Transforming the built environment with First Nations ingenuity

Today’s built environment sector faces many profound calls to action, not least of which is embedding First Nations’ knowledge and perspectives into designs of places and infrastructure, says Josh Loyd, First Nations Director for Buildings & Places at AECOM.

This imperative coined Country-centred design, offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop sustainable, culturally resonant projects that reconnect people to a richer environment through authentic co-design.

The challenge

Engaging with First Nations’ ingenuity presents its share of obstacles. From respectfully navigating cultural sensitivities and truth-telling to understanding Cultural Intellectual Property rights and how to incorporate traditional knowledge into projects, professionals face complexities that demand careful consideration and specialised expertise.

To address these challenges and opportunities, three fundamental principles have emerged in the realm of Country-centred design: Country, culture, and community. Intertwined, they encompass considerations of the living and non-living such as land, waters, flora, fauna, kinship, language, identity, and cultural practices. They underscore the necessity of a holistic approach to sustainable development, balancing community needs and expectations with policies and regulations.

In practical terms, this means reconciling popular design philosophies like regenerative design, salutogenic design, nature-based solutions, or design for all life with localised First Nations’ knowledge and practices. By doing so, these principles become deeply rooted in their specific context, ensuring a more effective and culturally resonant approach to design that is inclusive, regenerative, of this place, and reconciled—promoting connection through a shared history and identity as Australians.

Codesigning sustainable and culturally rich engineering

Realising this vision requires design professionals with cross-cultural competency alongside suitably experienced and qualified First Nations professionals. Despite increasing representation across many fields, First Nations participation in the engineering and architectural workforces remains disproportionately low. This underrepresentation poses a significant barrier to innovation and progress, hindering the sector’s ability to meet the diverse needs of society.

By raising awareness of the sector’s underrepresentation challenge and working to proactively improve cross-cultural competency, built environment professionals, including engineers, can collaboratively advance sustainability, promote the celebration of First Nations’ cultures, and foster connections between our diverse communities. Whether by engaging First Nations businesses, co-designing outcomes with local Elders and knowledge-holders, or upskilling non-First Nations design professionals in cultural awareness and Country-centred design methodologies — numerous pathways exist to embrace First Nations ingenuity and transform built environment design.

In essence, the inclusion of First Nations in the built environment goes beyond being a mere trend—it is a vital imperative. As professionals, we shoulder the responsibility of embracing and recognising its inherent worth in shaping unique, sustainable, culturally vibrant spaces. Through collaborative and respectful engagement with First Nations communities, we can ensure that our designs not only endure but enrich and sustain us all for generations to come.

About the author

Josh Loyd, AECOM’s First Nations Director for Buildings & Places, has extensive experience in Aboriginal affairs: education, heritage, engineering, and infrastructure consulting. Drawing on his cultural heritage as a wajarri yamaji and technical acumen in civil and environmental engineering, Josh prioritises First Nations knowledge and perspectives in AECOM’s Buildings and Places’ ESG Practice, applying his approach to Country-centred design as a co-management/co-design philosophy that emphasises sustainable outcomes for the First Nations Estate, following the tenets of reconciliation, for Country, culture, and community.