Kim Dovey:

Aboriginal Architecture
Josh Carmody
Alix Smith
Roselyn Tan
Andrew Walsh

Arguments FOR and AGAINST aboriginal architecture

FOR:
Creating more culturally appropriate housing, community centres and
institutions will hopefully help communities to retain culture and develop
socially and economically as individuals, families and communities
thereby bringing different areas into a first world standard of living and
thus making positive steps toward reconciliation.

AGAINST:
Prior to white colonialism, aboriginals never really found importance in
fixed architecture. 200 years of white colonial domination has affected
aboriginal culture in countless ways. So by designing aboriginal
architecture are we again imposing white colonial culture on to aboriginal
culture?

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

The Marika Alderton House

Location:

Yirrkala Community, Eastern

Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

Architect:

Glenn Murcutt

Completed: 1994

Source: A singular architectural practice,

H, Beck and J. Cooper, P. 132

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

The Marika Alderton House

Brief:
A family home for an Aboriginal client that
satisfies the respective climatic demands
and building codes of the area.
Characteristics of Murcutts work:
Regular use of elevated platform and natural
materials. Highly sustainable and have a
strong link to their site.

Source: A singular architectural practice,

H, Beck and J. Cooper, P. 134, 136

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Source: http://www.independentaustralia.net

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

The Marika Alderton House

Professionally shot tailored compositions?

Source: A singular architectural practice,

H, Beck and J. Cooper, P. 131, 140

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

The Marika Alderton House

Source: A singular architectural practice,

H, Beck and J. Cooper, P. 137, 138

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

The Marika Alderton House

Working plan
Source: A singular architectural practice,
H, Beck and J. Cooper, P. 133

Final plan

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

The Marika Alderton House

Doveys argument:
The media have created a false representation for the Marika Alderton house by framing it with
specifically chosen words, drawings and photographs.

Studio specific issues:

How has Murcutt attempted as a white architect to incorporate aspects of aboriginality within
his design?
Is the job as white architects to avoid iconic representations of aboriginality (the dreamtime),
and instead pursue approaches that question aboriginal identity in architecture? Or is this
simply an excuse to avoid the issue?

Source: A singular architectural practice,

H, Beck and J. Cooper, P. 131, 140

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambuk

Location: Gariwerd(Grampians) ranges, western
Victoria
Architect: Greg Burgess with others
Completed: 1991

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambruk

Brief:
Use of curvilinear forms and natural materials and a
participatory design process
Characteristics of Burgess work:
Non-orthogonal geometries, curvilinear forms and the use
of timber

The foyer.

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambruk

Roof plan

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambruk

Ground floor plan

The stone fireplace.

First floor plan

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambruk

Overlooking the theatre.

The theatre under construction.

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambruk

Helical ramps leading to the first floor.

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Burgess and Brambruk

Doveys argument:
White preconceptions of a 'primitive' culture and socially constructed identities.
Reinforced construction of Aboriginal people as primitive, natural and irregular.
Conceptual oppositions by white people.
The building embodies forms of liberating practice.

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Aboriginality in Architecture:
Other works:

more Aboriginal Architecture

Bunjilaka,Aboriginal Wing of the

Museum of Victoria
DCM

Karijini Visitors Centre, Pilbara

Woodhead International

Patjarr Aboriginal Community Visitors Centre

University of South Australia Students

Tjulyuru Ngaanyatjarri Cultural and Civic

Centre,Warburton
Inside Out Architects

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Aboriginality in Architecture:
Other works:

more Aboriginal Architecture

Bunjilaka,Aboriginal Wing of the

Museum of Victoria
DCM (1995)

Karijini Visitors Centre, Pilbara

Woodhead International
(2001)

Patjarr Aboriginal Community Visitors Centre

University of South Australia Students (2004)

Tjulyuru Ngaanyatjarri Cultural and Civic

Centre,Warburton
Inside Out Architects (2003)

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Bunjilaka
Aboriginal Wing of Museum of
Victoria
Denton Corker Marshall
1995
Representing Aboriginality
in an Urban Setting
Superficial reading of
Aboriginality
Natural form

Compare and Contrast:

The curvilenear natural forms of the Bunjikala gallery are an
odd departure from DCMs orthogonal style

Source: http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue. (July/August 1996 Issue)

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Bunjilaka
Aboriginal Wing of Museum of
Victoria
Denton Corker Marshall
1995
Competition- prevents consultation
Architecture about Aboriginies

Who is this representation of

Aboriginality for?

