAWINGS SCALE 1:20, 1:10 @A3

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PRECEDENT STUDIES Examples of Family Centres

Scott, Bronte, 2020, ‘Model of Community Centre Screens’

Scott, Bronte, 2020, ‘Materials’

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Precedent Study 01

A C T f o r K i d s , To w n s v i l l e , QueenslandM3 Architecture

Bennettes, Peter, 2014, “Entry”

The Abused Children’s Trust commissioned Brisbane based firm M3 to design a building on the James Cook University Campus in Townsville. It is the first custom built Centre for the charity which offers therapy and support to abused children and families. The main intention for the design; that has to house the vulnerable and create a welcoming safe place, was for it to act like a fort. To create hidden nooks for the children to embrace ownership of and create a new sense of being safe and at home. The building contains a mix of programmes including administration facilities, a daycare and a suite of therapy spaces. To break these spaces up, and create privacy where needed, the building is broken into three parts, which are connected by a concrete canopy with curved edges. This canopy is design in a way as if it traces the branches of the nearby trees. The canopy allows for the creation of little pockets, designed specifically for children, allowing them

to find a little hideaway within the garden. This separation of programme, tied together by nature creates a very delicate response, that you can see very quickly being embraced by those who use it. It allows the privacy the therapists require as there rooms are removed from the administrative functions of the building, and creates a meandering journey to these spaces, almost disconnection the destination to the movement through space. As others play and wander through the garden. The stigma of taking a certain path is diminished. An approach similar to this could perhaps be translated to a Kalkaringi site and materiality with a lot of success. The way the design embraces children who have suffered greatly is delicate and purposeful, and although the Kalkaringi Family Centre will be responding to a greater range of age groups and issues, a similar mindset for design should be adopted. The steps taken to make a place 110

feel welcoming could be combined with the knowledge of Aboriginal culutral practices to create a space that engages with and invites the community in. The main feature that achieve this are: 1. The separation of function and removal of therapy rooms from the main space, creating meandering paths that remove the stigma of a journey:

3. The creation of places the children can claim as their own, allowing them to feel safe and at home in the environment.

Bennettes, Peter, 2014, “Pathways”

2. The narrowing of paths on the approach to the therapy spaces, allowing those within to have a full view as to who is arriving and walking past, without those people being able to see in. Bennettes, Peter, 2014, “Pathways” 111

For the design of this building M3 took inspiration from the design of James Birrell that fill the townsville campus, stating:

Of course for a design of a Family Centre in Kalkaringi, taking inspiration from the concrete form work of Birrell and the M3 Architecture does not fit within the context, but the ideas behind it’s use should be considered.

“[on Birrell’s buildings] In the public realm, these are fine qualities — firmness with an overriding sense of delight. These were thought to be suitable materials for the new building accommodating administration, day care and most importantly, a suite of therapy spaces. The design has a concrete block perimeter, with therapy rooms in the inner sanctum, sculpted around two stands of trees — in response to the well-documented benefit that landscape brings to therapy. The new project takes Birrell’s approach in a new direction. His buildings are of a scale and gravitas suited to their role as major public buildings. Our new project asks what a public realm agenda for children might be like — and not just any children, but those who are in extreme circumstances so as to require this facility.”

What materials could be used instead if there is a desire to create hidden oasis for children to play in? How can the building have a sense of gravitas and permanency? To communicate that is a safe a place for all members of the community can utilise. Does the idea of creating a fort even translate into the culture in Kalkaringi? Can it be balanced with the desire to welcome, but also the desire to hide? Ultimately, the M3 design for the ACT for Kids centre, is a sensitive and considered response to the creation of a space to help the most vulnerable children in our society. The method of planning and separation of function are incredibly strong and the same theory could be applied to the design being undertaken for the Centre in Kalkaringi. 112 Bennettes, Peter, 2014, “Therapy Rooms”

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Precedent Study 02

Ta i k u r r e n d i C h i l d r e n & Family Centre, Christies Beach, South Australia JPE Design Studio [

The Taikurrendi Children and Family Centre, is an interesting precedent study, less for itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to Architectural design, but more so in the immense about of research and report witting that wen into the creation of the brief that focused around creating a place for Aboriginal children and families, which clearly closely reflects the project being undertaken here. The project includes spaces that provides programs and services for Aboriginal children from the pre-natal phase to five years of age and their families. The facility supports the provision of services for the community with services including child and maternal health care, quality child care and early learning programs for young children, parent and support services, quality early childhood education for young children prior to starting school.

Taikurrendi Children and Family Centre, ND, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Entryâ&#x20AC;? 114

In this instance, there is a focus on young children, which will make up a large part of the Kalkaringi centre, however we are also looking at providing services for older teens,

so the knowledge gained in the construction of the Taikurrendi examples does not cover the whole group of people engaging in the design project for Kalkaringi. A similar caveat needs to be made in regard to the aboriginal communities, each community has a different set of needs and cultural requirements, as such some of the steps taken in Taikurrendi may not apply to Kalkaringi and vice versa. Regardless, analysing the brief provides interesting points to consider and implement in a new design. One of the main elements discussed in the brief was the importance for the designers to note that various sites along the Tjirbruki Dreaming Tracks (significant to the local community) have been marked and in certain instances monuments have been erected to demonstrate the significance of the sites. The transmission of oral knowledge through the built form and landscape is highly valued in this arena. It was essential for them to include elements of these lessons in the design and landscape of the new centre. 115

In the brief/ consultation material it was interesting to see how many people desired to building to be circular in shape, with nearly all agreeing it should have an organic form. This was adopted by the architects, in their response, along with the landscape architects, with both relying heavily o soft curving paths and walls to lead people though space.

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The brief also provided a lot of detailed information on what should be provided in the confidential meeting room, which is a large element of the Kalkaringi design brief. The report noted, “given the little that is known about the design of consulting rooms for Aboriginal people, information about the design of such a building was sought. Local consultations introduced a number of design recommendations for the consulting areas” given the lack of examples the recommendations for this design could be very important to consider for Kalkaringi, as such key point have been listed below:

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Consideration should be given to having multiple entry points to be able to access the consulting rooms to cater for the cultural mix and age issues (staff responsiveness needs to be considered). Consider providing one consulting room with direct access to the exterior to allow patients to leave (or arrive) very discretely is required. Consider providing an external private court for the consulting rooms Full walls offering acoustic privacy are preferred over screens Entrances to consulting rooms should not be visible from reception. Increase the confidentiality and reduce feelings of shame by users as much as possible. Provide a space for people to work on filling out files without being seen. The environment should promote a high degree of human interaction between users and staff.

The design of the facility and the outdoor learning environment has embraced the Indigenous spirit creating a sense of place and identity that reflects local Indigenous community and culture. The design took into account the smallest details, from instead of using cots, they have placed baskets on the floor, allowing babies and young children choose when they want to sleep, crawling in and out of the baskets as they desire, which much closer to the experience they have at home.

Learning Environments, 2014, “Internal View”

Learning Environments, 2014, “Building” Taikurrendi Children and Family Centre, ND, “Garden” 116

The brief highlighted a number of focuses that should drive the design, and were clearly responded to in the outcome. They were: • Time • Space • Relationships • Family • The Dreaming • Learning from the community The design needed to be welcoming and encouraging, uncluttered and relaxed. It was about creating a warm environment and a feeling of being free.

Along with these there were a few other points throughout the report that are interesting/ important to note when thinking about projects of the nature: • Blind corridors are best avoided • External places should have a strong relationship to internal space • Any rooms that are intended for joint use by men and women must have a least two entry/ exit points to allow avoidance • Visual links between space should be provide to allow visual contact, in locations that aren’t confidential. • Consider where elements of cultural learning can be introduced • Engage with language and provide prompts for children to do so. • Use a colour palette reminiscent of the local environment. Analysing the brief for the project, provides and deep insight into the elements of design that will need to be considered in Kalkaringi. It also provides a great example of how these can be translated into a built form. Although perhaps the architecture here relies a little to much on typical 117

OuterSpace, 2014, “landscape”

‘health’ sector deign, seeing small details like additional doors included, and vinyl pattern in colours that link the garden, show that simple steps can be used to make and indigenous user feel more welcome in a space that could otherwise feel a little sparse and uninviting. A place you would not want to go for care. Instead the small step alleviate this and have created a much more user friendly space. Ultimately, the immense about of information provided in the brief report adn the architectural response indicate, that using architecture alone makes it difficult to illustrate these Learning Environments, 2014, “Garden”

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Taikurrendi Children and Family Centre, ND, “Garden”

implicit signs of culture - the nuances of family relationships and obligations, avoidance behaviour, spirituality, law and custom etc. These issues may be the underlying reason for certain design choices, however they do not need to explicate to be understood by the users. As an outsider it is easy to try and makes the statements bold, to prove you understand, but sometimes including more subtle nods is more appreciated. Most importantly it needs to be understood that the users of the space are diverse. They come from different families and have varying needs. One approach will not suit them all.

