DESIGNING CULTURAL KEEPING CENTRES:

AN ANALYSIS OF CURRENT PRACTICE

Figure 1: Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre (National Parks Australia, 2005)

WRITTEN BY: BEAU DE BELLE

SUPERVISOR: JUHYUN LEE

ARBE4121B - RESEARCH IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

MASTERS OF ARCHITECTURE - UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

2016

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ContentsContents................................................................................................................................................1

List of Figures.........................................................................................................................................3

Abstract.................................................................................................................................................4

1 Chapter One: Introduction.............................................................................................................5

1.1 Background to the Research..................................................................................................5

1.2 Research Question, Research Aims and Research Objectives................................................6

1.2.1 Research Question.........................................................................................................6

1.2.2 Research Aim 1..............................................................................................................6

1.2.3 Research Objectives 1....................................................................................................6

1.2.4 Research Aim 2..............................................................................................................6

1.2.5 Research Objectives 2....................................................................................................6

1.2.6 Research Aim 3..............................................................................................................6

1.2.7 Research Objective 3.....................................................................................................6

1.3 Research Scope......................................................................................................................7

1.4 Significant/Justification of Research......................................................................................8

1.5 Description of the contents of subsequent chapters.............................................................9

2 Chapter Two: Literature Review..................................................................................................10

2.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................10

2.2 Requirements of successful public architecture..................................................................10

2.3 Contemporary Aboriginal people’s requirements of a built environment...........................13

2.3.1 Analysing Aboriginal cultures requirements: Changing from past to present..............13

2.3.2 Socio-spatial organisational principles and Cultural nuances......................................13

2.3.3 Integration into the design process.............................................................................14

2.3.4 Ongoing Success..........................................................................................................15

2.4 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................17

3 Chapter Three: Research Method................................................................................................18

3.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................18

3.2 Methodology Diagram.........................................................................................................18

3.3 Application of Methodology................................................................................................19

3.4 Limitations...........................................................................................................................19

3.5 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................20

4 Chapter Four: Discussion.............................................................................................................21

4.1 Requirements of Public Architecture – Tamworth Context.................................................21

4.2 Contemporary Kamilaroi people’s requirements of a built environment............................22

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4.3 Socio-spatial organisational principles and Cultural nuances of the Kamilaroi....................25

4.4 Ongoing Success for a Tamworth Cultural Centre...............................................................26

4.5 Recommendations for a Cultural Centre and Keeping Place in the Tamworth Region........28

4.6 Discussion Conclusion..........................................................................................................29

5 Chapter Five: Conclusion.............................................................................................................30

5.1 Conclusion – Research Aims and Objectives........................................................................30

5.2 Conclusion – Research Question..........................................................................................30

5.3 Scope for Further Research.................................................................................................30

6 Appendices..................................................................................................................................33

Appendix A......................................................................................................................................33

Appendix B......................................................................................................................................34

Appendix C.......................................................................................................................................35

Appendix D......................................................................................................................................36

Appendix E.......................................................................................................................................37

Appendix F.......................................................................................................................................38

Appendix G......................................................................................................................................39

Appendix H......................................................................................................................................40

Appendix I........................................................................................................................................41

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List of FiguresFigure 1: Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre (National Parks Australia, 2005).........................................iiFigure 2: Uluru-Kata Tjuta community Cultural centre (National Parks Australia, 2005).......................5Figure 3: Ability to influence ecological sustainability (Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006)...................................................................................................................................................11Figure 4: Methodology Diagram..........................................................................................................18

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AbstractThis thesis analyses the requirements of a public architecture that is designed to incorporate

Indigenous culture into public buildings. It aims to identify characteristics pertinent to the success of a public building while recognising the cultural nuances of a contemporary Aboriginal Culture. These buildings can be defined as owned or operated by the Aboriginal people, including but not restricted to art galleries, cultural centres, keeping places, museums and other informative tourist facilities.

The research will involve secondary research through academic written resources and case studies into public Aboriginal architecture defining and examining both successful and unsuccessful buildings. The outcome of these research methods is to inform the qualitative data to inform the discussion

The first aim is to identify requirements of public buildings in order to achieve a successful place which engages the public and facilitates social activation. Instigating a building which allows retention of community members can generate vast numbers of visitors; however the object of this aim is to engage members of the wider public in a comfortable manner in order to entice them to stay for extended periods of time.

The second aim is to identify the Aboriginal requirements of a public architecture through understanding the social structure, connection to country, place, history and experience "through respecting Aboriginal social practices and revering existing places and histories..." (Fantin, 2003) A deeper understanding of the intricate culture and connection to the land will allow architects to "[...] facilitate a shared journey, whereby solutions cease to be imposed but are rather developed together." (Greenaway, 2015)

The third aim explored is to undertake case studies of existing public Aboriginal architecture in the Tamworth (Kamillaroi) region of NSW. Then conduct a comparative evaluation against the framework formed in the literature review. This will identify areas of possible improvement to make the facilities more successful.

The definition of a successful public building is one in which there is ongoing community involvement defined as "[...] 'best practice' in terms of Indigenous project control and involvement in the design and the ongoing operation of the building."(Memmott & Reser, 2000) Not defined as the economic generation ability, however the importance of economic sustainability will be addressed.

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Figure 2: Uluru-Kata Tjuta community Cultural centre (National Parks Australia, 2005)

1 Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Background to the ResearchColonial occupation of Australia was predicated on a belief that the continent was a terra

nullius—a land belonging to no-one. That is because the Aboriginal place making principles were imperceptible to the Europeans, who were familiar with gridded cities and western building practices (McGaw, Pieris, & Potter, 2011). The subsequent occupation of Australia led to the absorption of western cultures principles and a progressive loss of traditional Aboriginal culture. There are examples of a re-interest in Aboriginal heritage by descendants who have had their heritage denied of them (Clarke, 2003). There is movement to secure Aboriginal culture within buildings, but as a living culture how does a building bring identity to the culture (Melissa Abraham, Alison McLeod, Kirsty Brown, & Miller, 2010). Paul Memmott defines this type of building by stating “Aboriginal architecture as a building that in some way generates an Aboriginal identity about itself.” Public Aboriginal architectural buildings are limited in their numbers. Existing buildings for the preservation of Aboriginal culture are fraught with errors and failure (Memmott & Reser, 2000).

This led to the question; is there a way to increase the success of a building that generates an identity of Aboriginal culture? This is further developed into the proposed research question for the research thesis.

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1.2 Research Question, Research Aims and Research Objectives1.2.1 Research Question

This thesis provides insight into designing public architecture for the purpose of engaging the public with a contemporary Aboriginal culture. It will achieve this by identifying characteristics noted as contributing to the success of a public buildings and responding to the cultural nuances of a contemporary Aboriginal Culture.

