As Country-centred design1 becomes a part of architectural vocabulary in Australia, we at Djinjama have noticed colleagues and clients grappling to integrate Indigenous community advice respectfully and holistically, while also considering the actual implications in built outcomes and form. Our sense is that the system itself is the obstacle. For instance, a Country-centred approach requires a holistic view of the world in which humans are one part of a huge, interconnected network. This contradicts a human-centred approach, which is still taught in many design schools and remains the predominant approach. To achieve a Country-centred approach, designers need to reframe their worldview to consider Country and all it encompasses – holistically. This concept is expressed in the diagram above, where we start with Country and continue to be led by Country throughout the design development. We recognise that this is not a simple ask. Nonetheless, there are things that can be achieved, even within the current system, by asking reframing questions throughout the process.
To support colleagues and clients