Taikurrendi Children and Family Centre, ND, “Central Space”

The architectural scales and forms, materials and finish should be informed by an understanding of the users. Considering the links to nature, the view lines, ventilation, illumination and privacy, are incredibly important. Along with providing sufficient entries and exits to allow sufficient separation of certain groups, and allow the appropriate avoidance. These entry points and entrance along with the introduction of landscape were a major aspect of the design process undertaken for the Taikurrendi architectural response, and should be deeply considered in the design undertaken for Kalkaringi. 119

Precedent Study 03

Native Child and Family S e r v i c e s o f To r o n t o , To r o n t o , C a n a d a Levitt Goodman Architects

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto was designed by Levitt Goodman Architects. The project consists of the refurbishment of a four storey building in Toronto to contain a range of services for urban Aboriginal children and families. Thee services include: a drop-in childcare centre, an aboriginal artist studio, family, mental health, social services and administration offices. The architects collaborated with Aboriginal artists, graphic designers and a landscape architect to define the centre with art, environmental graphics, natural materials and plantings that are native to the Great Lakes region. These choices give the building a strong link to it’s cultural identity and softens to harsh nature of the original building and the institutional function of the space.

Jackson, Jesse, 2011, “ Healing Lodge,”

An important element of the building is its inclusion of a Longhouse near the lobby, and healing lodge and fire circle in the rooftop garden. Each of these spaces are used by First Nation people as important locations for

gathering. They have been given a very clean and modern interpretation within this building but the materiality still ties people back to their origins and provides spaces for learning of the past for younger children. Although the longhouse is constructed using computer- designed and machine cut laminated sections, as you enter you can still smell the sage and sweet grass that are burned during meetings and counselling sessions as the scent is help onto by the timber. The scattered lights in the space, also somewhat give a sense of the campfires that used to burn within, that are not possible in the urban environment. Instead of pasting traditional designs within the building the designers were very careful to reinterpret them to suit the context, and to not create a pastiche of the past but rather a new place to engage with the culture that fits within the city. Large-scale graphics line the interior 120

walls and floors, carefully using images that are culturally broad, dignified and contemporary. For example, regional aboriginal textiles inspired the stylized “woven” motif pattern on the ground floor. It is meant to function as a giant welcome mat that links the building’s north and south entrances. The building’s material palette is comprised of unusual local materials including yellow birch heartwood, eastern white cedar, Erimosa limestone, river rock and red slate. The offices and consultations rooms were designed with aboriginal customs and sensitivities in mind. In the child welfare area, meeting rooms that would conventionally have two-way mirrors and cameras are instead in the style of living rooms with diaphanous curtains that give privacy while also permitting casual observation. It is a softer approach that immediately adds a level of comfort and familiarity to the space. It helps make the children feel more

welcome and accepted within the environment. The director of the facility stated, “It’s amazing the sense of pride that is being so boldly displayed, with its images and metaphors. I believe that the building will over time just get better in its role as a authentic Native experience in an otherwise non Native environment. This speaks of survival and this might be its greatest legacy.” This example of a family centre designed with an indigenous group in mind presents an interesting example of how modern design ideas, combined with traditional motifs and spaces when combined can create a truly beautiful and welcoming space for all. It is this clever combination of elements that should really be considered in the design for Kalkaringi. It ask the question, how can design improve upon something rather than just recreate what has been before?

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Precedent Discussion Conversation in class about Family Centre Precedents The discussion in class surrounding the precedent studies proved to be really insightful in terms of what elements to take away from them, with both internal and external elements discussed. Everyone seemed to be in agreement 122

that custom design elements that took into account the height and play fullness of children were very successful, with discussion of the small size of the family centre potentially allowing a budget for the inclusion of elements like this. The use of connecting spaces throughout outdoor elements also proved to be successful approach in the eyes of the team. There was also a really interesting discussion about assuming that Indigenous people prefer the local textures and materials

over say a white plasterboard. From an architectural view the raw materials may be seen as unique and a beautiful addition of texture, but some members of the community may in fact desire the sense of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;modernismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that comes through the use of newer no vernacular materials. The next pages explore the examples other members of the Family Centre team presented and the discussion around them.

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Precedent Study 04

Roebourne Children & Family Centre (Presented by Sarah Fear n-Wannan) This purpose built facility in Western Australia focuses on providing services for the local indigenous community and presents an image of what the services a Centre like this provides in built form. The conversation about this precedent focused on the facility like nature of the interior, that seems to be missing a sense of place. A lot of the interior seems very generic and cheap, with the centre looking identical to many other around the country. It does not really communicate a sense of belonging or a real connection to the community. In this regard it seemed that one of the main aspects of what we would like to achieve in the design of a family centre,

Precedent Study 05

was not achieved. In many ways it has not become a warm place for the community to engage with and call their own. The successes of the building however were thought to be the creation of undercover outdoor areas, window height that accommodated shorter users and the separation of the building into pavilions to allow concurrent activities. The building also had an obscure entry point for health and counseling services, preventing the overlooking of who is arriving at the facility.

Bennetts, Peter, 2015 “Roebourne’

Ptunarra Child & Family Centre (Presented by Sarah Fear n-Wannan & Shalini Rautela) This project is another example of a purpose built Family Centre in Australia, and was considered by the group to be a successful response to a sensitive brief. The project is exemplary at creating a very light filled open space, with consistent view lines to the exterior space. It also highlights how the project can be designed at a user friendly scale, with the softer materials creating a welcoming environment that is comfortable to inhabit. It is also particularly applicable in its ideology to be a non-institutional place at a userfriendly scale, which builds community.

Bennetts, Peter, 2015 “Roebourne’

The project also considers the children as important users of the space, with a dedicated in-built playground. This helps keep the children occupied and

Bennetts, Peter, 2015 “Roebourne’ 124

engaged with the space as the parents talk to whomever they need. As discussed with the group having fun elements like this one within the project opens up the opportunity for children to ask their parents to take them to the Centre to play, helping add a sense of community with the project very quickly. The project perhaps does not consider the importance of privacy as much, as the open plan does not allow people to discreetly enter and leave, so this aspect of the design could definitely be improved upon. The landscaping of the project is also very limited, with the internals of the building clearly receiving more intentional design.

Morrison and Breytenbach Architects, ND, “P t u n a r r a ’

Morrison and Breytenbach Architects, ND, “P t u n a r r a ’ 125

Precedent Study 06

Yo u t h C e n t r e i n Niafourang (Presented by Hermione Hines)

This project from Senegal, highlighted some interesting building technique and the possibilities when designing in an incredibly remote location. It also demonstrated how a number of simple elements can create a really dynamic project that can solve a number of roles in the community. One of the particular elements in this design that seemed to engage with this the most, was the mezzanine level created at the front, that was a space dedicated to just the youth of the community to sit in and use as they watched others come in and out of the centre.

Precedent Study 07

Window frames in the building also become places for people to sit an observe, allowing people to feel connected and a part of the community even if they are alone. The project is an even more extreme example of a remote building location than that of Kalkaringi, but nevertheless highlights the possibility of designing with the community and future users at the forefront of your mind.

Chigwell Child and Family Centre(Presented by Hermione Hines)

Project Niafourang, 2012, “Yo u t h C e n t r e ”

The discussion of this project once again centered on the playful and unique interiors, that specifically created unique spaces for the children in the space to call their own.

