Survey Launch – Indigenising the Built Environment in Australia

What do the First Nations performance criteria (FNPC) outlined in the AACA’s National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA 2021) mean to you? Learn how you can participate in an Indigenous-led research project Indigenising the Built Environment in Australia.

Yundu Yalada, my name is Dr Michael Mossman and I am a researcher at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. Alongside my colleague Professor Donald McNeill, I am working on a project titled Indigenising the Built Environment in Australia. The project is jointly funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous and the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.

We invite you to take part in this research project that investigates how current practices in built environment disciplines such as architecture are interacting with Country and First Nations Communities and Cultural Practices. Specifically, we are investigating the National Standard of Competency for Architects 2021 and accompanying Explanatory Notes and Definitions, which provide core Country and First Nations-specific Performance Criteria, for universities with accredited architecture programs and architects continuing their professional development, to meet in education and practice.

TAKE SURVEY NOW

This Indigenous-led research project will investigate the efficacy of the First Nations performance criteria through interactions with key stakeholders across a variety of research engagements and scales. The objective of the interactions is to collect critical information that can inform future iterations of the National Standard of Competency for Architects and provide important observations for the profession in 2025 and 2026 and beyond. We acknowledge the work of the Australian Institute of Architects First Nations Advisory Group and Cultural Reference Panel and their role in carefully developing the First Nations-specific Performance Criteria explored in this research study. We also acknowledge the work of Dr Danièle Hromek for her role in developing content for the Explanatory Notes and Definitions.

The research aims are:

• to examine how architecture and design thinking in the built environment relates to Country, Australian First Nations Communities and Cultures, and to explore how truth- telling through this Online Survey empowers voices to share thoughts and experiences to inform built environment processes;
• to compile experiences and identify gaps in knowledge relating to the implementation of the FNPC from First Nations Communities, accredited university architecture schools, professional practice, and peak body organisations, as well as interact with built environment allied disciplines and international participants for input into the research topic; and
• to enhance an understanding of architecture and the built environment within the broader sphere of scholarship for a more inclusive and empowering community of practice. This will provide space for First Nations Community voices to speak across disciplinary boundaries and in turn inform conversations relating to the next iteration of NSCA.

For more information about this project, please visit the Indigensing the Built Environment in Australia website. From the website you can download the Participant Information Statement, providing a detailed outline of the project and your role as a participant, as well as direct access to the survey.

The survey is open now and will close on 14 March 2025.

Please don’t hesitate to be in touch if you’d like to understand more. You can email Indigenising the Built Environment in Australia research team.

We hope to hear from you!