First Nations initiatives
Knowledge sharing on built environment issues
We are committed to building Indigenous knowledges and cultural competency into activities across the school and advocate for increased participation of Indigenous students and staff in school life.
The school, through its Indigenous Strategy and Services Committee, is committed to undertaking initiatives to support the University’s One Sydney, Many Peoples strategy; in addition, develop and implement strategies, initiatives, and activity related to Indigenous Built Environment participation, engagement, education and research.
The school sits proudly on Gadigal land, where First Nations people have taught, learnt and nurtured since time immemorial. Located in the Wilkinson Building on City Road, Darlington, the school sits adjacent to a popular Gadigal fishing spot in Blackwattle Creek, now known as Gadigal Green.
For many decades, reconnecting to the traditional custodianship of this land has evolved in the school through a commitment to socially engaged design education and embedding cultural learning into our units of study. This includes students participating in the Aboriginal Housing Company in the 1990s, to showcasing Indigenous knowledge and research on native Australian grasses and grains in Gamilaraay Country.
For a school dedicated to the study of place, space and their relationships with people, it is fitting that the traditions of knowledge sharing and community feature intrinsically in the life of the school.
Our engagement initiatives have pushed our understanding of indigenous topics, made us rethink what is possible and provided an outlet for real world projects to be worked on.
Dr Michael Mossman and Elle Davidson have been announced as co-creative Directors for the Australia Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2025. Home features a highly sensorial design that incorporating physical, interactive and virtual mediums integrated within the space enabling participatory opportunities for visitors and contributors of the project to story tell their understandings of home through the lens of Country. This will assist in the facilitation of meaningful dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on a International scale. Learn more.
This ARC-funded project will evaluate the efficacy of the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia’s National Standard of Competency for Architects 2021, First Nations performance criteria by exploring how the built environment interacts with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and how these are understood and applied in practice. Learn more.
The Indigenous Garden is a multisensory intercultural space of listening, observing and learning. It connects with Country the planting of endemic and native species of the Sydney Basin and beyond to communicate the ecological systems of First Nations cultures past, present and future. The garden is an invitation for students and staff of ADP, and visitors to appreciate and understand more about Country and local cultures. Learn more.
This initiative aims to embed Indigenous knowledge into the university curriculum, ensuring that all students develop a meaningful understanding of Country and its significance. As part of this effort, the School's Indigenous Strategy and Services Committee is collaborating with staff and students to develop a structured learning journey that introduces key Indigenous perspectives from the outset and builds upon them throughout a student’s degree. This initiative also includes strategies to support international students in engaging with Australian First Nations concerns and exploring their relevance in global contexts.
Led by Associate Dean Indigenous, Dr Michael Mossman, professional and academic staff are invited monthly to an ADP Yarning Circle to provide support and resources as a means of working towards understanding and engaging with Country, Culture and Community in teaching, research and administration within a school level.