Morrison and Breytenbach Architects, ND, “C h i g w e l l ”

Introducing a dynamic and playful space like this in the design for Kalkaringi was agreed to by everyone to be a valuable asset.

It also highlights how thinking about multiple uses of a space in a remote location can be very important as it opens up more opportunity for the project to be used throughout the year and for different events. The design also uses a variety of screens allowing light, wind and a clear connection to the outside into the space, something that could be applied rather successfully in Kalkaringi.

The Chigwell Child and Family Centre was completed by the same architects as Ptunarra, and as such carries many of the same successes.

What was also considered to be a strong asset to the project was the visual connection the parents had whilst in the meeting rooms to the ‘play spine’ of the building. Allowing them the security of knowing their children are safe, whilst also being able to communicate to specialists and other service providers.

Project Niafourang, 2012, “Yo u t h C e n t r e ”

Morrison and Breytenbach Architects, ND, “C h i g w e l l ” 126

Morrison and Breytenbach Architects, ND, “C h i g w e l l ” 127

Precedent Study 08

Kraus Schoenburg, Woodland Nursery (Presented by Shalini Rautela) This project was discussed more broadly by the group as it pavilion type plan reflected a lot of the discussion surrounding the other projects such as M3’s ACT for kids design. Implementing a similar breakdown of forms could become very successful in Kalkaringi.

Kraus Schönberg Architects, 2016, “Internal View”

PRELIMINARY C O N S U LT A T I O N S Understanding the Project and forming a brief

Kraus Schönberg Architects, 2016, “Plan” 128

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Consultation 01

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Phil Smith 16.03.2020 This was the first chance the group had to discuss the three projects with someone who understands and has lived in the community. Phil Smith is the CEO of a Gurindji Corporation and is a Kartiya in the community. Despite this he has been working with the community for over 10 years and has a great knowledge of all of the projects and what could be successful in Kalkaringi. He was able to give a very detailed overview of each of the projects, he desired outcome and the information about funding and possible sites. For the Family Centre in particular Phil mentioned the following points that will need to be considered moving the forward: • The design and creation of the Family Centre in Kalkaringi is being supported by the NT 130

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government. Its aim is to grow the community enterprise with the desire for the jobs within the centre to be held by members of the community were possible. The Family Centre has operational funding as well as construction funding, allowing it to be the home of a number of activities that can be run by the community. This means the centre could become a hub of activity in the future. One of the main elements the centre needs to house is confidential spaces (meeting rooms). It was emphasised that these spaces need to have video conferencing capabilities. Phil discussed how these confidential spaces need to be ‘welcoming’ and include an element that can entertain the children whilst meetings are being undertaken. It was also suggested that each of the 2-3 meeting rooms could be targeted at a different age group, with one for younger families and

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one for older groups. Having spaces for mother’s groups is also key, with a desire for these groups to teach other members of the community traditional child care methods in a safe and comfortable space. The project also need to include an office to sit the 3-4 permanent staff members of the centre. There is a desire for this space to completely open planned, allowing members of the community the ability to walk in and have conversations with the staff members at any time. Phil also mentioned the possibility of including accommodation on the site. As it is not part of the particular brief at this point, nominating a location or how the modular design could be utilised for this element could be a good step. In terms of the activities being undertaken in the space, Phil discussed cultural learnings, mental health sessions, mother’s grounds and youth activities. 131

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Consultation 02

Given the sites proximity to the existing child care and health centre, creating visual links between these and possible landscaping was also seen to be an asset of the project. The idea of a desert garden also seemed to resonate well. Lastly the inclusion of a kitchenette and toilets were discussed.

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Quitaysha Johnson 20.03.2020 Our second consultation was with Quitaysha Johnson, who is the head liaison for the design of the Family Centre, and has been one of the major voices in pushing for the Centre to be built in the community. Her mother is a Traditional Owner in Kalkaringi and she grew up in the community so has a deep connection to it.

Our initial conversation with Phil, has made me very excited by the prospect of designing a family centre. It has definitely helped make the project seem much more real for the community, and highlights to me that the design could open up a lot of interesting conversations for them as the process moves forward. The services the centre will provide also seems like a great asset to the community as it looks at groups that may be under served in the other public spaces in Kalkaringi, like the mothers and children.

Quitaysha’s main point that she kept circling back to was the desire for the Centre to be a welcoming place within the community. She said her desire for the centre was for it to be open for everyone but with a focus on mothers, children and youth groups. Through our conversation, Quitaysha raised the following points that need to be considered moving forward: • Importance of having spaces for both men and women, to 132

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allow social distancing and the avoidance of poisoned cousins. The consultation roomsQuitaysha mentioned that there should be no more than three spaces, and they need to be located in a private enough space to ensure that everyone does not know what is going on within them. Quitaysha spoke about the arrangement of spaces by talking through the plan diagram she drew (which is seen on the nest page). What is interesting is her desire for each activity to have it own unique space with a set purpose, with the drawing almost reading as a set of pavilions connected by a pathway. When discussion outdoor areas, it was again brought up that there needs to be a different space for men and women. It was thought that introducing some BBQ’s to this area could allow the centre to run family gatherings and movie nights outdoors. The consideration of view lines

and who can see each other from certain areas also seemed to be very important to consider, to ensure that everyone feels comfortable in their space. Our discussion with Quitaysha opened up a lot of interesting points to consider, with the main one being the duality between the private programs of the family centre and more social space for large groups gathering. It was clear these both have an important role in the centre, but the relationship between them and the feeling of safety for people receiving confidential services is extremely important. It also led to a discussion as to what makes a space welcoming, and what we ultimately decided this meant the inclusion of clear symbols and design features that ensured the building felt as though it was designed for the community, rather than just a random series of spaces dumped on a plot of land. 133

First PresentationPrecedents Preparation for Round 2 of Consultation

The next round of consultations with Phil and Quitaysha were focused on the discussion of precedents. The aim of these conversations was to gain an understanding of how they envisaged the building in built form and to begin to create a foundation for what would work/ not work in the conditions of Kalkaringi. This presentation was a collation of all the work completed in the precedent research stage, which is captured on pages 91-109. The family centre group decided the best way to present these images would be as a series of diagrams, in order to break down the concepts that were driving the precedents instead of showing images Drawing Created by Quitaysha Johnson showing her vision of the centre, 2020

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of projects that were constructed in very different locations/ conditions.

INTERCONNECTED SPACES DIAGRAMS:

As such the presentation consisted of four precedent studies distilled into diagrams that represented the main ideas that could be applied to the design in Kalkaringi. These concepts included the use of a pavilion plan to break up the building, the amount of indoor/ outdoor areas that were desired, the creation of privacy and the use on inbuilt play equipment for younger users of the centre. The diagrams included in this presentation are featured on this page and the next. They are simple in nature, to ensure the concept, or driving idea was the main point of discussion. These points lead to interesting discussions with Phil and Quitaysha that are detailed in the following pages. 135

CREATING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN AREAS:

CREATING OUTDOOR/ INDOOR SANCTUARIES:

Consultation 03

CREATING PLAY ELEMENTS:

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Phil Smith 20.04.2020 The conversation with Phil was a chance to get some preliminary input into the presentation style and content before presenting it to Quitaysha later in the week. It was to help us practice both presenting the ideas, but to also get his feedback into what he believes is useful to show/ what is distracting. Phil spoke generally first about the reality of each of the projects, and how each of them has years of history in seeking funding and grants with the government. As such receiving designs for them is an exciting step for the community as each of them will likely be built in the near future. In terms of the precedents and diagrams presented to him the following points were raised:

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Phil spoke of the importance of the Family Centre being a practical place, although there is room for the architecture to be exciting, it still ultimately has to fulfill its programmatic requirements, and be usable for its purposes. It was mentioned how the creation of shade will be used for more than just walking through. Shaded pathways and outdoor areas can be used for sitting and gathering more informally around the centre, which could help create a strong community atmosphere. Phil liked the diagrams that read more as plans, as this is a reflection of how the dot painting are done. He mentioned that members of the community are more likely to understand these diagrams that those in section. The use of curves was discussed, and it was mentioned here that a close analysis of the cost vs. the benefit would have to be considered, and perhaps a faceted pathway, or roof line can perform the same effect as a

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curve, without the additional cost. When we discussed internal and external play elements Phil mentioned that everything that is designed into the centre needs to be ‘bullet proof’. It needs to be solid, unbreakable and easy to clean. Moving parts make everything harder to maintain, so keeping this sturdy and simple is the most important element in these spaces. This suggests that raised platform and fixed tunnels/ slides may be more effective that having loose furniture in the play areas, that can be easily broken. Phil liked the idea of having outdoor meeting spaces, as he believes these will be used more regularly that internal spaces, so looking at the inclusion of outdoor space is important when moving forward. In terms of the presentation, Phil spoke a lot about the importance of thinking through the words you use. Architectural lingo like ‘facade’, ‘precedent’, ‘materiality’, ‘programmatic division’ may be 137

lost on some members of the community so keeping it simple may be more effective. The Roeburn Family Centre was also of great interest to Phil, as it was an example of a built family centre in a similar community (in terms of climate and remoteness) to Kalkaringi. He saw it as a very clear example of what he was expecting to be built in Kalkaringi, giving us a good sense of the scale, budget and possible materiality that would suit the community.