Serpent tracks and dot painting

references

Source: http://museumvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Karijini Visitors Centre, Pilbara

Woodhead International
2001
The project brief was to create a
building for the interpretation of the
park, its geology, flora, fauna, people
and history. The cultural symbol chosen
by the aboriginal stakeholders for the
form of the building is a Kurrumanthu
(goanna/lizard).
Woodhead International

Source: http://www.woodhead.com.au/projects

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Karijini Visitors Centre, Pilbara

Woodhead International
2001
The design objective was to represent,
through the built form, respect for the
intentions of the aboriginal stakeholders
and to stimulate interest in a reappraisal
of our collective past, place in the
landscape and relationship between
aboriginal and non aboriginal people.
-Woodhead International

Source: http://www.woodhead.com.au/projects

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Patjarr Visitors Centre (near

Alice Springs)
Louis Laybourne Smith School
of Architecture at the University
of South Australia 2004
Storage facility and gallery for
indigenous artefacts
Re-fuelling point for air-travellers
Student built project

Source: http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue (Jan/Feb 2004)

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Patjarr Visitors Centre (near

Alice Springs)
Louis Laybourne Smith School
of Architecture at the University
of South Australia 2004
students voiced their disappointment
that community members were not
more involved in the building process.
However, the speed and prefabricated
nature of the construction would have
precluded almost any external
involvement
-Paul Pholeros, Architecture Australia

Source: http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue (Jan/Feb 2004)

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Tjulyuru Ngaanyatjarri Cultural and
Civic Centre, Warburton
by Inside Out Architects
2003
Collaboration between indigenous and nonindigenous architects
Participatory process- design, construction,
maintenance

Source: http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/ (Sept/Oct 2003 Issue)

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

more Aboriginal Architecture

Tjulyuru Ngaanyatjarri Cultural and
Civic Centre,Warburton
by Inside Out Architects
2003

Represents a shift in Aboriginal tourism from

presenting culture as an object... to culture
as a subject.- Mike Parsons
Traditional Gallery Spaces

Opening day celebrations and rituals

Source: http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/ (Sept/Oct 2003 Issue)

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Lessons that we can learn for Bower 2011

- Understanding that there is no single aboriginal architectural
representation of form or function. While there may be consistencies in
some of the social and cultural aspects of different communities
responses to issues should not be based on assumption.
-The people who set the briefs need to consult with the relevant
communities or cultural representatives that the building is for, or going
to be representative of.
- Architects responding to these briefs or proposals need to be more
willing to consult, listen and learn prior to the design process, rather than
after it.

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Letter to the Editor September/October issue Architecture Australia

Unfair to us and Glenn
Our views on Glenn Murcutt's involvement were never sought by Kim
Dovey, nor was any critical understanding of our specific social, political and
economic context.
Get off the Grass Kim
At least Glenn Murcutt is prepared to get off his arse and try to help people
at a grassroots level, rather than sitting in an ivory tower writing pathetic
prose about subjects he is obviously unfamiliar with.

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?

Questions raised by Kim Dovey; discuss them or else.

Who authorises Aboriginal architecture?

How is architecture being used in the ongoing discourse of Aboriginal
reconciliation; by whom and in whose interest?
If there are no Aboriginal architects: how are white architects to design for
Aboriginals?
Is there any kind of architecture that does not, for better or worse, 'fix' and
'stabilise' socially constructed identities?

Kim Dovey Indigenous Architecture?