1.2.2 Research Aim 1To develop a list of key elements utilised within successful public architecture. This will assist

in identifying factor built or unbuilt that contributes to the successful of public buildings.

1.2.3 Research Objectives 1 Collect requirements of public buildings from governing bodies written literature, in order to

discover identifiable elements contributing to the success of public architecture. Assemble key concepts of user experience, specifically social sustainability and occupant

satisfaction from various sources relating to the built environment. Identify elements that optimise indoor environment quality from architectural literature and

regulatory bodies.

1.2.4 Research Aim 2Develop an understanding of contemporary Aboriginal requirements of a building through

examining existing literature.

1.2.5 Research Objectives 2 Collate socio-spatial organizational principles of modern Aboriginal camps to assist defining

architectural programmatic requirements through an analysis of written literature. Identify relationships between contemporary Aboriginal people and the built environment, to

define elements contributing to a successful built environment. Observe similarities within the documented design process of multiple projects defined as being

successful. Identify key principles noted in literary case studies as factors affecting the ongoing success of a

keeping place.

1.2.6 Research Aim 3Undertake case studies of existing public Aboriginal architecture in the Tamworth

(Kamillaroi) region of NSW, whilst concurrently conducting a comparative evaluation against the framework formed in the literature review.

1.2.7 Research Objective 3 Identify current efforts to nurture Aboriginal culture through preservation within public

architecture in the Tamworth region. Analyse the public architecture of keeping places in Tamworth through the literature review’s

framework. Identify areas for improvement through the dissertation framework.

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1.3 Research ScopeThere are two types of public Aboriginal architecture; Firstly, designed for use within the

Aboriginal community only such as a school or health clinic. Secondly, an Aboriginal managed, architecture used by the wider public such as; art galleries, cultural centres, keeping places, museums and other informative tourist facilities. For the purpose of this research we are primarily concerned with Aboriginal managed public architecture such as art galleries etc.

This thesis is limited to examine key features of an Aboriginal managed architecture used by the wider public using existing written knowledge and case studies. It focuses on defining general principles that can be applied to all Aboriginal managed architecture used by the wider public, while attempting to provide scope to incorporate regional milieus of Aboriginal cultures.

This research cannot attempt to presume the recommendations are the quintessential and comprehensive list to guarantee successful public architecture for Aboriginal managed architecture used by the wider public; however it discusses proposed areas to investigate upon the acquisition of a design brief.

Due to the rejection of an ethics application regarding interviews with Aboriginal people on the subject of architecture, the scope of this research has been limited to secondary research sources. This limits the possibility for new information to be analysed and integrated with existing knowledge. Rather this research will utilize secondary sources and attempt to develop new relationships between them.

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1.4 Significant/Justification of ResearchWithin the New South Wales context the Overall state’s Aboriginal population will increase from

162,871 to 210,659 in 2021. “We need to recognize and support the importance of environment and heritage in the development of arts and cultural practice through centres” (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010).

We can identify Aboriginal public architectural buildings continued use and management, deeming them to be successful. However due to the small amount written about the design process of these buildings, we need to examine the processes undertaken and develop areas for further consideration when designing a public Aboriginal architecture.

This research attempts to bridge a knowledge gap between successfully documented design strategies used in the construction of public Aboriginal architecture, and the known regional cultural aberrations of the Aboriginal people. This will attempt to provide culturally appropriate design strategies for public Aboriginal architecture, while allowing individualised outcomes within different tribal areas and beliefs.

There is also a practical knowledge gap regarding specific cultural milieus according to the different locations and tribes. Existing knowledge pertains to the housing of Aboriginal people while accounting for varying socio-spatial requirements of various communities. The information explored in this research critically analyses existing knowledge and attempts to draw out universal principles in designing appropriate buildings for the Aboriginal people, and combine them with the information gained from an integrated design and interview process.

There is a significant lack of academic papers written about the Kamilaroi people’s socio-spatial structure or traditional camp structures. This limits the ability to inform this documents framework through literature, and therefore design according to the cultural aberrations of the Kamilaroi people. This document however works towards closing the gap of knowledge by proposing further areas of investigation upon the acquisition of a design brief.

The discussion uses literature as a framework and from this, further research will allow designers to approach a community with appropriate areas of investigation; these elements aim to increase the chance of success of their proposed public building.

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1.5 Description of the contents of subsequent chaptersChapter 2 – Literature Review

The review of literature critically analyses relevant literature to this dissertation, while linking individual texts to the themes pertinent to the aims of this text. These are public architectural requirements and the requirements of a contemporary Aboriginal keeping place. The texts and themes are analysed objectively to convey the authors intended meaning reducing the possibility of skewing the dialogue.

Chapter 3 – Research Method

The methodological approach for this thesis is identified and concluded in this chapter. The themes of research established in the literature review develop areas of investigation; these inform the discussion chapter of this dissertation. These themes are identified as the requirements of public architecture and what a contemporary Aboriginal people require from a keeping place.

Chapter 4 – Discussion

This chapter provides the platform for the discourse in evaluating current public facilities in the Tamworth area for the purpose of nurturing Aboriginal culture in contrast to the literature established in chapter 3. The comparison of the literary framework built in the literature review will assess and evaluate the facilities and determine if the facilities are culturally appropriate.

Chapter 5 – Conclusion

The final chapter concludes the discourse and evaluation of the dissertations focus. It finalises the aims and objectives of the text and provides appropriate conclusions about the integration of Aboriginal culture into public Architecture for the purpose of nurturing and preserving Indigenous culture.

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2 Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction

The identification and subsequent critical analysis of existing literature informs the research gap and direction of this thesis. The existing literature defines public space requirements to make public spaces successful and identifies relationships between public space and public architecture. These relationships assist in increasing the success of the public building. There are also elements identified in literature pertaining to the success of public architecture. These elements are noted in multiple pieces of literature and government documents. Furthermore, these elements add value from the perspective of social construct, and through user experience of the space.

The other primary topic analysed in the review of existing literature examines contemporary Aboriginal people’s requirements of the built environment. The dissertation investigates the traditional Aboriginal camps socio-spatial conditions and contrasts them with current socio-spatial conditions. This is conducted to establish links within academic papers surrounding successful Aboriginal architecture written as literary case studies.

2.2 Requirements of successful public architectureThrough the critical analysis of existing literature, there has been an identification of key areas

for investigation. These areas are determined as assisting in the success of cultural keeping places and public architecture. The primary areas of interest in creating a desirable civic architecture employ systems thinking within the design process, highlighting environmentally sustainable design, integration within the city environment, and creating a social space for people to live out their public lives.