Consultation 04

it helped firm up the vision he has for the centre in our minds, and gave us a chance to really focus in on the ideas we wanted to discuss with Quitaysha later in the week.

Quitaysha Johnson 23.04.2020 This consultation with Quitaysha focused on getting her feedback to the precedents and the initial concepts that each of us were beginning to formulate after our research into them. The keys points Quitaysha raised throughout the session was her ambition for the space to act as a ‘Healing Centre’, she spoke of how her desire was for the Family Centre to create, strong leaders, strong culture and strong families. This overall desire drove a lot of her responses to the precedents and the concepts each of use discussed.

At this points he also suggested including plans of the precedents in the presentation to make some of the connections between space clearer, and help with finalising the brief. This led to us including coloured plans for our discussion with Quitaysha later in the week, which proved to help frame the conversation and create discussion points around these more programmatic elements. Having the opportunity to talk to Phil at this stage was incredibly useful as

The first concept we discussed with Quitaysha was how to divide up the program, and how many building the centre should consist off? She stressed here the importance of the reception being able to monitor who

Plan of the Roeburn Family Centre Phil suggested including in the presentation 138

comes and goes throughout the day, so ensuring that will be important moving forwards. As such through our discussions it seemed that two building could be an appropriate response. With one containing the consult rooms and more private activities and the other hosting larger groups gather spaces. Along with this there was a discussion around the concept of invading space, and how as soon as an area is designated ‘mens’ or ‘females’ if someone incorrectly enters there is a sense of judgment/ fear. This led to the question, how to make everyone feel welcome in space? It seemed that perhaps having smaller group seating areas that can change ownership based on who is at the centre could perhaps be a more effective approach rather than designating two rooms for each gender. This led to the idea that having a large space that allows people to separate or come together as required could also be highly effective. This

could allow wifes and husbands to care for the children together but to also separate if needed. Quitaysha spoke of how parenting in Kalkaringi is currently a very female driven task, and she sees the family centre as an opportunity to reconnect families and connect men more to the job. So having spaces that encourage this in some passive way could be very powerful. At this point we moved onto a discussion about sanctuary and the family/ consultation rooms. Previously Quitaysha had stressed the importance of privacy in these spaces, leading us to explore separating them out of the main building and creating a more private pavilion. Through discussing this however, she explained how people in the community are likely going to know who is at the centre anyway, simply due to recognising whose car is parked outside. As such, it was determined that it is more about the quality of the family rooms rather than creating absolute privacy. People instead need to feel safe and 139

comfortable whilst they are inside the spaces. When discussing the inclusion of internal pay areas, Quitaysha seemed to prefer examples that included outdoor play features rather than a large internal area. She believed that having a large play area inside could be a disruption to the other activities. Instead having smaller nooks in the corner of the consultation room and the mums and bubs area seemed more desirable that the large area seen in the Chigwell example. She explained how these plays areas could be much simpler, with toys and play mats being placed in a fenced off area, rather than an elaborate inbuilt feature. She loved the image of the M3 design that shows the children standing playing the circular area enclosed by logs, suggesting that play elements like these would be more desirable in the Kalkaringi Family Centre.

Her ambitions for the project were definitely inspiring for each of us, and gave us a lot to think about moving forward as we begin to formalise all of the discussion into an actual building. It is exciting to begin to start working on a project that has such potential within the community.

06 Design Overview

The inclusion of an outdoor BBQ area was discussed along with these external areas, with Quitaysha referencing the seating Bower did at the Wave Hill Walk-off Pavilions as a possible approach to landscaping this area. Throughout the discussion Quitaysha mentioned the importance of creating a feeling of belonging in the centre, explaining to us how she wants people to be able to come at any time to seek help, or simply chat. She wants the centre to create opportunities for the community and become a space for healing as well as growing together.

AFTER THIS POINT CONSULTATIONS MOVED ONTO THE DESIGN PHASE- GO TO PAGE 169 FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THESE DISCUSSIONS 140

Roper, Annabelle, 2019 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wave Hill Pavilionâ&#x20AC;? 141

“Indigenous Design Considerations” Report written by Dr Elizabeth Grant & Wilto Ye r l o

This report written by Elizabeth Grant and Wilto Yerlo, explores the design considerations that should be considered when creating a building for Aboriginal families. The report focuses on the creation of child care and family centres, making the research conducted essential to understand the best approach to designing in Kalkaringi. The report highlights the ‘excellent opportunities [family centres have] to address the often neglected design issues for Aboriginal peoples with the potential for the building to be designed, structured and staffed to promote and facilitate the enhancement of Indigenous wellness and provide improved outcomes for Aboriginal children and families’. Which is a thought that makes the idea of designing such a facility in Kalkaringi seem like an incredibly opportunity to engage the community and provide much-needed services.

THE USERS Aboriginal Families

The authors highlight a series of Socio-spatial needs shared by many 142

Aboriginal People, which include: • The need to have an environment which supports people focused on living within a pre-existing social/family group that promotes continuing contact with family and kin. • Maximum contact with the external environment while retaining comfort. • The need for appropriately designed spaces to avert feelings of shame. • The need for appropriate spaces to retreat when feeling shame. • A need for private spaces when dealing with private matters. Based on the initial consultation with Quitaysha Johnson it appears a lot of similar considerations can be applied to Kalkaringi as she stressed the importance of people not being able to see people actively seeking out the more confidential services of the centre. As such, creating spaces that can accessed discretely, and the addition of spaces for people to retreat to and feel comfortable in will 143

be a very important element in where of not the centre is a success within the community. To expand on these concepts of socio-spatial needs the report highlighted that spatial groupings, location and orientation should considered in the institutional and settlement design, in terms of “orientation to country and orientation to family/kin. Visual and aural surveillance of local and broader external environment should be maximised.” It stresses the importance of: • Ability to see and hear other activities in the space • Ability to see and hear other kin • Ability to use sign language to communicate across space • Ability to see, hear, smell and feel country, weather, fauna and flora. Along with these elements, avoidance practices and relationships should be considered in the design particularity in the positioning of the bathrooms and areas intended for large group

use. In order to accommodate these practices, the design should include: • No dead hallways. • Multiples entries and exits to all communal spaces • Screened and separated bathrooms (gender specific- no unisex spaces). • The embodiment of cultural reference or identity should be included if appropriate. • It should take into account the language groups associated with specific projects. • References to ancestral histories may be relevant; however these references should be used with caution, sensitivity and always in consultation with custodians of cultural knowledge. Again the research highlights how the smallest inclusions of an extra door in a space, and the selection of elements of cultural knowledge and heritage can add a lot of value to how welcoming the space feels for the inhabitants. These inclusions of cultural elements in the case of Kalkaringi should not

be assumed and discussed in the videos conferences we are lucky enough to have with key members of the community. Ques can also be taken from previous Bower project completed in the community, where materiality and ideas of representation have already been explored and applied with great success. Furthermore one of the key elements the report highlights is the minimal research that has been undertaken on the environmental needs of Aboriginal women or family groups within public spaces. The needs of these groups can only really be implied from other sources. From what could be gathered a lot of the information was around the communities in desert regions of Australia and in particular based on the Warlpiri People. As such the ideas gained from this body of research may not be directly applicable to Kalkaringi so will need to be discussed with members of the community in order to determine how applicable it is. However looking at what these females considered 144

to be important spatial needs could provide as a valuable sounding board for discussion. Keys points articulated by the Warlpiri women included the description of various spaces to meet their social, cultural and spatial needs. Central to this was an external flexible area which functions included: • A focal point for contacting and gathering together of women. • A place for women to meet and discuss ceremonial responsibilities. • An area for food preparation and cooking. Women required gathering areas for resting, talking, teaching, cooking and caring. These group spaces were best situated in areas with good visual surveillance of arriving visitors with some areas that are very private, to allow women “...to talk and prepare for women’s business.”

preference of the users, by taking into account the local practices, a lifestyle structured around social groups and the need to maintain connections to country and kin. There is a large capacity here to improve the outcomes for the community through design and the provision of services in the centre. For the design to be successful the outcome will have to identify clear solutions that respond to the behaviours of the community, and implement them in a highly considered and delicate response, that can be embraced by the local families.

