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Indigenous Architecture

Australia

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Traditional Indigenous Architecture (Ethnoarchitecture)

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The traditional or vernacular architecture of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people varied to meet the lifestyle, social organisation, family size, cultural and climatic needs and resources available to each community.[1]

The types of forms varied from dome frameworks made of cane through spinifex-clad arc-shaped structures, to tripod and triangular shelters and elongated, egg-shaped, stone-based structures with a timber frame to pole and platform constructions. Annual base camp structures, whether dome houses in the rainforests of Queensland and Tasmania or stone-based houses in south-eastern Australia, were often designed for use over many years by the same family groups. Different langauge groups had differing names for structures. These included humpy, gunyah (or gunya), goondie, wiltja and wurley (or wurlie).

A 19th-century engraving showing Aboriginal people and humpy.

Until the 20th century, a fallacy existed that Aborigines lacked permanent buildings. Europeans’ early contacts with Indigenous populations led them to misinterpret Aboriginal ways of life. Labelling Aboriginal communities as 'nomadic' allowed early settlers to justify the takeover of traditional lands claiming that they were not inhabited by permanent residents.

Stone engineering was utilised by a number of Indigenous language groups. Complex examples of Aboriginal stone structures come from Western Victoria’s Gunditjmara peoples[2][3][4] These builders took utilised basalt rocks around Lake Condah to erect housing and complicated systems of stone weirs, fish and eel traps and gates in water courses creeks. The lava-stone homes had circular stone walls over a metre high and topped with a dome roof made of earth or sod cladding.

Evidence of sophisticated stone engineering has been found in other parts of Australia. As late as 1894, a group of around 500 people still lived in houses near Bessibelle that were constructed out of stone with sod cladding on a timber-framed dome. Nineteenth Century observers also reported flat slab slate-type stone housing in South Australia’s north-east corner. These dome-shaped homes were built on heavy limbs and used clay to fill in the gaps. In New South Wales’ Warringah area, stone shelters were constructed in an elongated egg shape and packed with clay to keep the interior dry.

Indigenous Housing Design

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Housing for Indigenous people living in many parts of Australia has been characterised by an acute shortage of dwellings, poor quality construction, and housing stock ill-suited to Indigenous lifestyles and preferences. Rapid population growth, shorter lifetimes for housing stock and rising construction costs have meant that efforts to limit overcrowding and provide healthy living environments for Indigenous people have been difficult for governments to achieve. Indigenous housing design and research is a specialised field within housing studies. There have been two main approaches to the design of Indigenous housing in Australia - Health and Culture.[5][6]

The cultural design model attempts incorporate understandings of differences in Aboriginal cultural norms into housing design. There a large body of knowledge on Indigenous housing in Australia that promotes the provision and design of housing that supports Indigenous residents’ socio-spatial needs, domilicary behaviours, cultural values and aspirations. The culturally specific needs for Indigenous housing have been identified as major factors in the success of housing and failing to recognise the varying and diverse cultural housing needs of Indigenous peoples have been cited as the reasons for Aboriginal housing failures by academics for a number of decades. Western style housing imposes conditions on Indigenous residents that may hinder the practice of cultural norms. If adjusting to living in a particular house strains relationships, then severe stress on the occupants may result. Ross noted, "Inappropriate housing and town planning have the capacity to disrupt social organisation, the mechanisms for maintaining smooth social relations, and support networks."[7] There are a range of cultural factors which are discussed in the literature. These include designing housing to accommodate aspects of customary behaviour such as avoidance behaviours, household group structures, sleeping and eating behaviours, cultural constructs of crowding and privacy, and responses to death. All of the literature indicates that each housing design should be approached independently to recognise the many Indigenous cultures with various customs exist across Australia.

The health approach to housing design developed as housing is an important factor affecting the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Substandard and badly maintained housing along with non-functioning infrastructure can create serious health risks.[8][9] The 'Housing for Health' approach developed from observations of the housing factors affecting Aboriginal peoples' health into a methodology for measuring, rating and fixing 'household hardware' deemed essential for health. The approach is based on nine 'healthy housing principles' which are the:

  1. ability to wash people (especially children),
  2. ability to wash clothes and bedding,
  3. removing waste,
  4. improving nutrition and food safety,
  5. reducing impact of crowding,
  6. reducing impact of pests, animals and vermin.
  7. controlling dust,
  8. temperature control, and
  9. reducing trauma.[10]

Contemporary Indigenous Architecture

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Defining what is Indigenous architecture in a contemporary context is an on-going debate in some spheres. Many researchers and practitioners note that Indigenous architecture projects are those which are designed for Indigenous clients or projects that imbue Aboriginality through consultation Aboriginal involvement. This latter category may include projects which are designed primarily for non-Indigenous users. Notwithstanding the definition, a range of projects have been designed for, by or with Indigenous users. The application of evidence-based research and consultation has led to museums, courts, cultural centres, keeping houses, prisons, schools and a range of other institutional and residential buildings being designed to meet the varying and differing needs and aspirations of Indigenous users.

