{"id":437329,"date":"2026-01-25T22:13:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T22:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/437329\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T22:13:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T22:13:12","slug":"four-australian-indigenous-architects-to-watch-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/437329\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Australian Indigenous architects to watch in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like other First Nations architects, Greenaway has lately been awarded major commissions by clients who value not only his technical skills but also his cultural understanding.<\/p>\n

One such project on his books is the redevelopment of a building at Adelaide University as an Aboriginal Knowledges Centre (or Yaitya Ngutu Wardli in the language of the local Kaurna people). It broke ground late last year.<\/p>\n

\"Aboriginal<\/p>\n

Aboriginal Knowledges Centre, Adelaide University.Credit: Greenaway Architects, Swanbury Penglase, Mantirri Design<\/p>\n

Greenaway Architects is also part of the multi-firm team designing the landmark National First Nations College at the University of Technology Sydney \u2013 Australia\u2019s first purpose-built and Indigenous-led college for First Nations students.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The National First Nations College at the University of Technology Sydney.Credit: Greenaway Architects, Warren and Mahoney, Oculus<\/p>\n

Unlike Western modes of architecture, which are defined primarily by aesthetics, Greenaway believes that \u2018Indigenous architecture\u2019 can be defined experientially and spatially.<\/p>\n

\"Craig<\/p>\n

Craig Kerslake,\u00a0managing director of Nguluway DesignInc.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndigenous architecture prioritises the feelings a building elicits and how it contributes to the community and to Country,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Similar priorities motivated Craig Kerslake, a Wiradjuri man and managing director of Nguluway DesignInc, who also qualified as an architect in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, a Wiradjuri auntie told me that housing made people sick, creating isolation and loneliness,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe poked me in the chest and said: \u2018Go fix it.\u2019 That experience has driven me in my quest to imbue urban environments with Country-centric principles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kerslake\u2019s large-scale urban designs incorporate shared spaces that connect directly with dwellings, encouraging \u201cmoments of incidental connection\u201d.<\/p>\n

He has coined the term \u201cbrackish space\u201d \u2013 a reference to the place where saltwater and fresh water co-mingle in a tidal system \u2013 to describe such areas.<\/p>\n

Kerslake\u2019s design for a three-storey apartment building with brackish spaces is one of several sustainable and affordable home designs promoted by the NSW government<\/a> as a remedy for the state\u2019s housing-supply crisis.<\/p>\n

\"Nguluway\u00a0DesignInc\u2019s<\/p>\n

Nguluway\u00a0DesignInc\u2019s apartment building design for the NSW government mid-rise pattern book.Credit: NSW government<\/p>\n

Developers can purchase the architectural plans at a subsidised rate and receive fast-tracked approval to build the apartments.<\/p>\n

\"Kerslake\u2019s<\/p>\n

Kerslake\u2019s design for a three-storey apartment building with \u201cbrackish spaces\u201d.Credit: NSW Government<\/p>\n

Nguluway DesignInc has been appointed executive Indigenous architect on the Waterloo Renewal Project, south of Redfern, which will include more than 3000 units of social, affordable and market-rate housing.<\/p>\n

Nguluway DesignInc comprises six staff, all Indigenous.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a decade ago, I had this dream that I would employ Indigenous grads and we would specialise in bringing Indigenous narratives into architecture,\u201d Kerslake says.<\/p>\n

To fast-track that dream, he formed a joint venture with DesignInc Sydney, which was receptive to his mission.<\/p>\n

Loading<\/p>\n

At their offices in Sydney, Nguluway\u2019s young architects mix with the broader DesignInc staff, working on projects as needed and upskilling in the process.<\/p>\n

In return, Kerslake runs cultural competency training for DesignInc.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt its core, my practice is founded on Indigenous knowledge systems, prioritising connection, reciprocity and responsibility between people and nature,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, ambitious young Aboriginal practitioners are leading projects at boutique firms run by non-Indigenous architects.<\/p>\n