What the report really highlighted to me in the context of this project, was the potential the design has to accommodate environmental Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Kalkaringi Children”

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THE BRIEF The Family Centre

Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Image of Kalkaringi”

Brief

Created through the community consultations and class discussions The main ambition for the Family Centre in Kalkaringi is to create a space where all families can access services that aren’t otherwise available to the community, as well as, creating a new gathering space that people feel welcomed into to discuss any issue 146

Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Image of Kalkaringi”

they may be facing. The centre will provide confidential rooms for video conferences where people can receive counseling, legal, health and financial advice from social workers and other service providers. It will also be the home for mothers’ groups, youth groups and other cultural gatherings that aim to enrich the community experience. From consultations with Phil Smith (CEO of Guringi Corp) and Quitaysha

Johnson (who grew up in Kalkaringi), assessment of precedent studies and research the following list of spaces was created: •

Consultation rooms 2-3 (confidential) for family & child issues. Must have video conferencing setup (computers. They need to be welcoming/ warm spaces.

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Place for children to play so they 147

don’t distract parents in discussions •

Office Space (to fit 2-4 staff)

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Waiting area where visitors can then be directed to room

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Space for computers for adult learning and the filling out of confidential paper work

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Kitchenette

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Group activity spaces. Indoor space for (approx 20ppl) and an outdoor (approx 20 ppl) to gather

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Informal meeting places for both genders- could be external or internal

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Shade structures and seating to create spaces for people to casually gather at the centre

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Garden and landscaping to connect spaces

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Potential accommodation- could be

a nominated location not fully fleshed out- STAGE 2 •

Toilets (include DDA)

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Store Room

The space needs to consider and responds to the community in the arrangement of these spaces and the nature of the activities being undertaken within the centre. It is clear a duality of activities is happening, those that require complete confidentiality as they may be associated with shame and those that encourage the gathering of large groups and sharing of time together. The main focus of the design should be how to balance these juxtaposing programmes alongside each-other in order to create and inviting and architecturally interesting addition to the community. It should be a place that people want to come to, to share a cup of tea with the staff, and seek the help they need. It is a gathering place to create as Quitaysha would say, “strong culture, strong leaders and strong families”.

THE SITE Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Image of Kalkaringi”

Location in Kalkaringi

Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Image of Kalkaringi” 148

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Site Considerations

SITE

HEALTH CLINIC

The site selected for the Family Centre is on the corner of Libanangu Road and Whitlam Street. This site was selected by members of the community as it is close to the existing Health clinic and Child Care Centre, allowing a services precinct to be established in this area of the town.

CHILD CARE CENTRE

The site, also being across Whitlam street allows it to have slightly more privacy from view-lines out of the oval and school. This separation from the school seemed of particular focus for Quitaysha as she didn’t want children running across to the centre to see their parents in the middle of the day. Her ambition is for the centre to be a nice addition to the community, not a disrupting force. As such, the location opposite the Child Care Centre, allows it to be mostly concealed from the school ground, but allows it to still stand as part of the precinct of services.

FOOTY FIELD

SCHOOL

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The climate of Kalkaringi itself, opens a whole range of environmental conditions that will need to be addressed in the design. These have been discussed extensively during the semester with James Neil. The below list highlights some of these key considerations and the steps to take in the design process in order to combat them.

natural ventilation (by have high level openings that allow air to escape), inducing the chimney effect, and the inclusion of thermal mass could all be explored in order to create a building that doesn’t require air-conditioning to be comfortable for the entirety of the year. •

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High temperatures: in Kalkaringi, the weather is in the high 30s for the majority of the year, with some days in summer sitting above 40. This level of heat means that the design has to provide a space that will be cooler, to provide some relief to the hot temperatures. The creation of shade can be one the best moves to offset this intense heat, so the inclusion of large eaves, or a canopy roof structure should be considered in the design, in order to maximise its creation. Use of passive cooling systems, like cross ventilation, induced

Dust: the prevalence of dust in the community also needs to be considered in the design, in order to prevent it entering the building as much as possible. With increased eye infections in indigenous communities that is increasingly important. Raising the slab to prevent dust being kicked in and ensuring openings can be closed as both simple ways to limit the spread of dust. The use of landscaping and rocks also act in a similar way by blocking the path the dust travels along. The dist also effects the use of in ground track systems (like bifold doors) as it clogs up 151

the channels. As such, different approaches to moving elements will need to be considered. James consistently remarked that “Every moving part will break” so thinking through this in the inclusion of elements that are operable will be important throughout the whole design process. •

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Termites: the presence of termites in the community means that timber cannot come in contact with the ground, and steps needs to be taken to ensure that any termite tunnels attempting to reach the timber can be removed before they start eating it. Breaking in and theft: Another point to consider when designing in Kalkaringi is how easy things are both to break into and steal. We were told a number of stories of children in the community trying to break into the different building throughout the town, so considering steps to prevent this from happening will be

07 Design Processes

important. This in many ways rules out the use of a single layer of glass, or louvers, as they are easily breakable and allow access into the building. Instead using weld mesh or crimsafe in front of these elements is required in order to prevent easy breakages. Another alternative is the use of polycarbonate or perspex paneling for windows, which is much harder to break through. It was also mentioned that the use of timber slats in a project is not recommended as it has been stolen and used as firewood in the past. So using larger timber panels that can be bolted down as one piece is more desirable as it makes the product much harder to steal for this purpose. Alternatively modwood is an option that Bower studio has had success within in the past and could be used as an alternative product to timber. Cain, Natalie, 2019 “Type of Timber successfully used by Bower in the past” 152

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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The Design The next and final sections of this booklet document the process taken when designing the Kalkaringi Family Centre. It includes iterations for class, reflections on why certain decisions were made and links back to the research undertaken throughout the semester to determine whether ideas are working or are not. These sections also include further consultations with the client in relation

to the design concepts, which proved to benefit the project even further. There were also workshops undertaken with both the ARUP engineers and past Bower student Nicole, so their feedback and thoughts are also listed in the following pages. The final design and reflection of the semester round out the booklet. The design aimed to incorporate as much of this thinking and connections to both the past Bower style established in the community, whilst being mindful of the program

Process images, sketches and reflections

and needs of the building. With the site considerations and constraints, it attempts to find the opportunity for some joy in materiality and architectural gestures that will not break the bank. The main focus that drove the design though was creating a place that would be a great addition to Kalkaringi, by creating a safe and joy filled centre that everyone could find a comfortable spot within.

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Concept Development

The first steps I took when beginning this project was to start to understand the constraints of the site, and determine how the program could sit within the boundaries. Our site in Kalkaringi is dead flat so really it left a lot of opportunity to orient the project in any way, which left the chance for a lot of exploration into how the building could be divided or come together as one. My initial instinct when designing the

it became clear that it would not suit a number of the other conditions that we face in Kalkaringi, specifically that of security. With the division of every room into its own pavilion, it becomes increasingly hard for the staff to monitor who comes and goes, whilst also making the centre difficult to lock up at night, leaving the chance that something would accidentally be left open and allowing it to be broken into/ equipment stolen.