To analyse the requirements of a public building, we first must define for the purposes of this dissertation what constitutes a public architecture. Architecture is generally defined as an area which is enveloped by a building used by the public; however, a more applicable definition for this dissertation is an area in which members of the greater public converge in a place, creating a stage for our public lives (Project for Public Spaces, 2010).

The analysis of national and state laws has demonstrated mandatory requirements for Environmental Sustainable Development (ESD) of public buildings, these buildings are legislated in the Building Codes of Australia (BCA) as Class 9 buildings (Queensland Building and Construction Commission, 2014). The legislated mandatory requirements within the regulations are set as a minimum, and govern all types of construction from homes and garages through to schools and Museums. The requirements must be demonstrated at a construction certificate stage before any work is undertaken (Ashfield Municipal Council, 2007).

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The Department of Environment and Heritage (Australian Government) commissioned an Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Design guide for Australian Government Buildings in 2006. This report has far reaching implications as it shows leadership in minimising the environmental impact of buildings for the government of Australia. Highlighted in the first three chapter headings of this report are: firstly, Integrated Design and process management. This pinpoints the surrounding of the building as being of importance. The second is the social sustainability and occupant satisfaction within the building, determining the broader community and urban environment benefit from social interation. The third is indoor environment quality. Indoor environment quality integrates the surrounding outdoor space and provides a valuable contribution to the building context while assisting in reducing energy dependence. It increases the integration and sociability of the area within, and surrounding, the civic centre as a macro and micro focus (Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006). These three components are essential in the design stages of a building to have the opportunity to positively affect the sustainability of a civic or government building. However there is a greater opportunity to affect a building in the design and construction stages to have the greatest outcome as shown in figure 2.

Figure 3: Ability to influence ecological sustainability (Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006)

The construction and operating stages of a building have both direct and indirect repercussions on the environment. The ESD requirements of renovations and new construction aim to reduce these impacts and provide environmental and social resilience. This is best described as,

“The main objective of the sustainable design principle is to avoid resource depletion of energy, water and raw materials, prevent environmental degradation caused by infrastructure facilities throughout their lifecycle and create built environments that are liveable, comfortable, safe and productive.” (Department of Planning and Community Development, n.d., p. 2)

To achieve these goals of sustainability, the Department of Planning and Community Development highlights six fundamental principles of an environmentally sustainable development that should be considered (Department of Planning and Community Development, n.d.). They are; 1. Optimise size / Existing structure potential2. Optimise energy use

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3. Protect and conserve water4. Use environmentally preferable products5. Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality6. Optimise Operational and Maintenance Practices

These principles create a successful building; however it does not take into account the connection of the building within the cities context and users ability to integrate with the outdoor environment. In the article “stumbling blocks to creating great city centres”, Cynthia Nikitin discusses the issues around disconnection within city centres (Nikitin, n.d.). Aside from being attached to civic buildings the focus should be on connecting these spaces through foot traffic. The disengagement of vehicular traffic ensures people are transitioning through the space and building fluently. Also identified as contributing is the appropriate organisational programming from the body of businesses surrounding the civic centre, ensuring food outlets, cafe’s and retailers are accounted for. Sustainable programming allows a majority of needs to be met in one area and this increases the time spent in the area. This promotes community engagement and sociability within the area leading to a more successful civic centre.

These successfully connected spaces then allow celebrations to be held, social and economic exchanges take place, and a place where friends and strangers run into each other. It allows a great mixing of cultures, this encourages people from various backgrounds to come together and feel comfortable in the space. “What makes a great space” is an article that defines four key characteristics, which are identified in a study of many successful public spaces (Project for Public Spaces, 2010). These shared qualities involve spaces that are; accessible to the public, that people are generally engaged in activities within the space, that the space is comfortable to the user, and a space that is social, where people come to meet and engage with each other (Project for Public Spaces, 2010)

The integration of such spaces with civic buildings better utilises the space provided and increases the economic viability of both the civic building and park area. Observing civic building progression throughout history, civic buildings have only recently been utilised as standalone buildings rather than being integrated into the urban fabric as they were traditionally. The lack of integration has lead to a segregation of public life in civic buildings (Nikitin, 2009). The focus of this author is the continued sustainability of civic buildings, suggested through the refocusing of the relationship between the public, the use and the civic structure. The symbiotic nature of this relationship promotes a holistic design process and maximisation of public space interactions.

For a public building to be successful it needs to comply with the regulatory requirements as a minimum in environmental sustainability; the influence on the ESD is highest when considered in the pre-design and design stages, encouraging public architecture to be integrated with surrounding civic spaces to increase the economic and social viability of the building and the city environment as a whole.

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2.3 Contemporary Aboriginal people’s requirements of a built environmentWhen attempting to understand a contemporary Aboriginal people’s requirements of a built

environment, first we need to understand the nature of a culture in the process of integrating to a modern society. The changing cultural requirements impact the behaviour and use of the built environment through changing traditional socio-spatial principles and cultural nuances. It is proposed the integration of the Aboriginal people into the design process assists in the creation of a successful built environment (Memmott & Reser, 2000). To ensure ongoing success, the built environment must be engaging with the community.

2.3.1 Analysing Aboriginal cultures requirements: Changing from past to present. The cultural climate surrounding Aboriginal Australians has been under constant change

from the time of colonisation. This change has led to the absorption of European customs and housing principles; however this absorption has not changed many of the socio-spatial conditions of Aboriginals and causes unrest within the community because much behaviour remains greatly unchanged.

Philip Clarke provides an important insight to the preserved nature of the Indigenous communities of Australia as a comparative to other nations in his book “Where the Ancestors walked”. He states the post colonisation is generally accompanied by language loss, cessation of religious practices, decline in artefact and art traditions, and movement away from key places in the landscape. He goes on to say that, in Australia, many distinctive Aboriginal cultures survive to the present (Clarke, 2003) Interestingly there is evidence of a slow transition into the European colonisation in parts of Australia where some Aboriginal cultures have strong connections to their pre-European identity.

This changing cultural climate can cause great difficulty in the Aboriginal community where some beliefs and connections are still strong to their pre-European identity. It is noted by the author the communities still aspire to a westernized housing aesthetics in an ambition for social equality. A multitude of Aboriginal clients hold a resentment to housing that diverges from local white standards of housing, in an understandable ambition for equality (Go-Sam, 2008). This has widespread negative implications to the communities as this housing does not satisfy their socio-spatial requirements.

