As part of NAIDOC Week 2023, DesignInc Sydney and Nguluway DesignInc collaborated with Ethos Urban and Curio Projects to host an exciting event on Cockatoo Island—’Architecture, Design, People and Place’.
After days of rain, the sun glistened as one hundred or so participants caught the ferry across to Cockatoo Island. We gathered in a large circle at the top of the island and Rowena Welsh-Jarrett from Bila Group (This link opens in a new window) performed a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, with each of us sharing the Aboriginal Nations where we were born, live and work.
We then moved inside the majestic Mould Loft for a panel discussion about about how we create places that meaningfully connect with Country. Amy Smith from Reconciliation Australia (This link opens in a new window)spoke about the role or Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) in the architecture and design sector, and the importance of the reconciliation journey.
A panel discussion was facilitated by Natalie Vinton (Curio Projects (This link opens in a new window)) and Colin Finn (Ethos Urban (This link opens in a new window)), with speakers Craig Kerslake (Nguluway DesignInc), Ella Coleman (Ethos Urban (This link opens in a new window)) and Rowena Welsh-Jarrett (Bila Group (This link opens in a new window)) sharing their insights, skills and experience about how to meaningfully connect with Country in the places we create. As key players in the creation of places which will define our cities and regions for generations to come, the conversation touched on roles and responsibilities of architects, designers, planners, heritage professionals and Aboriginal communities in creating meaningful places in our built environment.
As key players in the creation of places which will define our cities and regions for generations to come, the conversation touched on roles and responsibilities of architects, designers, planners, heritage professionals and Aboriginal communities in creating meaningful places in our built environment.
The event was hosted by members of the Architecture and Design Reconciliation Industry Network Group (A&D RING) and was an opportunity for members of the RING to connect in person and share our experiences.
For National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2023, the DesignInc Sydney and Adelaide studios participated in a range of events to enable our teams to connect with, learn about and share knowledge with First Nations communities.
Embarking on our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), 2022 was a year of growth and learning for DesignInc Sydney. With the first year of our RAP under our belt, now is a great time to reflect on the successes as well as the challenges that we have faced.
Research continues to demonstrate that inclusion and diversity in the workplace benefits not only the internal culture, but also outcomes such as creativity, strategic thinking, productivity and profit. In other words it’s a win-win for teams, clients, projects and the business.
People often ask what it means to be a First Nations designer, and what designing from Country really means. Nguluway DesignInc Director Craig Kerslake has published a manifesto of his ideas around belonging to Country and designing from Country in the Architecture Bulletin
‘Greater Cities’ is a podcast series about the future of cities. Each episode challenges listeners to look at the big issues facing our cities, with insights from leading thinkers from Australia and around the world.