Family Centre was to divide all the program up into individual pavilions and play with how the roof form could connect these. This approach came from a number of precedent studies that had divided up the more private and public quite successfully to create really lovely external courtyard spaces in between. From consultations with Phil and Quitaysha, along with the research undertaken, also suggested that members of the community would prefer outdoor space for informal meetings and gatherings, so using it to divide the buildings initially seemed like the best approach. This also solved in many ways the fears Quitaysha had of people being seen to be using certain services at the Family Centre, as screening of pathways could easily block sight lines across the site and allow someone to discretely enter the Family Centre, without others necessarily noticing.

below design a large canopy structure could be the best approach. The benefits of using a canopy also allows the hot air to be collected at a level about the pods below. Even a slight breeze then blows this hot collected air from the space and allows the structures below to stay significantly cooler.

This led me to begin to look at ways that the benefits of the pavilion plan could be created in a building at consists of only two volumes. To achieve this I began planning the building as a series of pods coming together, linking up spaces, but also giving each a distinct character, with its own external skin. In doing so, I began to explore the roof form, deciding that to maximise shade and give myself the most freedom with pushing and pulling the plan

However, as we discussed the idea of a pavilion plan further with Quitaysha 156

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When designing the canopy itself, I drew the two structures folding in towards each other at the central courtyard. This gesture was to represent the idea of members of the community coming together in the space, and the roof folding down to meet them in the courtyard that becomes the central gathering space in the Family Centre. The two roof structures also then meet at the entry of the centre, again playing with idea of connection, whilst also creating a moment that draw people inside as the move through to the open air on the other side of the courtyard. 158

Angling the columns in the Y shape was to offset the angle of the roof, and mimic the joining together at the entry. Throughout the semester we also spoke a lot of how shade in many ways mimic a tree canopy, so playing with a more â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;branchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; like column appealed to me, and injected a little more interest into the design, differentiating it from the basketball court, that also has a large canopy roof. The central courtyard was the next space I began to investigate, as it provides a lot of opportunity to introduce some elements of joy.

I began to design some integrated seating and play elements around this area, to activate the courtyard, and create a space that people would enjoy sitting in for more passive meetings and conversations. Through each of the different seats I was trying to create spaces that different members of the community could enjoy, meaning different scales and groups sizes were played with. I began to positions larger groups meeting areas apart fro each other, allowing them to be used for mens and womens business, and creating sufficient distance for cultural avoidance. 159

The sketches here represent some of this early thinking around what the courtyard spaces could be, with moments connecting the inside and outside, to more simple seating along the perimeter.

more private whilst also providing the opportunity for consultations to happen outside, which may be more comfortable for some members of the community.

It also provides the opportunity for moments of play with the children, by placing lower windows and ramped seating for them to run up and down along. At this point a number of elements of the design were starting to come together, so I began rationalising the plan and working out what moments pulling out rooms made sense and where it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, making sure each of them was responding to a particular need. This meant that spaces like the toilets where pushed back to align with other walls, whilst the family rooms were played with a lot more to explore how additional walls outside could create private courtyards and moments that would reflect the original pavilion plan. It allows these spaces to be 160

At this stage I started thinking through the landscaping elements around the perimeter of the building, and working out where play areas can intersect with seating, what areas should be more private and so on. Putting larger group areas to the South towards the centre of the town seemed like a good fit, as people could gather and look back down to the community which had been mentioned my David to be a common thing to do. More private spaces around the consultation rooms to the North also seemed like a natural fit. So in this area more private seating was explored, to allow one or two people to have conversations rather than a large group. 161

to what unifying story was tying the whole project together, and although I new the building was working relatively well progamatically, I needed to reconnect it to the broader ideas in order to refine the choices I was making fro the rest of the semester.

At this point in class we began to discuss how each of the little pods below the roof could be made from a different material, to continue to play with the versatility that the large canopy roof offered. The images on of the model on the right and the elevations sketched above are some of the explorations done into this idea. However, it became clear quite quickly that is was hard to find a rationale for why these materials were being placed next to each other. And the elevations in particular were showing a building that looked a bit

In order to do this I wrote out a story of what, based on the consultations up to this point with Quitaysha, I believed to be the most essential elements of the project (which is captured in the next series of pages). This helped me reground the project moving forward.

muddled and did not have a clear direction/ unifying factor. At this point I also went back through the list of factors from research into previous Indigenous family centres designed, and ensured each of these, from ensuring there were multiple entry and exit points in the spaces that may be more confrontational and ensuring there are enough moments of retreat were present throughout the garden and the building, for people who may need to retreat. From here I became a little stuck as 162

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T h e K a lka r i ng i F a m i l y C e nt r e w i l l b e . . .

FINDING THE STORY OF THE CENTRE Thinking Through What the Building should Achieve

A place to belong...

I t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a p l a c e t o f e e l w e l c o m e d . . .

Where community members can see a piece of themselves... 164

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to share memories, culture and opportunities...

It will be the place paths cross...

and joy is created...

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i t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a p l a c e t o l e a r n . . .

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t o g ro w. . .

to heal...

and to foster: strong leaders, strong culture, and of course strong families 168

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Reflecting on the Story

Creating the above diagrams and thinking through how the architecture was framing each of the moments and ambitions that we has discussed with Quitaysha up to that point, proved to be a really beneficial step in the process for me. Working through each of the little diagrams, helped me begin to see how the building was working as a whole entity rather than a series of parts. Working through what each space had to achieve in order for the project to be successful in my eyes, helped me begin to pull in some of the unnecessary fluff that had been added to the project, and refine it back to an intelligent response, that focused on creating places of belonging for all members of the community. It made me focus more on what these spaces would become moving forward, and the number of people

that need to sit in each of the areas. It also helped me work out when it was important to have moments for play and seating and where perhaps a path and shade was all that was needed. The story also provided the base for the next consultation with Quitaysha (which is documented on the next series of pages), where I was able to use the story as a base for asking her a series of questions that I still had in regards to how she pictures the centre acting as a hub for the community. The questions directly linked to each of the images for the story and included: • What symbols and colours would make people feel more comfortable in the space? • Is the centre somewhere you want people to organically drop by and hang out in, or is it for more formal interactions only? • Do you believe outdoor gathering spaces would be used more that the internal counterparts? • Do you want elements that encourage people to chat to one

• •

another if they happen to run into one another at the centre? Where do you think play moments for children are bes incorporated? What type of learning do you think the centre will be used for? Will it be lectures, or group learning? What scale of classes will occur? If there is planting in the centre how much maintenance would you think is too much? Is there any furnishing of material that you believe would make the family rooms more comfortable?

By asking these questions in the consultation, along with what the other Family Centre crew members had to ask, lead to really insightful answers that helped me move the project forward into the end of the semester. Ultimately, revisiting the story and goals of the what the centre was trying to achieve reset them in my mind, and allowed me to continue pressing forward, with a clearer idea of what I was attempting to achieve.

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DESIGN C O N S U LT A T I O N S Feedback on approach and design

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Consultation 05 Quitaysha Johnson 15.05.2020 This consulation with Quitaysha focused on a discussion of the overall concepts each of us were thinking about using in our design, and how they begin to shape Architectural Space. Each member of the Family Centre group presented a detailed series of diagrams (the one for my project seen in the previous ‘finding the story section’). The questions asked of Quitaysha at this point were focused around more detailed elements of the centre than in previous conversations. This included queries around materiality and internal furnishing in order to get a better sense of how the spaces are to be used exactly. At the start of the consultation there was a discussion around placing large walls near the entry to the

building. Quitaysha noted that she wants to centre to be the removal of wall between different members of the community, so doesn’t want it to appear blocked off or overly private. She wants the entry to be open and welcoming so people can easily walk into the space without feeling ashamed. In terms of the consultation rooms, Quitaysha mentioned it was important for people not to be seen when they are inside, as such she liked the idea presented by Hermione of using semi-translucent materials instead of glazing, as well as having entries on the side of corridors rather than directly at the end. It was also discussed that the waiting area could be fairly informal, allowing people to sit on comfortable couches or on outside benches. It’s more about feeling welcoming and safe rather than the waiting room in a doctor’s office. Having large spaces where multiple programs can occur at once also

seemed appealing to Quitaysha as the large size allows a number of activities to happen together at once. She also mentioned how this gives community members the option to sit close to each other or find their own space in the room, without feeling trapped. Including outdoor yarning circles and seating was discussed and was seen to be a positive addition to the project. Quitaysha seemed particularly excited about the inclusion of a BBQ area, for evening gatherings and celebrations.

of the landscape could be a way to proceed with the materiality of the project. We also asked here if there were any stories or specific symbolism that she believes would fit well into the design for the Family Centre. Here Quitaysha told us the story of the Karungkarni Hills, and the dreaming that connects them to the mothers and children of the community.