The dissolving of cultures and introduction to the European way of life impacted the culture and moved it away from the traditional ways, directly by legislation and housing provided, and indirectly through the modifying of cultural ways adapting to new structures and ways of life.

2.3.2 Socio-spatial organisational principles and Cultural nuancesNations among the Aboriginal people of Australia were labelled by their language, and

generally by their word for ‘no’ (Hobden, 1988). These language groups often had smaller tribes who were often large family groups who shared portions of the land. The cultural nuances of the language groups were often similar, however evidence suggests that cultural anomalies could occur within language groups within particular land areas and tribal groups (Carpenter, n.k.). These nuances are often evident in the socio-spatial occupation and use of the land and housing.

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Traditional Aboriginal housing was built on several socio-spatial principles that are not employed in the western cultures interpretation of the requirements of remote communities. These socio-spatial requirements are key to building a successfully planned community or building. There have been many attempts to detect overriding cultural conditions, with few successes and many fraught with misinterpretation. These misguided interpretations often led to domiciliary stress, frustration, strong rejection or abandonment of houses. (Go-Sam, 2008)

The iterative attempt of housing and white influences has led to the removal of sex separated areas within modern camps. This migrates away from the traditional boundaries and often leads to increased conflict within the community. Social structure in modern communities has moved away from traditional camp structures, leading to potential segregation of key members of the community and disruption within the greater context. This is a large consideration in the design of contemporary built environments. Such removal of the social focus from modern camps has turned camp structures towards nuclear family spaces (Studholme, 2015), although the social spaces are still prevalent. Shaneen Fantin’s comprehensive discourse into avoidance relationships and the socio-spatial implications for designing built environments for the Yolηu people can presuppose the ability to observe kinship rules among other groups of Aboriginals. This has far reaching implications as it provides insight to regulated behaviours between specific relationships.

For example, one such regulation concerns men and their mother in law, but the same behaviour also concerns women and their brothers. These relationships are coined "poison relations" (Go-Sam, 2008) and have an immobilising and stressful effect on the house residents. Another strong consideration is the location of wet areas. When detached from the house, residents describe a concern regarding the monitoring of and access to their personal belongings, and also movement between sleeping areas and the bathroom at night. This is especially concerning for children who are generally restricted in part due to beliefs around sinister spirits. The outcome of these beliefs results in underutilised toilets and showers when detached from the house. This is inconsistent when viewed with the National Indigenous Housing Guide and Environmental Health Standards for remote-area housing in the Northern Territory (Go-Sam, 2008), which recommends a remotely located wet area for ease of construction and maintenance.

It is these beliefs and the gradual gentrification of culture that leads individuals to behave in manners different to those expected at times. The behaviours may be inherited by younger generations without a full cultural understanding as to what underpins behaviour, making it difficult to isolate and identify all beliefs and behaviours.

The Warlpiri people exhibit a preference to orientate Jilimi (single woman’s sleeping quarters) structures on an east-west alignment, this opposes the climatically responsive requirements taught in architectural environmental science for the southern hemisphere (Go-Sam, 2008). This is another example of cultural practice being unsuitable for the European influenced housing where by the sleeping quarters may become hot and stuffy and consequently will not be occupied. This can be detrimental to the user’s health and long term occupation of a house. These cultural nuances require close integration of the end user in the design process.

2.3.3 Integration into the design processThe incorporation of end users during the process of design assists in the ongoing success of a building. The representation of culture as a semiotic device or notion can, through public perception,

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disenfranchise the culture as the building becomes a representation or manifestation of the culture. Anthropologist Francesca Merlan argues, “Aboriginal cultural production, whether in art, architecture, or the establishment and maintenance of sacred sites, is closely entwined with non-Indigenous perceptions of Aboriginal people”(Merlan, 1998).

The Aboriginal people’s rejection of representing Aboriginal identity in built environments through ancestral references might be seen as a desire to embrace cultural maintenance through occupation and ownership, rather than through cultural branding. To avoid conflict over identity and custodianship of ancestors and their histories, the building must be built around its occupation and use, the semiotic representation of a culture is not enough.

Memmott and Reser’s work is highly significant in that it provides a new framework of considerations when designing for Indigenous communities. The author’s relationship with many Aboriginal communities and in depth study of housing requirements, traverses public and private architecture this enables great insight into the culture he is commenting on. They encourage the process of design in conjunction with the community; “Indigenous people themselves must be allowed to define who they are (their collective identity) and how they wish to be portrayed [...]”(Memmott & Reser, 2000). The authors prescribe an initial group selected by the community to interact with design consultants and establish an open line of communication.

This line of communication should be developed both formally and informally, allowing for open and honest discussion in multiple settings. Memmott and Reser continue to evidence this methodological approach to architecture for Aboriginal people with existing, successful examples of public architecture. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta cultural centre is given as an example of best practice, with collaborative on-site discussions and integration lasting a month (Tawa, 1996). It is this comprehensive understanding of the community that develops a systemic approach within the design, providing a grounding in which the community can develop in the management and use of the architecture. The information gathered by client integrated design develops areas of success, however the observer must be aware of overriding cultural conditions and that the requirements need to be based on these cultural nuances.

2.3.4 Ongoing SuccessTo ensure the ongoing success of cultural keeping places and museums, Museums &

Galleries NSW held a summit into the museums and keeping places for Aboriginal culture. However as a majority of the cultural keeping work occurs in isolation and is predominantly project based, it requires dedicated research to uncover (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010). This research uncovered various strategies in the management and funding of multiple NSW based keeping centres. Whilst the study wasn’t intended as a complete survey, there were several strong themes that emerged in the case studies.

Successful Indigenous organisations have developed strong governance and business management including high quality and reliable products. These centres also take steps to avoid the risk of poor governance (Dr Julie Finlayson, Joanna Lunzer, & Bauman, 2007) within the centre, by appointing a board of directors with elders and members of the community. In the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place, Director Daisy Williams remarks “The Aboriginal community has more confidence because their Elders are on the Board”, the community is consulted

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and has knowledge and input into the running of the centre. The result, a strong Aboriginal community interaction with members of the greater community feeling “the centre is there for them [...] they are very proud to show them (visiting family members) all around.”

There are many cases of centres and groups struggling for their continued existence. As economic times are getting harder, funding grants becomes more competitive and alternative business strategies need to be explored. Cultural tourism experiences are seldom able to provide a stable primary source of income (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010).

