Indigenous Engagement Foundations | Part 2
Live webinar (available on-demand following the live session)
"Design with Country is not a design phase - it is a project delivery approach that spans the entire lifecycle of a project."
1pm, AEST
Tuesday, 13 October 2026
1 Formal CPD Points
1pm – Melbourne, Sydney
12:30pm – Adelaide, Darwin
11am – Perth
Part 2 | DELIVERING DESIGN WITH COUNTRY THROUGH PROJECT DELIVERY
Building on the project foundations established during Session One, this session examines how Design with Country principles is maintained throughout design development, documentation and delivery. Through practical examples, participants will explore how First Nations collaboration informed planning, landscape, operations, governance, storytelling and user experience, and how ongoing engagement throughout the project lifecycle created enduring cultural outcomes. The session also considers intellectual property, professional collaboration and the commercial frameworks required to appropriately recognise First Nations knowledge as professional expertise.
NSCA 2021 Performance Criteria
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
PC15: Comply
with legal and ethical obligations relating to legislated requirements in
relation to copyright, moral rights, authorship of cultural knowledge and
intellectual property requirements across architectural services.
PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
PC34: Communicate
conceptual design proposals and associated information to client, stakeholders
and communities using appropriate and culturally responsive methods appropriate
to different audiences.
DETAILED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION
PC36: Be
able to apply creative imagination, design precedents, emergent knowledge,
critical evaluation and continued engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples to produce a coherent project design. This should be resolved
in terms of supporting healthy and wellbeing outcomes for Country, site
planning, formal composition, spatial planning and circulation as appropriate
to the project brief and all other factors affecting the project.
PC45: Be
able to nominate and integrate quality and performance standards with regard to
selected materials, finishes, fittings, components and systems, considering the
impact on Country and the environment, and the whole life carbon impact of the
project. This includes integrating life cycle assessments and other expertise
and advice from consultants.
DESIGN DELIVERY AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES
PC50: Be
able to continue engagement with relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples throughout all stages of the project and its delivery in a meaningful,
respectful and appropriate way.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify opportunities beyond public art and interpretive signage/story telling where First Nations perspectives and inputs can influence a broader range of project outcomes.
- Apply principles for engaging First Nations knowledge holders as professional collaborators, recognising cultural knowledge as intellectual property and establishing appropriate commercial and contractual arrangements.
- Evaluate approaches for translating cultural aspirations into practical design decisions while maintaining project quality, budget and program objectives.
- Reflect on lessons from the HOTA Theatre and several other projects that can be applied to future architectural practice.
SpeakerS
Aaron Poupard | ARM Architecture
Aaron is a Principal at ARM Architecture with extensive experience delivering some of the practice’s most complex and high-profile projects. He is known for his ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholder and user groups, carefully balancing competing priorities to achieve thoughtful, well-resolved design outcomes.
As both a concept and narrative lead, Aaron plays a key role in shaping the design direction of projects from inception through to delivery. He ensures that strong architectural ideas are maintained and translated through all stages, carefully balancing stakeholder objectives, design excellence, and construction realities to achieve outcomes that are both ambitious and deliverable.
Most of Aaron’s work has been in public architecture, where building and investing in cultural capital is central to the brief. His projects reflect a strong understanding of the civic role of architecture and the responsibility to create enduring, meaningful places for communities and their relationship to Country.
With strong capabilities across design and project delivery, Aaron brings a deep understanding of construction to his work. He has led the delivery of significant heritage projects, including several world-class theatres, where precision, sensitivity, and technical expertise are critical.
Shannon Best | Yugambeh Museum, Language and Heritage Research Centre
Shannon Best is an Aboriginal cultural engagement specialist and General Manager of the Yugambeh Museum, Language and Heritage Research Centre in Southeast Queensland. A Kombumerri man through his grandmother and Mununjali through his grandfather, Shannon has extensive experience working with all levels of government, the arts, and community to protect and promote Aboriginal culture, heritage, and language. He is the author of Indigenous Rules of Engagement, a practical guide to respectful collaboration with Aboriginal communities. Shannon’s work focuses on ensuring Traditional Owner voices are central to decision-making, embedding cultural protocols, and fostering meaningful, long-term relationships
Price
Members: $20
Student members: FREE
Non-members: $120
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