Respecting place in Indigenous architectural design

As one of Australia’s few Indigenous Architects, Jefa Greenaway (above) has a unique perspective on the issues of Indigenous housing needs, and the complex problems of finding ways of creating culturally appropriate architecture in remote locations.

This already challenging task is further complicated with another level of complexity, in that Indigenous communities are home to many elders, and people with disabilities who aren’t as mobile as others and need to be considered, adding to the complex mix of issues around Indigenous housing.

Mr Greenaway’s work focuses on exploring different ways and ideas of what Indigenous housing might be, and building on his practical experiences working with Indigenous communities in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. 

“This is all about focusing on policy-making and creating agents of change,” Mr Greenaway says. As we confront an ageing population and a range of health challenges, the over-representation of levels of disability in Indigenous communities focuses the important need to address issues of equity of access, to not only public buildings but the more tangible needs of the home.

“Interestingly, the primary focus of discussions around Indigenous housing is on the practical and the pragmatic, the fundamentals of what is commonly termed the ‘health hardware’ – getting the plumbing right and solving maintenance issues – but for me, such matters are only the starting point on which we have to build. 

“What architecture and architects can bring to the process is the capacity to raise it to the next level, to add some poetry to the buildings to make them more aesthetically appealing, and then start to innovate, to build a best practice model of what Indigenous housing can be,” Mr Greenaway says. 

It has been clearly demonstrated that good design leads to better health outcomes.

“There’s this one-size-fits-all approach, but I want to reinforce that you need to be conscious of the specifics of place when creating appropriate responses, rather than assuming there’s a simple, easy-fit solution. 

“While there are certain strategies which are universal, you need to engage quite specifically as well,” he says. 

Mr Greenaway has been exploring these ideas through architectural studios, which looked at how to design projects for Indigenous people which give a sense of identity through the built environment, but which aren’t clichéd or stereotypical, or patronising in their references.

“The studios are an opportunity for students to ask, ‘How do I engage with something I’m not necessarily familiar with?’ And do it in an appropriate and sensitive way, with respect?” he says. 

“We can’t continue defaulting to primitivism as a way of constructing aboriginal identity. Aboriginal people are modern people too.

“It’s about understanding that culture is not fixed or static, Indigenous culture is a lived culture which is evolving and changing as well.”

Mr Greenaway says the architect’s role is to act as a conduit for ideas. 

“It’s about creating shared solutions where we engage closely through consultation and collaboration, and ideally participation as well,” he says. 

“It’s not an easy question to answer. It’s an ongoing challenge, a perennial question, no matter which culture you’re talking about.”

www.abp.unimelb.edu.au