Notable Projects include:

Indigenous architecture of the 21st century has been enhanced by university-trained Indigenous architects, landscape architects and other design professionals who have incorporated different aspects of traditional Indigenous cultural references and symbolism, fused architecture with ethnoarchitectural styles and pursued various approaches to the questions of identity and architecture.

Prominent Practitioners

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  • Glenn Murcutt
  • Gregory Burgess
  • Dillon Kombumerri
  • Kevin O'Brien
  • Finn Pederson

Prominent Researchers

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Canada

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Prominent Practitioners

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New Caledonia (Kanaky)

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New Zealand

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Early Māori Architecture

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The first known dwellings of the ancestors of Māori were based on houses in their Polynesian homelands. In New Zealand these buildings were semi-permanent, as people moved around looking for food sources. Houses had wooden frames covered in reeds or leaves, with mats on earth floors. To help people keep warm, houses were small, with low doors, earth insulation and a fire inside. Around the 15th century communities became bigger and more settled. People built wharepuni – sleeping houses with room for several families, and a front porch. Other buildings included pātaka (storehouses), sometimes decorated with carvings, and kāuta (cooking houses).

Prominent Practitioners

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Rewi Thompson

Prominent Practitioners

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Diedre Brown

References

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  1. ^ Memmott, Paul (2007). Gunyah, Goondie + Wurley: The Aboriginal Architecture of Australia, St Lucia, University of Queensland Press.
  2. ^ Coutts, Peter, Frank Rudy, Hughes, Phil and Vanderwal, R. (1978). Aboriginal Engineers of the western district, Victoria. Melbourne: Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.
  3. ^ Bird, Caroline and Frankel, David (1991). Chronology and explanation in western Victoria and south‐east South Australia,' Archaeology in Oceania 26 (1) pp. 1-16.
  4. ^ Anna Salleh, Aborigines may have and farmed eels, built huts, News in Science, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 13 March 2003.
  5. ^ Memmott, Paul (2004). Aboriginal housing: has the state of the art improved. Architecture Australia, 93 (1), pp. 46-48.
  6. ^ Memmott, Paul (2003). TAKE 2: housing design in Indigenous Australia, Red Hill , The Royal Australian Institute of Architects.,
  7. ^ Ross, Helen (1987). Just for Living: Aboriginal perceptions of housing in north-west Australia. Aboriginal Studies Press. p.6
  8. ^ Bailie, Ross and Runcie, Myfanwy J. (2001). Household Infrastructure in Aboriginal Communities and the Implications for Health Improvement. Medical Journal of Australia 175, pp. 363-366.
  9. ^ Pholeros Paul, Rainow Stephan and Torzillo Paul, (1993). Housing for health: towards a healthy living environment for Aboriginal Australia. Newport Beach, New South Wales, HealthHabitat
  10. ^ Nganampa Health (1987). Uwankara Palyanyku Kanyintjaku (The UPK Report). South Australian Committee of Review on Environmental and Public Health within the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia.
  11. ^ Dovey, Kim (1996).'Architecture for Aborigines', Architecture Australia, 85 (4) pp. 98 - 103
  12. ^ Dovey, Kim (2000). 'Myth and media: Constructing Aboriginal architecture,' Journal of Architectural Education, 54 (1) pp 2 - 6.
  13. ^ Fromonot, Françoise (2003). Glenn Murcutt: buildings + projects 1962-2003, London, Thames & Hudson
  14. ^ Davies, Colin (2006). Key houses of the twentieth century: plans, sections and elevations. Laurence King Publishing
  15. ^ Melhuish, C. (1996). 'Glenn Murcutt Marika-Alderton-House and Kakadu-Landscape-Interpretation-Centre (with Troppo-Architects), Northern-Territory, Australia', Architectural Design, (124) pp 40 - 45.
