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Designing with Country - Our Approach

Country is central to our practice. As landscape architects and designers, we care deeply for the environment and strive to foster stronger connections between people and their surroundings through design.

We seek guidance from Traditional Custodians by fostering strong, trusting relationships. This guidance, informed by Indigenous ways of knowing, manifests in diverse ways—from expansive dialogues with elders and community members on Country to the identification of critical project needs.

There is much for us to learn from Traditional Custodians across Australia and the below document marks a single point in time along that journey.
Click here to read the full brochure on designing with Country ›

Case Studies

As landscape architects, we work with Country, and we hold a strong desire and responsibility to deepen our understanding of it. Whether working in natural environments or urban areas, the success of our design approach is fundamentally linked to comprehending Country's interconnectedness and natural systems.
Ovingham Level Crossing Removal › Dixon Reserve › Ian Stromborg Play Space at Paul Keating Park › Bendigo Law Courts › Glenthorne National Park › Bradfield Central Park › Riawunna Garden at Rivers Edge › Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia ›
Sara Vita Aspect Paul Keating 0519 2 MQ

Our purpose drives us to build an understanding of place that draws on Indigenous knowledge, history, and culture. This deeper understanding of Country necessitates our appreciation and respect for the collective knowledge of First Peoples, wisdom passed down through countless generations over millennia.

This connection can provide invaluable lessons, especially in how to work and design in harmony with Country, ensuring the long-term ecological health of a place.
Images: Murujuga Tourism Precinct Project - Multi-day workshops to listen to and gain insights into the Elders’ vision for the project.

We recognise the opportunity to advocate for truth-telling by integrating Indigenous culture and history with public spaces, where appropriate and with the support of Traditional Custodians, to encourage dialogue about reconciliation and a shared future.
This guidance benefits us in further developing our understanding of Country through the complex woven layers of culture, ecology and community. In turn this shared understanding provides a unique richness in design and project outcomes.
ASPECT Studios Tas UTAS Inveresk 08

Through our ongoing conversations with First Peoples, we have learned that Country is much more than just the physical landscape. It is a holistic concept that encompasses a profound relationship with the land, sky, waters, plants, animals, ancestors and spirits of the natural world. It encompasses everything, both living and non-living. First Peoples identify themselves as an intrinsic part of their Country and have a deep spiritual connection that goes back tens of thousands of years.
Image: Glenthorne site tour