Populous Fellowship awarded for First Nations collaborative design research

For more than ten years, Populous has been awarding research-based study Fellowships to employees across the globe to stimulate new ideas and stretch creative thinking. The topics have been vast and varied, from crowd dynamics and movement trends through to artificial intelligence (AI) in stadia, sports architecture as emergency and humanitarian design, planning tools for airports, and creating immersive experiences through game engine toolkits.

Populous Associate Senior Interior Designer in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, Sue DesBrosses is one of the most recent Fellowship recipients. Throughout 2022, Sue will be looking at new ways Populous can effectively collaborate with First Nations people so that we can further learn from their deep knowledge and refine and establish principles we can apply in our work, regardless of a project’s location. Sue’s work recognises that by sharing their stories, we can help to keep First Nations languages and culture alive.

“If you look at aspects of First Nations culture, such as traditional weaving and art, it’s significant and we can help share it with the world – expose it and keep it out in the open,” Sue explains.

As part of the Fellowship award, recipients can utilise paid time off to conduct their research, as well as substantial funding for project expenses and consultants. Sue’s research will draw on external sources, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and she is already in discussions with Indigenous policymakers, activists and artists in Australia and internationally to learn about their experiences as First Nations people or their experiences of working alongside First Nations people.

A recent Populous project that connects with First Nations cultures is Wiigulga Sports Complex, which was renamed from ‘Woolgoolga’ in 2021 to reflect the local Gumbaynggirr name for the site, referring to the locally found black apple tree. The sports complex is a long-awaited multipurpose venue providing an inclusive and engaging space for the local community to celebrate, learn, play and perform together.

Populous Principal and Architect, Belinda Goh said that the diverse and extensive community input through the Local Council over more than a decade has resulted in an authentic gathering space where everyone can feel a sense of ownership and belonging, including the Gumbaynggirr People.

“The interior design approach and architectural language within the scheme for Wiigulga reflects the local Indigenous history and storytelling, as well as the multicultural mix of the Northern New South Wales coastal region. For the Gumbaynggirr people, Wiigulga tells a story of seasonal migration between the beach and hinterland, with the site being a place of learning, growth and development and intergenerational engagement. This is a place where they taught their young people the ways, the traditions and respect for the land,” she said.

A young Gumbaynggirr artist, Tulli Stevens, was selected through an expression of interest (EOI) process by Coffs Harbour City Council and the National Aboriginal Design Agency, with Gumbaynggirr Elders assessing the submissions. Tulli’s Aboriginal artwork and the architectural design were underpinned by a truly collaborative relationship, with the artwork colours, ideas and design elements meaningfully integrated through the façade and interiors, informing an authentic place of gathering and community. Tulli shared that she enjoyed being part of the project and that it reinforced the importance of creating collaborations with First Nations people.

For Belinda, the process of selecting and working with Tulli brought home the depth of the site’s story and has shaped the design of the project. “I loved that the concept of intergenerational learning and engagement came through in the selection of the artist. The Elders chose a young artist, and this project provided a platform and gave her a pathway, nurturing her development. It’s the story of the site carrying through into the design, drawing on the values around learning, cultural respect and gathering for the future generations of users of the precinct,” she shared.

As Populous continues to unpack the explicit and implicit stories that are told through designs such as Wiigulga Sports Complex, we’re looking forward to Sue’s Fellowship research output and how it will support the ways in which we work with clients and communities to shape their gathering spaces and venues for generations to come. To hear more about the city and community-shaping projects in Populous’ history, tune in to Shaping the World’s Cities (Episode Two) from our podcast, Drawing People Together.

Populous worked as Principal Design Consultant on Wiigulga Sports Complex, along with Coffs Harbour City Council, APP as the Project Manager, and Lahey Constructions as the main contractor.