She also continued to like ideas that provided dedicated spaces fro play, rather than elements scattered throughout the building. Providing spaces for planting and vege gardens also seemed appealing to her, as she imagines being able to use these areas to run workshops for the community.

The Karungkarni Hills are connected to fertility and pregnancy. It is the place women who want to get pregnant go to with the female elders, the soils and other elements of the landscape are then used to help the women fall pregnant. As such, the hills have a strong connection to the creation of family, making them a symbol that could be carried through the centre.

The use of timber and planting in drawings was well received as the colours reflect what is seen in nature, suggesting that using the colours

Quitaysha believed that using colours and textures from the hill could be a nice way to represent it in the design more subtly, but also was not 172

opposed to see the outline of the hill in motifs throughout the building, giving us each a new possibility when designing facade elements and walls towards the entry. Other symbols Quitaysha mentioned was the use of footprints, and work from local artists throughout the building. The imagery from the Freedom Day Festival and motifs of family coming together were also discussed as possible options to include in the design where appropriate. Ultimately, this round of consultation allowed each of us to being to really firm up our concepts surrounding the building, and continued to grow our appreciation for how important this project could be for members of the community. It was incredibly regarding to have the opportunity to speak to Quitaysha and continue to break down what she envisages for the space.

Image created by Sarah showing the Timber Battens and Vegetation

Image created by Shalini showing a potential BBQ area

Image created by Hermi indicating a possible Mums and Bubs area 173

Consultation 06 Quitaysha Johnson 11.06.2020 Our meeting with Quitaysha on the 11th was much more informal than our previous sessions as was mainly to catch her up on how each of us had been progressing on the designs in the lead up to the end of the semester. Here we discussed a number of planning elements around the size of the consultation rooms. It was determined that one of them should be large enough to have an entire family (up to ten people) present for video calls with people who may be in prision or in other parts of the country. She continued to love ideas around the use of timber and bringing in motifs like those used on the ceilings at the art centre. So carrying through how warm earthy materials are represented in the design will be important in the final stages of the

project. There was also a discussion about the importance of being able to close spaces down during rain and dist storms. So thinking through how each space can be easily locked down when a weather event like this happens, could be a really useful step to take at this stage in the design. These small programmatic changes are important to investigate and consider in order for the design to be effective for the community. It will also likely be the elements that people like Quitaysha will notice when they seem the final images so this meeting was a reminder to continue to think each of these elements through.

Overall, Quitaysha seemed to like how each of the designs was coming together and I think the whole group is quite excited to show her more polished images of each of our outcomes, and receive any final feedback she may have to offer.

CONCEPT P R E S E N TAT I O N First Critique of Design 18.05.2020

She also mentioned that the mums and bubs area should be versatile in the type of seating it can offer, from more formal seminars to casual seating in circles to discuss different things. Versatility of spaces continues to be an important aspect of the design. 174

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Design Critique This Design Critique with Nikki (a former Bower student) gave us all the opportunity to speak through our initial concept design fully, and work out what steps need to be taken moving forward. What our discussion focused around was how the fun moments seen in the plan could be played with across the whole building. This is where the idea to play with the heights of the pods 176

below the roof was fully discussed and fleshed out, as it became clear playing with these different levels was something I was interested in exploring, both in the ceilings but also across the ground plane with the seating and play areas. Attempting to differentiate space through height seemed like a natural continuation of these ideas, but also given the large canopy roof above is relatively simple to achieve. As part of this discussion it was mentioned that some spaces could be dropped to as low as 1800 to create

nooks for children, whilst the reception space could be raised to above 3m to provide a sense of grand entry. This rationale of private/ public spaces is how I added the play of heights to the design moving forward, with those more private having lower ceilings to create a sense of intimacy. We also discussed how the whole garden can be engaged more in the design and that thinking through all the pathways through the landscape to reach different seating areas could ass another layer of richness to the scheme. The explorations into the 177

U N D E R S TA N D I N G STRUCTURE seating also provides the opportunity to create moments of retreat for members of the community who may be feeling shame on some level, allowing the building to continue to ensure that everyone feels comfortable in the space. In terms of the planning, the size of the family rooms was suggested to be increased, in order to make them a more celebrated space within the building. The idea behind the private courtyards next to them was also well received and it was suggested

that thinking through the planting/ intersection with the soil at this point could be a good next step to take in refining this. The structural elements of the design were also mentioned, as at this stage they clearly needed a lot of refining to ensure a project that could actually be constructed was presented at the final design review at the end of the semester. Thankfully we had the chance to discuss these elements with ARUP engineers later in the week, so there was an opportunity to begin to

Discussion with ARUP Engineers 21.05.2020

refine them to something that would reflect more accurately the built reality of the columns and roof. This chance to present the design at this stage provided me with a path forward to begin to refine the details of the project, by beginning to design all the seating elements, play areas and thresholds between different spaces. The suggestion to adjust the volumes was also adopted into the design and helped add a lot of richness to the scheme. 178

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AR UP The chance to chat to ARUP at this point in the semester proved to be incredibly helpful in refining the main structural elements that I was grappling, the main one of these being the roof and columns that make up a significant portion of my architectural response. The following list details a number of the discussion points that came up during our conversation, each of which was carried through into the design, in order to detail a more feasible approach to the structural elements: •

Storm Water: we discussed how Kalkaringi has no storm water system and as such water runs off in little stream back down towards the river. This means that a gutter system that connects to the correct storm water collection point is not required, and instead it is simpler and more effective to just run the water directly off the

roof and into the landscaping. Strategically positioning plating around these locations can do a lot in preventing the water pooling etc. •

Splice connections: the engineers discussed how two members of steel can be joined together to form a larger beam through the use of splice connections. They explained that they are created by welding a flange plate to the two members allowing them to be joined. The locations of these connections was also discussed with the engineers explaining how they should occur close to, but not on top of the central supporting column, this is to ensure that the join does not a high amount of strain by occurring at the bending moment.

•

Y columns: We discussed that using two I beams welded together would be the most

effective way to construct the columns. The engineers also explained that the member of the Y touching the ground is bearing all the load of the roof, whilst the second one it helping reduce the effective length of the beam, meaning load is transferred to the ground at a lesser span, than if one member was being used. •

•

such the decision was made to introduce a large of sarking and clad the underside of the roof with a ply to enhance the visual of the roof while also responding to the environment.

Beams (span to depth): The engineers also helped work out an approximate depth for the beams that make up the roofs portal frame. Given the beams are steel I sections, ARUP suggested using a span/15 formula to calculate the depth. In doing so I ended up with UB of 480mm in depth to achieve the required span of the roof structure.

Talking to the engineers at this point allowed me to refine the structural elements of the project, and detail in a more accurate representation of how the roof would actually work within the project, which was a great step to take forward at this stage. The images to the right indicate how this information was then applied to the design, and how it was carried through for the rest of the project.

Insulation: We also discussed how the inclusion of insulation to the underside of the roof structure could greatly improve it’s thermal performance in blocking heat for reaching the pods bellow. As 180

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Refinement

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT The last stage of the project focused on beginning to refine both the overall concepts and the detailing of different elements across the project.

