As for many of us, architecture has defined me.
An architectural education and experience in practice has refined my creative and analytical skills and shaped my political and social values. But perhaps more than anything else, it has strengthened my cultural understanding of who I am as a person. I am a descendant of Kamilaroi, Dunghutti and Birpai peoples, and Danish and English. My identity has come with wonderful opportunities, many assumptions and plenty of self-reflection.
The dossier in this issue, “The Wellbeing of Architects,” prompted me to consider my own experiences in the profession – specifically, circumstances related to my heritage. Conversations I have had with friends in the industry who also identify as Indigenous suggest that we have faced (or are facing) similar challenges through the ongoing journeys of our careers: amplified exposure or invitations to work on niche (“Indigenous”) projects or events. This is one form of cultural loading and can inflict feelings of heavy responsibility leading to mental exhaustion.
With this in mind, we asked a small collection of practitioners, at different stages in their careers, to respond to the following questions:
What has been your experience of the expectations, assumptions and/or opportunities associated with identifying as an Indigenous built environment professional, and how have you managed these circumstances?
With the built environment’s growing interest in engaging, collaborating with and learning from First Nations peoples, how can the profession support, rather than exploit, Indigenous built environment professionals?
Many, many more voices