Shaneen Fantin presents an argument from a Mike Parsons which exhibits a shift in Aboriginal tourism from “presenting culture as an object… to culture as a subject”. This argument places the emphasis of Aboriginal objects and history to the daily events and activities of Aboriginal people (Fantin, 2003). This demonstrates a significant change in the preconceived notions of what a cultural centre is used for and implicitly changes the built environment that surrounds it. This point is reinforced in one case study taken by the Museum & Galleries NSW on the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place where she stated:

“One of the first things we had to do was product development. By product I mean not just a static product, but we also had to develop programs like exhibitions and workshops” –Daisy Williams (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010).

These exhibitions and workshop can be directed towards a mingling of cultures and experiences. The 2013 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey’s evidence states that “Almost two-thirds (63%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over, and 75% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 4-14 years had been involved in selected cultural events, ceremonies or organisations in the last 12 months” (Australian Bureau of statistics, 2015). This indicates the interest of Aboriginal people to participate in cultural programs and events. Compounding this relationship to culture around “6% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people [...] received income from cultural activities, such as the sale of paintings, art works and craft; growing, collecting or making native plants into food or ointments; and providing or participating in cultural tourism ventures or activities” (Australian Bureau of statistics, 2015).

These cultural keeping centres and events allow artists to connect with one another, work on joint projects and allow a space for assisting others in participating and learning about Aboriginal culture. The integration of a centre into the community also allows for tourism to be drawn to and held in local areas. It become an integral part of the tourist development plan in Brewarrina “the fish traps and the museum are seen as the two biggest draw cards” (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010).

These considerations become particularly promising when viewed in conjunction with Shaneen Fantin’s comments where she states that new Aboriginal places of culture gain significance through the occupation and use over time (Fantin, 2003). These places need not carry a reference to an ancestral history or semiotic device dictating the significance. Fantin states that “...some places come to be known by Aboriginal people” by their physical characteristics or likeness to a particular ancestor.

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2.4 ConclusionThe requirements of public architecture hold similar principles with those required for an

Aboriginal keeping place. There must be integration with the context surrounding the building including social, urban cultural and environmental. The changing cultural requirements of a contemporary Aboriginal culture are informed by the traditional socio-spatial behaviours. These behaviours often manifest without the beliefs being expressed verbally. These behaviours and beliefs are individual to different regions and language groups creating altering cultural nuances. The integration of the end user in the design process provides an opportunity for these nuances to be accounted for in the design. To ensure the ongoing success of a cultural keeping place, the built environment must include cultural integration with both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous community. This includes tourism and cultural practice based experience within the built environment. This occupation can over time create a place of cultural significance.

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3 Chapter Three: Research Method3.1 Introduction

The observation of existing architectural principles in current buildings allows an exploration within the framework of successful public architecture. The discovery of these elements has been the topic of discourse within architectural literature, and works toward developing a body of knowledge for the architectural community.

This research will be conducted primarily by critically analysing secondary data through considering academic written sources and case studies. These sources provide research into public aboriginal architecture, defining and examining both successful and unsuccessful buildings. The outcome of these research methods is to evaluate the qualitative data to inform the discussion.

3.2 Methodology DiagramThe following diagram shows the process of methodology undertaken to inform this thesis.

Highlighted in this diagram is the step by step process followed showing the concurrent tasks being undertaken to grow the discourse from establishing a research gap through to discussion.

Compiling literature and conducting a literature review helps gain a more complete understanding of a research gap surrounding public architecture vetted for the nurturing of a culture and its artefacts. The literature continues to provide possible thematic links between various authors and buildings constructing a deeper connection between existing knowledge. This existing knowledge develops key arguments around a hypothesis. The hypothesis then develops aims and objectives through understanding gaps in the research of public building requirements and the requirements of a contemporary Aboriginal culture; these will form an integral part of the critical analysis of literature.

Figure 4: Methodology Diagram

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3.3 Application of MethodologyThe research method selected for this dissertation will primarily consist of a documentary

analysis of secondary sources and case studies of buildings and centres defined as public architecture. The first and second hand observational texts will receive primary focus in their analysis and use within this dissertation. Special consideration will be applied to texts written by governing bodies or reports sanctioned and funded by organisations that benefit from the report. The documentary analysis of Aboriginal requirements of built structures is a contemporary area of study providing relevant and up to date information. The research has been conducted by several researchers with a high credibility among both the Aboriginal people and other professionals in the field of study providing a consistent and accurate view point.

The specific application of methodology to themes within the research indicates nuanced methods to these areas. The research critically analyses architectural and governing body texts to identify key indicators of successful public buildings. It is expected these documents would have combined primary, secondary observational data and include case studies of buildings to develop their argument toward key indicators of successful public buildings. The focus should be toward socially sustainable use of the building and have a high level of occupant satisfaction.

The evaluation of secondary sources to discover socio-spatial principles in modern Aboriginal camps, while concurrently evaluating principles in traditional camps and draw out comparisons to use in the discussion. This process will be used to identify changing socio-spatial requirements of a contemporary Aboriginal culture, although this pertains specifically to housing, there will be areas of overlapping interest with public architecture. The requirements of the people in a modern context will assist in speculative requirements of a public building in order to nurture the Aboriginal culture.

3.4 LimitationsThe research methods employed in this dissertation have several limitations. Primary or

firsthand data will not be employed due to the nature of the research. An application had been placed before an ethics committee which was subsequently rejected on the grounds that interviewing Aboriginal people in some way affected the individual’s state of mind or emotion. The questions posed enquired about existing cultural keeping places and community perceptions of those places. This poses a significant limitation in the area of study as current researchers into this area are non-Indigenous and lack cultural perspectives and nuances of an Indigenous person.

Therefore secondary data is the main source of information analysed. The focus being shared between the requirements of a public building, and the Aboriginal requirements of a public Architecture; which will be appropriated from known housing requirements and not specifically public buildings.

There is limited evidence in existing literature regarding the processes of architectural design for the combined development of an Aboriginal architecture and a public building. This is a limitation to the method as there are limited reference materials available. However, there are some texts regarding potential points for consideration. Careful consideration is also given to secondary texts as there is potential for a skewed conclusion towards the author’s point of view, both culturally and their perceived level of inclusion within the community.

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3.5 ConclusionThe methodology used in this dissertation analyses various secondary sources and critically

analyses the content, author’s perspective and relevance of content, in regard to the aims and objectives of this dissertation.

The analysis of existing literature develops two concurrent themes within the dissertation; firstly to develop a list of key elements utilised within successful public architecture and identify contributing elements in determining successful public buildings, and secondly to develop an understanding of contemporary Aboriginal requirements of a building through examining existing socio-spatial requirements of modern Indigenous camps . These two themes are then brought together to inform the discussion.