  16. ^ Carter, Nanette (2011). 'A Site Every Design Professional Should See: The Marika-Alderton House, Yirrkala,' Design and Culture, 3 (3) pp. 375 -378.
  17. ^ Memmott, Paul and Reser, Joseph (2000). Design concepts and processes for public Aboriginal architecture. In 11th Conference on People Physical Environment Research (PaPER - Australian Aboriginal Double Issue) 55 & 56 pp. 69 - 86.
  18. ^ Tawa, Michael (2002). 'Place, Country, Chorography: Towards a Kinesthetic and Narrative Practice of Place,' Architectural Theory Review, 7 (2) pp. 45 - 58.
  19. ^ Findley, Lisa (2002). 'Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre Gregory Burgess,' Baumeister, (3) pp. 74 - 79.
  20. ^ Findley, Lisa (2005). Building change: Architecture, politics and cultural agency. Psychology Press.
  21. ^ Johnson, R. (1990). 'Brambuk Living Cultural Centre: Winner Sir Zelman Cowen Award,' Architecture Australia pp. 26 - 28.
  22. ^ Memmott, Paul (1996). 'Aboriginal signs and architectural meanings,' Architectural Theory Review, 1 (2) pp. 79-100.
  23. ^ Memmott, Paul and Reser, Joseph (2000). Design concepts and processes for public Aboriginal architecture. In 11th Conference on People Physical Environment Research (PaPER - Australian Aboriginal Double Issue) 55 & 56 pp. 69 - 86.
  24. ^ Memmott, Paul (2005). Positioning the Traditional Architecture of Aboriginal Australia in a World Theory of Architecture. In Informal Settlements and Affordable Housing 309 pp. 1 - 1). International Council for Research & Innovation in Building & Construction (CIB).
  25. ^ Page, Alison (2003). 'Building Pride: Cultural journeys through the built environment', Australian Planner 40 (2) pp. 121 - 122
  26. ^ Memmott, Paul and Reser, Joseph (2000). Design concepts and processes for public Aboriginal architecture. In 11th Conference on People Physical Environment Research (PaPER - Australian Aboriginal Double Issue) 55 & 56 pp. 69 - 86.
  27. ^ Australian Broadcasting Commission (2000). Girrawaa Creative Work Centre Bathurst, New South Wales, In the Minds of the Architect: The Building http://www.abc.net.au/arts/architecture/build/bld_goa.htm
  28. ^ Page, Alison (2003). 'Building Pride: Cultural journeys through the built environment', Australian Planner 40 (2) pp. 121 - 122
  29. ^ Grant, Elizabeth (2008). 'Prison environments and the needs of Australian Aboriginal prisoners', Australian Indigenous Law Review, 12 (2) pp. 66 - 80.
  30. ^ Grant, Elizabeth (2013). 'Approaches to the design and provision of prison accommodation and facilities for Australian Indigenous prisoners after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody', Australian Indigenous Law Review 17 (1) pp. 47 - 55.
  31. ^ Troppo Architects http://www.troppo.com.au/weipa1
  32. ^ Grant, Elizabeth (2009). Port Augusta Courts. Architecture Australia, 98 (5) pp. 86 - 90.
  33. ^ Poole, Millicent (2005). Intercultural dialogue in action within the university context: A case study' Higher Education Policy, 18 (4) pp. 429 - 435.
  34. ^ Clark, Darren (2012). 'Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre' http://cstest1.communitystories.net/handle/10070/245200
  35. ^ Christen, Kimberly (2006). 'Tracking properness: repackaging culture in a remote Australian town,' Cultural Anthropology 21 (3) pp. 416 - 446.
  36. ^ Christen, Kimberly (2007). 'Following the Nyinkka: Relations of respect and obligations to act in the collaborative work of Aboriginal cultural centers,' Museum Anthropology 30 (2) pp. 101-124.
  37. ^ Grant, Elizabeth and Hobbs, Peter (2013). 'West Kimberley Regional Prison,' Architecture Australia, 102 (4) pp. 74 - 84.
  38. ^ Grant, E. (2013). 'Innovation in meeting the needs of Indigenous Inmates in Australia: West Kimberley Regional Prison' Corrections Today, September 75 (4) pp. 52 - 57
  39. ^ National Architecture Awards Jury 2013 (2013). '2013 National Architecture Awards: Nicholas Murcutt Award - Djakanimba Pavilions by Insideout Architects' ArchitectureAU http://architectureau.com/articles/2013-national-architecture-awards-small-project/
  40. ^ Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation (2013). Djakanimba Pavilions http://djilpinarts.org.au/visit-us/djakanimba-pavilions/