Cundall’s Melbourne team are delighted to be contributing sustainability expertise to one of the First Nations-led teams shortlisted for the new Western Sydney University Indigenous Centre of Excellence.

The Ngurrabirang Dharug Consortium includes First Nations consultancy hardyhardy, Aboriginal artist Jason Wing, Aboriginal owned landscape and public space practice Mantirri Design, ARM Architecture, TCL and Cundall.

The project will be located on Dharug land at the WSU Parramatta South campus and is planned to be a place for teaching and learning, truth-telling, interdisciplinary research, creativity and innovation. It will also be a celebration of Indigenous culture and the enduring connection to Country.

The initial competition drew a wide field of entries. The Ngurrabirang Dharug Consortium, along with the other three finalists, will now commence work on the design response stage of the competition.

“For our Cundall team this will be an incredible journey of listening and learning from our First Nations collaborators,” said Hannah Blossom, Director of Sustainability and Cundall team lead.

“The synergies between the principles and practices of Caring for Country and environmentally sustainable design will be an important element for us to explore and translate. We look forward to finding the common ground between the world’s oldest scientific traditions held by First Nations people and the building physics and western science conventions we are accustomed to.”

The winner of the second stage is expected to be announced at the end of December 2023, with construction planned to commence in 2025, targeting completion and official opening in 2026.

Read more about the WSU Indigenous Centre of Excellence here.