Architectus acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work and learn.

We honour their unique cultural and spiritual relationships with the lands, waters, skies, and communities, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

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30 October 2025

Regenerating Country in our Charrette 17 design schemes

First Nations contributors play an important role in each of our Charrettes, prompting us to think about how we can design with Country to enrich our outcomes. At this year’s event looking at the long-term future of South East Queensland, we pushed our process even further. 

Ahead of the challenge, our participating design teams each received a ‘Designing with Country’ briefing pack. It was developed by 2025 Charrette advisor Carroll Go-Sam – Dyirbal gumbilbara bama of Ravenshoe, North Queensland, architect and academic at The University of Queensland – and our own designer, Brett McMahon, a Kaurna man and key contributor to our First Nations design narrative for Charrette 15.

Informed by the challenges facing SEQ, the pack featured provocations tailored to each of the four Charrette sites along a 200-kiometre corridor as well as prompts to ensure Country was fully embedded in our design process.

These site-specific cues included:

Petrie Station site on Yuggaera Turrbal Country

Design provocation
Could a mixed-use precinct could become a living ceremonial ground, where mobility meets memory? How could the story of Dalaipi help shape a new civic centre?

Design prompts
-How might the bora ring be reinterpreted in the form of parks, health clinics, or civic buildings?
-Could rainwater systems, biofiltration or shaded gathering zones reflect freshwater traditions and rainmaking stories?
-How might the story Dalaipi be reflected architecturally, as spaces for community voice, advocacy, or learning?

Helensvale Station site on Yambina Country

Design provocation
Could this transit-linked precinct flow like the Nerang River, moving between uses and cultures with the same rhythm and resilience as water through Country?

Design prompts
-Could the housing, commercial, and civic structures in the precinct follow tidal logic, layering zones of stillness, movement, and seasonal shift?
-Might ecological repair of Coombabah Wetlands extend into the built form? Consider green corridors, flood-resilient infrastructure, or elevated community walkways.
-How might Yugambeh visual systems (tracks, weaving, patterns) guide people through spaces, not just decorating but directing movement?

A sketch by one of our Landscape Architects at the Charrette imagines infrastructure working with natural systems — not against them.

A successful celebration and integration of Country

The provocations proved invaluable to the teams, who had just two days to develop their design schemes.

Each scheme clearly demonstrated how we could celebrate and integrate Country, reflecting and integrating the thoughtful provocations and prompts from Carroll and Brett.

With such a quick turnaround, Charrette teams have limited opportunities to consult with First Nations peoples and custodians of the Countries they’re assigned. So the design provocations were a different – and effective – way to challenge and inspire them to think about the stories behind their sites.

“When writing provocations for a Mob other than my own, it was important to reflect on research from the team and Carroll’s insight and guidance,” Brett points out.

“We wanted to ensure the history of the Traditional Owners was intertwined with the architecture of the precinct, providing a future use for Aboriginal peoples of the area and leaving a positive, lasting legacy.”

To achieve this, Brett and Carroll shared design ideas, stories and uses uncovered through desktop research, and also pushed teams to gain greater understanding through their own research.

Our aim? Innovative solutions for the future that regenerate Country, proactively supporting local eco systems.

Research, reflect, provoke and prompt

This process of research, reflection, and developing provocations and prompts was valuable to Charrette teams – and could be incorporated into our own projects prior to the concept phase and First Nations engagement.

Brett has noticed that there’s often a barrier to engaging with Traditional Custodian. “First Nations peoples are brought in during the concept phase and are relied upon for their knowledge, which can be a burden on them and sometimes result in fatigue for both First Nations peoples and designers,” he says.

An internal ‘First Nations return brief’ drafted by the team – after thorough desktop research before any design and consultation – helps to deepen our understanding of First Nations history, uses, stories and perspectives, especially when it’s paired with an internal brief of First Nations design concepts and inclusions.

“This creates a strong base to build on when consulting with Traditional Custodians,” Brett adds. “That can lead to more meaningful consultation and inclusion on projects – genuinely reflecting First Nations cultures in the built environment.”

Our concept for the Sunshine Coast Airport site on Kabi Kabi Country (above and at top) includes a ‘hydro hub’ where technology and ecology coexist.

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