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4 Chapter Four: DiscussionThe literature review frames areas of consideration when designing a cultural centre or keeping

place. This will be used to evaluate a case study for the Tamworth region of New South Wales. The significance of Tamworth is the statistical concentration of Aboriginal people which accounts for approximately 7% of the total population of the Tamworth region, which is much higher than the state average of 2.2% (Tamworth Regional Council, 2010a).

Tamworth currently has no dedicated Aboriginal cultural centre, and the keeping place has been integrated into the Botanical Gardens on the northern outskirts of the city. The discussion will focus around 4 key areas as identified in the literature review which are; the requirements of public architecture within the Tamworth Context, contemporary Kamilaroi people’s requirements of a built environment, socio-spatial organisational principles and cultural nuances of the Kamilaroi people and the ongoing success for a Tamworth cultural centre. This discussion hopes to make recommendations that will assist in the design of a successful cultural centre and keeping place for the Tamworth region.

4.1 Requirements of Public Architecture – Tamworth ContextTo establish the requirements of successful public architecture in the Tamworth region, the

three points highlighted in section 2.2 of the Literature review must first be assessed. The literature indicates key areas of consideration. These areas of consideration are analysed in the context of Tamworth throughout discussion section of the thesis. There analysis specifically considers an Aboriginal cultural centre and keeping place in the Tamworth Region.

Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) has identified key areas of integration and development in the region in a Tamworth Regional Development Strategy (TRDS) as seen in appendix A. The TRDS states its intentions of creating a long term strategy for the management of Aboriginal heritage items in the region, and aims to “Foster links between the various centres and communities in such a way that recognises the role of each place and the needs that place may have” (Tamworth Regional Council, 2008). These considerations within the development strategy show TRC’s awareness of integrated design of potential public architecture specifically an Aboriginal cultural keeping place.

Indoor environment quality is considered through the lens of both physical and psychological human comfort. The physical considerations are discussed in the “Your Home” (Australian Government, 2016) guide but are equally as important to public architecture as discussed by various authors in the literature review, these considerations are;

• temperature• humidity• air movement (breeze or draught)• exposure to radiant heat sources• exposure to cool surfaces to radiate, or conduct to, for cooling

These are viewed in line with the climatic characteristics of the Tamworth region which is described as “Zone 4: Hot dry summer & cool winter” (Australian Government, 2016) as seen in appendix B, and as such, come with recommendations in response to the conditions. The main characteristics of the region are highlighted in appendix C and appendix D and summarised here;

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Distinct seasons with low humidity all year round High diurnal (day–night) temperature range Low rainfall Very hot summers common with hot, dry winds Cool winters with cold dry winds

These characteristics require a well designed passive solar response in the built environment. In this climate both heating and cooling are equally as important, and with the integration of passive design principles, built environments are able to achieve cost effective 8 star thermal performance (Australian Government, 2016). These considerations allow the possibility for a low running cost and favourable indoor environment quality.

Another area discussed in the literature for successful built environments is the connection of civic buildings with public outdoor space in civic centres. The TRDS identifies and proposes solutions within the central business district (CBD) and attempts to address the issues around disconnection within city in appendix E. The protection and enhancement of the CBD shows principles aligning with the literature analysed, specifically the integration of connections to park areas and civic structures. These connections are broken by vehicular traffic reducing the positive effects (Nikitin, n.d.) sought after in the proposal however due to the proximity to the CBD it maintains the intended connection.

The requirements of a Public architecture in Tamworth are similar in many respects to the greater Australian context, when examined in light of the literary framework identified in the literature review. Two key factors making Tamworth unique from other cities are the climatic conditions of the region, requiring special consideration of passive solar principles in design, and the favourable CBD layout in proximity to civic outdoor spaces, creating a desirable city centre.

4.2 Contemporary Kamilaroi people’s requirements of a built environmentThis part of the dissertation has reference to analysing Aboriginal culture; changing from past

to present. The intent is to gain an understanding of the events that changed the culture of the Kamilaroi people in the Tamworth context. The content is not intended as background but aims to identify the changing environment the Kamilaroi people have occupied.

In 1818 John Oxley passed through the Peel Valley and first observed and recorded the Kamilaroi people in the Tamworth area. This Kamilaroi people are defined by their language group and covers a great area, being one of the four largest language areas in Australia(Carpenter, n.k.). Within this language group were numerous tribal groups which generally ranged in size depending on the ability of the lands ability to sustain their numbers (Hobden, 1988). The people would gather for large corroborees and many tribes would gather in one area. This is evident in the early writing of a resident of Tamworth area, dictated through Jim Hobden’s book “From the Dreamtime to the Iron Horse” where it states;

“An early resident of Tamworth had written about the corroborees held on the Peel River flats in the 1840’s. He remembered up to three hundred natives, male and female performing in the moonlight with fires lighting up the trunks of the huge gum trees.” (Hobden, 1988)

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The Kamilaroi people share many customs and traditions that shaped their identity and the identity of the Kamilaroi nation. Their marriage, initiation and other ceremonies were an important part of tribal life, and each ceremony had specific customs and traditions (Carpenter, n.k.), however these rituals of the Kamilaroi people have acquired only a small place in written Aboriginal history.

As the gradual settling of the area took place in a similar way to the rest of Australia, evidenced in the literature review, the Kamilaroi people were reported to be non-hostile and slowly became integrated with the ‘white man’. An account of these interactions states “Wherever and whenever Aborigines of the Peel Valley were asked to help, they gave their services freely and unstintingly” (Hobden, 1988). However the people were soon “[...] hunted as though they were vermin” as their land was slowly confiscated from them. The Kamilaroi people were gradually forced to integrate with the European settlers.

The 'Stolen Generation' illustrates the continued disruption to the Kamilaroi people’s culture through the forced removal of children from their parents by the state and federal government. These children were separated from their birth parents and often their community, often adopted by white families or sent to church missions from the 1800's through to as late as the 1970's (Carpenter, n.k.). Due to a loss of connection to culture there has been a loss of some traditional practices and behaviours. This loss of social construct in the Kamilaroi region requires further investigation before the last connected generation is lost.

Today there are very few reminders that less than 200 years ago this land was occupied and managed by the Kamilaroi people. There are a few scatterings of stone artefacts, Bora grounds and a few works of art hidden in caves and under sheltering rocks (Southern Cross Ten NWNE, 2012).