Rationalising and Detailing

At this stage, I introduced the differing volumes to the pods and began to finalise elements of the plan, ensuring all the programmatic requirements were accounted for, adjusting the size of the family rooms, adding a DDA WC and refining where seating was happening in the landscape, and the paths connecting it all together. 182

I also overlaid a 1200 x 1200 gird across the plan at this point to ensure each of the rooms was easily constructed with precast paneling, and there were limited occasions were panels would have to be cut down. As such the entire building operates on 1200 lengths, allowing a kit of parts to easily be manufactured and constructed on site. With the plan working the project moved fully into the detailing and refinement stage, as I began to work out the smaller construction details and sections throughout the project, designing each of the landscape elements and the internal joinery, in doing so a lot of the discussions about materiality and theft came into play. Each detail was a chance to think through how it best can act in the climate and respond to the unique conditions of Kalkaringi. In terms of materiality the core pallet was narrowed down as consists off: â&#x20AC;˘ Red corrugated iron sheeting for the roof 183

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Checklist of Indigenous Design Considerations from Research

PRECAST PANELLING WITH PLANTS FROM THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE INCLUDED- FOR US IN THE CONSULATION ROOM

Black steel work Precast concrete paneling for the pods (with a range of different textures and ocher red colours used to differentiate programs) Polycarbonate windows and top hung face sliding doors. Ply wood, for feature ceilings and joinery throughout the project as well as the underside of the canopy roof. Solid timber planks for external seating.

TEXTURED PANELLING TO BE USED IN GROUP GATHERING SPACES

This pallet was based on the suggestion from Quitaysha to use mainly materials that reflect the natural environment, so reds and browns are the base for the majority of the selections.

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The following list pulls out a number of key points that were important to ensure were includedin the desing of a Family Centre. These points came from the research done into designing for Indigenous users, the precedent studies and the consultations with Quitaysha. Enauring they are addressed in the design before embarking on the final drawings is essential. The list is as follows: 1000

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So, with the materials selected, plan working and detailing underway, at this point the project was coming together and beginning to represent the final proposal that is documented in the following pages. 0

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STANDARD PANELLING USED AS THE BASE COLOUR ACROSS THE BUILDINGS

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No dead hallways. No dead hallways have been included in the design, all lead to either a room with a opportunity to exit. There is no chance to become trapped at any point. Multiples entries and exits to all

communal spaces All communal spaces have two entry/ exit points to all for avoidance. •

Screened and separated bathrooms (gender specific- no unisex spaces) Both bathrooms have discrete entries, with concealed doors, so people can’t see anyone opening/ closing the main door to the WC.

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The embodiment of cultural reference or identity should be included if appropriate. The design includes moments that allow for community artists to design laser cut panelling on the ceiling, reception counter as well as pain a number of features, allowing the community to see familiar colours and motifs throughout the building. The materiality also very closely reflects the landscape of the nearby Karungkarni hills that has

a strong dreaming connection to families. •

References to ancestral histories may be relevant; however these references should be used with caution, sensitivity and always in consultation with custodians of cultural knowledge. The connection to the Karungkarni hills is very subtle in the use of materiality which was discussed closely with Quitaysha. There is no direct visual representation of it anywhere. The use of indigenous symbols and imagery is indicative and will require further consultations as to the exact designs throughout the building.

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The need to have an environment which supports people focused on living within a pre-existing social/family group that promotes continuing contact with family and kin. A lot of the design is very open, allowing different groups to find 185

a place to occupy within it, there is a number of opportunities for groups to find a space that suits them both internally and externally. •

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Maximum contact with the external environment while retaining comfort. The courtyard space connecting the two buildings allows people to pass through landscape as they walk around the centre. Large sliding doors also allow views out to the landscaping to al internal spaces. There are a multitude of external seating options that allow those who feel more comfortable outside to find a place that best suits them. The need for appropriately designed spaces to avert feelings of shame. The entry to the family rooms are concealed, allowing people to discretely enter. The external courtyard spaces that each of them have, also protects people for looking into the spaces.

Multiple entries have also been included on both rooms allowing people to discretely enter and leave if required. •

The need for appropriate spaces to retreat when feeling shame. The large amount of external shaded seating around the whole perimeter of the building allows the opportunity for retreat at any time.

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A need for private spaces when dealing with private matters. The family rooms include acoustic panelling and concealed entries and exits, allowing for privacy.

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A focal point for contacting and gathering together of women. The mums and bubs room will likely become the central gathering point for women, although a few larger group seating areas are provided outside, with the idea that these will organically be assigned as space for mens and women’s

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08 Final Proposal

business over time. An area for food preparation and cooking. An internal kitchenette and external BBQ have both been provided in the design.

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OVERALL SCHEME Site, Plan, Sections, Materiality

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SITE PLAN

MULTIPURPOSE ROOM

PLAY

FAMILY ROOM

STORE

CASUAL MEETING SPACE

BBQ

RECEPTION

KITCHEN

OFFICE

MULTIPURPOSE GROUP MEETING ROOM

FAMILY ROOM

PLAY AREA

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN WITH 1200x1200 GRID APPLIED TO SHOW PRECAST PANEL BREAKUP

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NORTH - SOUTH SECTION

EXPLODED PERSPECTIVE OF BUILDING LAYERS

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EAST - WEST SECTION

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GREEN TEXTILES TEXTURED PRECAST CONCRETE

PRECAST CONCRETE IN ORANGES

PLY WOOD

HARD WOOD

PRECAST PANELING WITH LOCAL VEGETATION PATTERNS VIC. RIVER STONE

BLACK STEEL RED CORRUGATED IRON PRECAST CONCRETE IN REDS

PERSPECTIVE OF ENTRY TO FAMILY CENTRE FROM LIBANANGU RD

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PROPOSED MATERIALITY

LOCAL SOILS

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D E TA I L S Plans & Sections

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DETAIL SECTION THROUGH LARGE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM AND PLAY AREA

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DETAIL SECTION THROUGH SERVERY

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DETAIL SECTIONS OF OUTDOOR SEATING

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DETAIL PLAN OF NORTH FAMILY ROOMS

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SECTION THROUGH JOINERY UNIT IN THE CASUAL MEETING SPACE

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VIGNETTES Perspective Views

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VIEW DOWN COURTYARD BETWEEN TWO BUILDING

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VIEW OF OUTDOOR SEATING

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VIEW OF OUTDOOR SEATING

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VIEW OF FAMILY ROOMS (INSIDE)

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VIEW OF FAMILY ROOMS (OUTSIDE)

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VIEW OF CASUAL MEETING AREA (INSIDE)

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VIEW OF PLAY AREA IN LARGE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM

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09 A Reflection

Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Tree”

Final thoughts

Ma, Bowen, 2019 “Cattle”

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Roper, Annabelle, 2019 “Concrete Colour/ texture”

Undertaking the design of the Kalkaringi Family Centre has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable projects I have been apart of. Despite, unfortunately, not being able to visit Kalkaringi this semester, talking to Quitaysha, Phil and Penny about their desires and ambitions for the community and the Family Centre more specifically has been a real joy, and I greatly hope the outcome of my design process will help them determine exactly where they want to project to go moving forward.

I am excited to hear Quitaysha’s thoughts on the project in our final meetings with her, and could not be more grateful for the time and energy she put into helping us throughout the semester to understand the community and inspiring our designs. The project has been a challenge but has also been incredibly rewarding. The balance of private to public and finding ways to connect to the landscape and country were new processes for me to explore. I found seeking ways to open the building up to the community whilst 211

Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Landscape”

also creating the space for in depth and private consultations to be a very interesting balance to explore. More broadly however, diving into forming a much deeper understanding of Indigenous culture and history than I have in the past, will leave me with a knowledge base that will forever be of great value. Gaining this understanding and the implications it has on a design is not only valuable for it’s applications to the creation of a Family Centre, but should be applied more broadly to design work being

undertaken throughout Australia. It is this knowledge and the skills gained in consultation that I hope to carry forward with me into any future practice I may be a part off. It is a conversation that continually needs to be had, and involving Indigenous thinking and voices in Australian design will only prove to enrich it. Overall, I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to contribute a tiny piece to the story of Kalkaringi. It is a place of great

importance to the history of Australia and having the chance to add a design to the conversation is a great privilege. I look forward to the day that the 2020 Bower Studio crew may be able to visit the community and continue the discussion started over zoom in real life. But until that day, I am really proud of the work that every one of us put into the three projects, and hope that the conversations they create will be of some value to the community. - Bronte 212

Yanez, Maria, 2019 “Gorge”

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Bower Studio

KALKARINGI 2020 BRONTE CAROLINE SCOTT