This project is a commercial fit-out for the Lowitja Institute, a national Indigenous research body.

The design strategy was to develop an office that didn’t feel like an office, which drew a connection to Country and prioritised what happens within the space over aesthetics. The design took a narrative rather than a figurative approach. It emphasised the spatial qualities of key areas to reflect their importance to the organisation. As a national health research institute, the spaces were divided to express areas of “fertile thinking” (the publications corner), “collaborative exchange” (the kitchen), “imaginative energy” (the core workspace) and the “flow of ideas” (the conference area). This technique also enabled a thematic use of colour to reference the landscape and Country as a way of reinforcing the importance of place to Aboriginal Australia.

Photography: Peter Casamento