In the 1980’s there was a reinterest in the Aboriginal people’s culture, and subsequently a Tamworth Area Land Council was formed. The founders remark that “In the beginning (circa 1984) the Land Council meetings were convened in the Hands of Fame Park”, this location is in the CBD and is an open park area and the meetings were open to all interested members of the greater community however “[...]it was hard to get people involved [...]The reluctance also grew out of a fear of being ostracised by their community, in their workplaces, or being seen as different” (Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council, 2010). This is a continuing factor in the Tamworth community. This is made evident in the “Coledale, Tamworth NSW Urban Renewal Masterplan Strategy” (Conybeare Morrison International PTY LTD, 2011) where it identifies the Coledale area, a suburb with a high density of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (as seen in appendix E), as rundown and having “a very negative perception by the broader community”.

The TRC initiated a master planning document and study into the area. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, a high concentration of social housing was implemented resulting in the area now being identified as being of a low socio-economic area with low income and low employment rates. With high crime rates (see appendix F) and the general negative opinion of Coledale and its ATSI residents, it is clear there is still a social separation with the broader community. Tamworth Regional Council is seeking to improve the negative perception of Coledale through a masterplan (Conybeare Morrison International PTY LTD, 2011) and a cultural keeping place (Tamworth Regional Council, 2008) to bring awareness to the broader community of the Indigenous community also serving as a catalyst for community integration in the region.

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There is an expectation within the Indigenous and wider community that facilities of this nature will be developed to appropriately showcase indigenous cultural heritage and provide a valuable resource for the wider community. There is a small keeping place located in the Tamworth Regional Botanic Gardens. It currently displays 5 scar trees relocated from surrounding areas and other artefacts are kept in the kiosk at the gardens. A new Aboriginal cultural keeping place was proposed to be located within the Victoria Park master-plan precinct (see appendix H) but is considered to be more appropriate in a central location (see appendix A) which is designated for public recreation. Further consultation is required to determine the most suitable location in Tamworth City. The facility would provide a significant resource for the indigenous population of the region and the wider community. Council will support the delivery of this outcome in close association with the local Aboriginal community (Tamworth Regional Council, 2014).

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4.3 Socio-spatial organisational principles and Cultural nuances of the KamilaroiThere is a practical knowledge gap regarding specific cultural milieus of the Kamilaroi people.

Existing knowledge has been developed in parts of Australia with close pre-colonisation connection; however this generally pertains to the housing of Aboriginal people revealing varying socio-spatial requirements of various communities. Due to the lack of academic papers written about the Kamilaroi people’s socio-spatial structure or traditional camp structures, the ability to inform this document’s framework through literature is limited, and subsequently, designing according to the cultural aberrations of the Kamilaroi people is also limited. This document however works towards closing the gap of knowledge by proposing further areas of investigation upon the acquisition of a design brief, and potential behaviours to observe in a similar fashion to those mentioned in the literature review.

However there is limited insight into the cultural nuances consistent with other Aboriginal language groups and cultures within Australia such as marriage, initiation and other ceremonies, these were an important part of tribal life. Each had specific customs and traditions which helped shape the identity of the Kamilaroi nation (Carpenter, n.k.)

To analyse the contemporary Kamilaroi people’s requirements of a built environment, it is recommended through existing literature that a community group be assembled, and interviewed to develop an understanding of what is required by the community. The group will assist in developing an understanding of what is required by the community while integrating cultural nuances not easily identified. One such example is a meeting with Brian Allen, an elected representative, where he stated to council that a keeping place in Tamworth would require areas that the public can gain access to some artefacts. However there is a requirement for an area that would not be open for access by the public, due to the sensitive nature of some artefacts and traditions they “should not be for display to non-indigenous people” (Campbell, 2012).

The Tamworth Regional Gallery currently promotes Aboriginal arts and crafts through exhibitions of Indigenous arts in its annual program, which provides access to local arts groups to display their works in the community gallery in Ray Walsh House (Tamworth Regional Council, 2010a). There are no currently permanent exhibitions of the Kamilaroi people’s artworks and these artworks compete for the same space and time as other exhibitions. There is call for an exhibition space to be held within the proposed keeping place to enable a greater community exposure to the Kamilaroi art that will support community education (Tamworth Regional Council, 2010a).

Moree library currently houses the largest Aboriginal history, knowledge and artefact collection of the Kamilaroi people. The current trend and interest in preserving the culture has attracted large funding for the Moree keeping place in conjunction with the library. The centre is a leading example in the preservation of Aboriginal culture and is “[...] also a founding member of the newly established Aboriginal Culture, Heritage and Arts Association (ACHAA)” ], which is a evolving network of Aboriginal keeping places, knowledge centres and arts centres which is currently hosted by Museums and Galleries NSW (Moree Champion, 2015). This funding will allow a purpose-built archival room so a lot of material in storage at the museum of Sydney can be repatriated as the material has great relevance to this area (Moree Champion, 2015).

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4.4 Ongoing Success for a Tamworth Cultural CentreTo establish a successful cultural centre requires good design and integration, however to

ensure Tamworth region can sustain a cultural centre, it must integrate with tourism as is discussed in the literature framework. There are multiple attempts to build cultural centres, but as with housing many attempts are fraught with misinterpretation of overriding cultural issues (Go-Sam, 2008), others with a lack of ability to be sustainable (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010). The objectives explored in the New South Wales state cultural plan that are relevant to the Tamworth Cultural plan which includes:

Increasing the number of people participating in the arts and cultural activity; Increasing the number of people engaged in Volunteering; Increasing opportunities for children and young people; and [Providing] access to services for the elderly and planning for an ageing population

These state plan objectives are applied to a Tamworth context in the Tamworth Cultural Plan and engage with a systems level of integration within the region allowing for a greater integration with the community and developing a multicultural community spirit. The Tamworth Cultural Plan responds directly to the immediate plans in its stated objective to:

Engage with the Indigenous community to create an Indigenous Cultural Strategy for the Tamworth region.

Collaborate with the Indigenous community on any future developments of the collection of artefacts at the Tamworth Regional Botanic Gardens

Continue to support Indigenous events such as NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week Continue to support Indigenous performance groups in the celebration of Aboriginal culture Continue to develop the Indigenous Cultural Showcase as part of the Tamworth Country

Music Festival Continue to support Youth Week activities across the region(Tamworth Regional Council,

2010a)

Tamworth Regional Council has identified the goals of the Tamworth region in the development strategy stating that it must “ensure planning provisions support and promote sustainable employment, industrial lands and specialised centres” (Tamworth Regional Council, 2008). This report analyses the heritage and tourism links within the Tamworth economy (see appendix I) and highlights the potential to integrate the sector while potentially expanding the percentage of economic generation within the area. The particular aims of the Local area Environmental Plan are as follows:

to encourage the orderly management, development and conservation of natural and other resources within the Tamworth region by protecting, enhancing or conserving

to allow flexibility in the planning framework so as to encourage orderly, economic and equitable development while safeguarding the community’s interests and residential amenity (Tamworth Regional Council, 2010b)

The analysis of literature encourages the integration of facilities into the broad city context, and develops a dialogue around access to public transport and open civic space such as parkland. Labelled as the ‘Country Music Capital’ Tamworth attracts a high number of visitors to the region, this allows scope for integration with the tourist industry of Tamworth would allow for a cultural

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centre to diversify the attraction of Tamworth. This would offer a broader and more sustainable tourism sector.