Marni Reti, a Palawa and Ng\u0101ti Wai woman and an associate at Kaunitz Yeung Architecture, says it\u2019s an exciting time.<\/p>\n

\"Marni<\/p>\n

Marni Reti is an associate at Kaunitz Yeung Architecture.Credit: Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n

\u201cWe collectively have an opportunity to develop a uniquely First Nations Australian architectural vernacular that is embedded in our ways of thinking and being,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Reti sought out a job at Kaunitz Yeung because the firm already specialised in designing dwellings and community buildings for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.<\/p>\n

During her seven years at the company, she has worked on projects for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy workplace has done a really good job of making sure that I am not pigeonholed as \u2018the Black architect,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"Reti<\/p>\n

Reti has worked on projects for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients.Credit: Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n

Recent projects within the practice include an elder\u2019s housing complex in Wilcannia for the Aboriginal Housing Office and an art centre on the Utopia Aboriginal homeland, north-east of Alice Springs, the Country of famed painter Emily Kam Kngwarray.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Koori kids I went to uni with mostly did law and medicine, I think because they could see how those vocations could contribute back to our communities, whereas architecture is less obvious,\u201d Reti says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut being able to work on Aboriginal Housing Office projects or Aboriginal Medical Service projects and create culturally appropriate buildings is a powerful way that I can contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another young Aboriginal practitioner, Jack Gillmer-Lilley of SJB Architects, reckons architecture as a discipline has traditionally made some First Nations people uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

\"Jack<\/p>\n

Jack Gillmer-Lilley, associate and First Nations lead at SJB Architects.<\/p>\n

\u201cArchitecture can be seen as a tool of colonisation, of dispossession of land,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut finally, after 240 years, we\u2019re seeing the wisdom of Country reflected in the built environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gillmer-Lilley\u2019s title at SJB, associate and First Nations lead, recognises the duality of his role within the practice.<\/p>\n

\"Gillmer-Lilley\u00a0says<\/p>\n

Gillmer-Lilley\u00a0says there is \u201ca hunger\u201d within the sector for Indigenous perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about acknowledging the obligation I have, both as an architect and as a First Nations man,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also about inspiring young mob by saying: \u2018There is opportunity here for us to give back to community while looking after our own dreams and aspirations.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Gillmer-Lilley, a Worimi and Biripi Guri man, says there is \u201ca hunger\u201d within the sector for Indigenous perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany architects recognise that ancient knowledge is a good way to respond to place and develop briefs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loading<\/p>\n

In 2021, the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia responded by formally embedding Australian Indigenous perspectives into the National Standard of Competency for Architects.<\/p>\n

The standard now requires architects to be able to engage ethically and respectfully with Indigenous peoples and communities in order to achieve accreditation.<\/p>\n

But this broad enthusiasm can pose drawbacks for Australian Indigenous architects.<\/p>\n

\u201cUniversities are reaching out to Indigenous practitioners, asking them to teach these competencies to students, which is drawing Aboriginal architects out of practice,\u201d Gillmer-Lilley explains.<\/p>\n

Says Reti: \u201cIt\u2019s great that the industry is starting to value First Nations knowledge, but the risk is that it creates an immense cultural load, particularly on young practitioners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greenaway is confident the issue will resolve itself as the number of Australian Indigenous architects grows.<\/p>\n

He estimates there are now about 30 registered architects in Australia who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.<\/p>\n

\u201cImportantly, there\u2019s another 70 or 80 students in the tertiary system at the moment, so a healthy cohort is starting to develop.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is heartened by the changes he has witnessed in his three decades of practice, and by the interest of his non-Indigenous peers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn large part, I think it is being done in the right spirit,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy embedding First Nations voices, we can all share these profound stories and engage in a deeper understanding of the place we call home.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like other First Nations architects, Greenaway has lately been awarded major commissions by clients who value not only…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":437330,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":["post-437329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=437329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/437330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=437329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=437329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=437329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}