Country Design Consultancy

Cultural Design Advisor in Architecture and the Built Environment

Country as the author, guide and facilitator of Knowledge.

Designing with Country

Workshops focusing on engaging with Country involve activities and discussions aimed at fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures, histories, and relationships with Country. These workshops cover several key areas:

1.Cultural Awareness: Educating - learning about the significance of Country, its history, and the cultural protocols associated with engaging and interacting with it.

2.Traditional Knowledge: Sharing traditional ecological knowledge, stories, and practices that have sustained Indigenous communities for generations.

3.Respect and Protocols: Learning about the importance of respecting Indigenous protocols and customs when engaging with Country and people.

4.Collaborative Design: Exploring how to integrate cultural insights and values into design processes.

These workshops are led by Indigenous experts who hold deep knowledge and understanding of their traditions and can share their insights with respect and authenticity.

Belanjee is an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Newcastle. Her teaching focuses on engaging with Country by illustrating how Indigenous Knowledge systems can enhance design.

Designing with Country

Cultural advisor, consultant and spatial designer

for initiating Country Planning in the built environment.

Belanjee is a spatial Country-Centred designer. Through her roles as a researcher, educator, and cultural advisor, she channels Country, culture, and community into architectural spaces, significantly impacting Indigenous rights and culture. Her diverse clientele ranges from state and local government bodies to museums, galleries, architects, planners, designers, heritage, and engineering firms.

Having obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Indigenous making and a postgraduate degree in Indigenous social/emotional health, Belanjee serves as an academic within the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on exploring Indigeneity within the built environment, emphasising Indigenous spatial knowledge and cultural practices. Moreover, her work centers on examining the sustainability of Indigenous cultures through a spatial perspective.

This consultancy utilises Indigenous methodologies of fluidity and reciprocity to promote a relational mode of being and doing within a living, 'storied' world. It emphasises the lived experience and psychological realities of cultural and spiritual spaces within embodied multi-sensory experiences by attuning to the physical and spiritual energies of the patterns of place.

These Country-guided practice includes three basic principles that overlap and intertwine with each other:

(1) Country-guided sensory knowledge – embodied synaesthesia

(2) Country-guided relational knowledge –kinship relationships

(3) Country-guided storied knowledge – place- based narratives of a storied world.

Objectives

To broaden the frame of reference by grounding people in Country through design elements relating to cultural place and spiritual space in both landscape and buildings.
Deliver innovative building and landscape works that maintain the spirit of place and a connection to Country.
To achieve authentic representation of Aboriginal knowledge in the built environment, where Aboriginal stakeholders are active participants and their voices central in the design process.
To recreate the memory of place, through developing a distinctive design ethos that uses contemporary design practice (architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design) to reveal and extend Aboriginal knowledge systems and cultural practices in the built environment.
To broaden design perspectives and thinking by continuously engaging with Dharug stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
To utilise Indigenous Australian local perspectives and Knowledge Systems in design practice that connect people to the physically, emotionally, sensory and spiritually to the natural external environment and internal building – including considerations to the needs of the users.

Works

Country guided practices in designing with Country

Building Designs

Indigenous architecture often embodies sustainable principles, utilizing renewable resources and minimizing environmental impact. This includes practices like using natural ventilation, harvesting rainwater, and building with locally available materials.

Urban Planning

Indigenous urban planning involves the application of indigenous knowledge, values, and perspectives to the design and development of urban spaces and communities. It encompasses the integration of traditional practices, cultural values, and sustainability principles into the planning and management of urban areas where indigenous populations reside.

Park Designs

Indigenous park designs aim to create spaces that not only offer recreational opportunities but also serve as places of cultural expression, education, and connection to nature. These designs honor indigenous traditions, foster understanding and appreciation among diverse populations, and contribute to the preservation and celebration of indigenous cultures within public spaces.

Pravilion

Indigenous pavilions play a crucial role in preserving, promoting, and sharing indigenous cultures with a wider audience, fostering cross-cultural understanding, respect, and appreciation. They serve as important educational and cultural hubs, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the richness and diversity of indigenous heritage.

Playgrounds

Play areas designed with cultural sensitivity and respect for indigenous traditions, often incorporating elements that reflect the heritage, stories, and values of indigenous communities. Designed to provide a space where children can play, learn, and connect with their cultural heritage.

Shelters

Indigenous shelters are not just functional structures but also carry cultural significance, embodying traditional knowledge, beliefs, and practices . Designed to provide protection from the elements while maintaining a close connection to nature.