There are many sites of Aboriginal significance surrounding Tamworth (Southern Cross Ten NWNE, 2012) these could allow for a pilgrimage to these sites as a product of the cultural centre which expands the attraction of the centre providing a cultural experience. ‘Little Wave Rock’ a significant site discussed by Neville Sampson (Southern Cross Ten NWNE, 2012) is one potential site. It once was visited by Aboriginal people from Western Australia where ‘Big Wave Rock’ is located. Recently a Message stick was presented from an Elder of the Western Australian Aborigines to an elder of the Kamilaroi tribe (Neville Sampson). This is an attempt to continue traditions and is an important story telling process (Southern Cross Ten NWNE, 2012). This product of experience has been employed by the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place and has decreased the dependence on government funding, reporting an increase in the ability to self generate their income. Once fully funded by the government, they are now able to generate 36.5% of their income within a 5 year period (Melissa Abraham et al., 2010).

There are young dance groups such as the Gomeroi (Kamilaroi) Dancers who are promoted through existing community integration plans in conjunction with council. These dancers are supported as a part of the Annual Cultural Showcase conducted during the Tamworth Country Music Festival (Tamworth Regional Council, 2010a). This is furthered by plans to integrate the Indigenous community within the Tamworth area. Council are in the process of considering a policy that appropriately acknowledges the traditional owners for public events in the Tamworth region.

The incorporation of a cultural centre into the CBD of Tamworth has been supported in various documents and with appropriate integration, this could lead to improving the broader community’s relations and increasing the economic stability within the Tamworth region.

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4.5 Recommendations for a Cultural Centre and Keeping Place in the Tamworth RegionThe findings of this dissertation have been developed through the critical analysis of literature

and then the application to a Tamworth context as a case study. The analysis of literature assists in identifying considerations for the process of designing successful public architecture. This developed a literary framework to assist in gaining an understanding of elements and an appropriate way to use them. Cross referencing the investigated literature, with a case study of Tamworth region, has lead to a greater concept on how to design and integrate a successful cultural centre and keeping place.

This analysis finds that Tamworth Regional Council is currently engaged with the Indigenous community, and has commissioned several reports to gain a greater understanding of the cultural segregation within the Tamworth community. The preparation processes for a cultural centre has been undertaken analysing potential sites and the implications for the community at each site. These processes are encouraging as successful cultural centres and keeping places are potentially well integrated into the greater city context and require a systems approach to planning.

There needs more investigation into the cultural nuances of the Kamilaroi people and their contemporary socio-spatial requirements of a cultural centre and keeping place. This can be done through incorporating an elected committee of Aboriginal community members and an Indigenous architect into the design process as recommended by literature review framework (Greenaway, 2015).

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4.6 Discussion ConclusionThe analysis of literature provided many areas for investigation within the Tamworth context.

The requirements of public architecture in the Tamworth context are evaluated against the literatures framework using Tamworth regions climate to inform the discussion.

Defining a contemporary Kamilaroi people’s requirements of a built environment was informed greatly by the existing literature in relation to Tamworth Regional Council’s community development plan that had focal areas on the integration of a Keeping place. The literary framework and discussion suggests a better option for the sustainability of the area would be to integrate a cultural centre and keeping place, which in turn provides cultural experiences and integrates the broader community with the Aboriginal community.

In an exhaustive attempt to define Socio-spatial organisational principles and cultural nuances of the Kamilaroi people, the lack of research into this area has suggested the most effective way to incorporate nuances of the Kamilaroi people is to integrate elected members of the community into the design concept and management phases.

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5 Chapter Five: Conclusion5.1 Conclusion – Research Aims and Objectives

Aim one develops areas of consideration for integration of a successful building into the city context. It does this through the following three objectives. Objective 1, by analysing the literature consisting of legislated and recommended characteristics of the built form. Objective 2 develops key concepts of sustainability through the built environment and its continued use. Occupant satisfaction is explored in objective 3, and focuses specifically on indoor environment quality in an effort to create a pleasant occupiable area. These areas are focused on throughout section 2.2 of the literature review and 4.1 of the discussion.

The intent of aim two was to develop an understanding of contemporary Aboriginal cultures requirements of a built environment. This was achieved through three objectives. Firstly by collating socio-spatial principles through the analysis of literature related to various built environments. Secondly by defining elements noted as contributing to a successfully utilised built environments. Thirdly through observing similarities in the documented process of designing built environments for contemporary Aboriginal people by analysing multiple successful projects. These were explored in section 2.3 of the literature review and discussed in a Tamworth context in section 4.2 and 4.3.

The third aim examines existing conditions related to public cultural centres and keeping places in the Tamworth region. The identified conditions are then comparatively evaluated against the framework of literature throughout chapter two. The objectives are to analyse the current efforts being undertaken and identify potential areas for improvement. This process occupies chapter 4 of this thesis.

5.2 Conclusion – Research QuestionThis thesis provides insight into designing public architecture for the purpose of engaging the

public with a contemporary culture. There is limited research into this area pertaining to public architecture. Whilst existing literature provides some areas for investigation, it is generally provided in the context of Aboriginal housing. This thesis analyses these points to extract information that assists in designing public Aboriginal buildings and contributes to their success.

5.3 Scope for Further Research There is a practical knowledge gap regarding specific cultural milieus of the Kamilaroi people.

Existing knowledge has been developed in parts of Australia with close pre-colonisation connection; however this generally pertains to the housing of Aboriginal people, and reveals varying socio-spatial requirements of various communities. Due to the lack of academic papers written about the Kamilaroi people’s socio-spatial structure or traditional camp structures, this limits the ability to inform this documents framework through literature, and therefore design according to the cultural aberrations of the Kamilaroi people. This document works towards closing the gap of knowledge by proposing further areas of investigation upon the acquisition of a design brief. These accompany the cultural nuances and potential behaviours to observe in a similar fashion to those mentioned in the literature review.

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ReferencesAshfield Municipal Council. (2007). Development Control Plan: Building Design & SustainabilityPart

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6 AppendicesAppendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Appendix D

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

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Appendix G

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Appendix H

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Appendix I

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