Co-Design with Traditional Owners: Building Meaningful Partnerships on Country

The Historical Context

Historically, the deep cultural, spiritual, and legal connection that First Nations peoples have with Country has been consistently disregarded, disrupted, and actively suppressed through colonisation. The dispossession of land and systemic attempts to dismantle cultural knowledge systems have had enduring and devastating effects – culturally, socially, and economically.

The Native Title Act 1993, introduced after the landmark Mabo case, marked a pivotal shift in Australian legal history by overturning the myth of Terra Nullius and acknowledging that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on and cared for this land for millennia. It affirmed a form of traditional connection to land, but as Dr Gary Foley argues in Native Title is Not Land Rights, it fell far short of genuine land justice. Native Title is narrow in scope, fragile in its legal basis, and largely conditional upon First Nations people proving continuous connection under colonial legal standards, often at great cost.

Despite symbolic progress, the underlying structures of land control and development remain largely unchanged. Many communities remain excluded from meaningful land rights, and from decision-making processes that shape Country. This ongoing inequity highlights how far we still have to go.

As designers, we have a social, ethical, and cultural responsibility to acknowledge this legacy and work alongside Traditional Owners and First Peoples in ways that move beyond tokenism. The challenge is to honour Indigenous knowledge systems and lived experiences authentically, and to embed opportunities for cultural practices to thrive, ensuring that connection to Country is not only remembered, but actively sustained and celebrated today and into the future.

Key Contributors to the Co-Design Process

The co-design process involves various contributors, each bringing valuable perspectives:

Traditional Owners – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and groups who have social, economic, and spiritual affiliations with the land and waters. As custodians of cultural knowledge, their trust must be established first. Even when shared, this knowledge remains their intellectual and cultural property, requiring ongoing permission for use.

First Nations Engagement Consultants – These specialists facilitate engagement with the right tools and language to make the process accessible. They understand cultural protocols and knowledge, protecting cultural integrity and intellectual property inherent in Indigenous Design. They develop strategic methodologies to embed designs while navigating program and time constraints.

First Nation Designers – First Nations Architects, Landscape Architects, and other design professionals bring both technical expertise and cultural sensitivity, allowing them to effectively translate cultural elements into design.

Design Team – Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban Designers, and Wayfinding specialists provide expertise and technical knowledge. Their critical role is to advocate for and enable First Nations consultants to lead the co-design process, contributing as partners rather than leaders.

Consultants – Structural Engineers, services engineers, and other technical specialists may not always be directly involved in engagement but benefit from being informed about outcomes. The most successful projects ensure findings are shared with the entire project team.

Community – Indigenous community members bring invaluable perspectives and lived experience.

Traditional Owners – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and groups who have social, economic, and spiritual affiliations with the land and waters. As custodians of cultural knowledge, their trust must be established first. Even when shared, this knowledge remains their intellectual and cultural property, requiring ongoing permission for use.

Client – The client plays a key role in supporting the co-design process. While their level of involvement may vary, establishing this early is important. We encourage clients to participate in engagement activities to build cultural understanding and appreciate the value of working with Country. By recognising the importance of co-design, clients help uphold its integrity – enabling cultural outcomes to be celebrated both during the project and long after its completion.

BKK’s Commitments

Each engagement process is bespoke, with principles established collaboratively for each project. Our core commitments include:

Deep Listening – We engage in initiatives that promote healing and build trust between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Transparency – We commit to honest, open communication with Indigenous stakeholders.

Reciprocity – We ensure our actions have a positive effect on Country, giving as much as we take, and only taking what we need.

Respect – We acknowledge and respect the authority of Indigenous leaders and Elders, integrating their guidance and decisions into all stages of the project, allowing for traditional knowledge integration in meaningful ways.

Holding Space – Project timelines allow for initial trust-building to establish authentic and culturally appropriate engagement processes.

Looking Forward and Back – We consider not just how buildings and public realms are designed, but how they will be used into the future, identifying opportunities for Aboriginal cultural practice and involving First Nations stakeholders in ongoing design, management, and care.

Cultural Awareness – Just as a white card is needed to work on a construction site, we believe everyone should be accountable to a level of cultural awareness when working on Country. All our staff have undergone cultural awareness training with WWCHAC.

The Value of Co-Design

Co-design demonstrates that sustained collaborative partnerships between designers, consultants, and Traditional Owners are effective in producing authentic, culturally appropriate, and socially beneficial places. Our co-design approach brings multiple values to BKK projects:

Cultural Authenticity – Direct collaboration with Traditional Owners ensures design solutions are culturally appropriate and meaningful.

Enhanced Outcomes – Projects genuinely reflect the meaning and significance of Country to First Nations peoples.

Ethical Practice – We acknowledge our work occurs on Indigenous lands and waters, shaping our approach accordingly.

Risk Mitigation – Cultural protocols are respected and properly observed throughout the project lifecycle.

Knowledge Exchange – Our design practice is enriched while creating opportunities for Traditional Owners to embed culture for future generations.

Inclusive Spaces – We create welcoming environments that foster belonging for all users.

Meaningful Relationships – We build long-term connections with Traditional Owners and First Nations communities beyond individual projects.

Values Alignment – Our practice demonstrates commitments to deep listening, transparency, reciprocity, respect, and cultural awareness.

Market Differentiation – We position ourselves as a practice that authentically engages with Indigenous perspectives.

Social Responsibility – We fulfill our ethical obligations, positioning BKK as a leader in culturally responsive design. Together, we explore ways to make people feel welcome and safe, creating experiences they want to advocate for and belong to – transforming project delivery by shifting from building-first to people-first perspective.