This is an ongoing project we are collaborating with Susan Dugdale & Associates, the client Larrakia Development Corporation and cultural advisory Larrakia Working Group to deliver the Larrakia Cultural Centre.
The Larrakia Cultural Centre (LCC) will be an important new development for the Larrakia people and the whole Darwin community. The site rests between the sacred site (Stokes Hill) and the sea. This is an essential relationship as the Larrakia are “saltwater people”. The LCC will proudly exhibit Larrakia culture and history in various ways to showcase Darwin’s ancient history as well as provide a place for Larrakia people to practice their living culture, including teaching and sharing Larrakia language.
Key Project Success Points:
Developing relationship and trust with the Larrakia Working Group and client Larrakia Development Corporation.
Developing design outcomes that met functional requirements while exceeding their conceptual and cultural needs and aspirations.
Paying respect and highlighting the relationship between the ancestral site and saltwater.
Intensive workshopping and stakeholder engagement to ensure there has been a very involved design development methodology that satisfies each individual in the group and resulted in enthusiastic feedback.
Pushing the design team and consultant team’s boundaries and skills to create a unique design.
Collaborative Methodology on this project:
The client, Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC) and LCC Working Group have been working together since 2017 to develop and deliver the project. To ensure we the architects undertake this project in a culturally appropriate way and deliver a design that will support their aspirations, it has been essential for LDC and the Working Group to guide us from the beginning and throughout the entire process.
Before any design work was initiated, multiple workshops were held to inform the sketch design and concept. Each stage involves questions back and forth and presentations to LDC and Working Group for their feedback. Feedback is captured directly into the design as it responsively develops. Sometimes this process requires multiple iterations until every Working Group and LDC member is satisfied with the outcome.
LDC and the LCC Working Group’s ongoing feedback has not only been essential in culturally and environmentally guiding the design but also in challenging us architects to push the boundaries in how the form and overall design can respond to their concept. We have been grappling with balancing technical requirements with their strong vision for the LCC. However, we are grateful and enthusiastic in how this process has shaped a unique and powerful outcome so far. We will continue to work as a collaborative team to ensure this dedicated methodology is maintained for the final outcome.