11345 Starting with Country

Positioning, an Indigenous engagement protocol, is foundational in decolonial methodologies, especially when working with and on Country. Western research assumes neutrality and objectivity however Indigenous and decolonial methodologies understand where you are placed, your standpoint and your worldview. Students will reflect and surface their values, biases and assumptions in your (design) practices. Students will acknowledge what they bring to the research and their own subjective (whole) self.

Wetlands are not always, and for some not ever, the most pleasant of places. In fact, they have often been seen as horrific places. In patriarchal western cultural traditions, wetlands have been associated with death and disease, the monstrous and the melancholic, if not the downright mad. Such perceptions prompt the thought of why and how such an important biome continues to encounter social, political and ecological destruction; thought that primarily and flagrantly continues to negate and erase Country.

Suppose the Swamp is a vast ground constantly evolving through various colonial power relations across its many environmental classifications, how does the convergence of social, political and ecological agents enable and configure the spatial and architectural narratives of the Wetland? Dahl'wah (Dharawal) or the “She Oak '' is a prime example of this. Coined by settlers, this terminology weaponises derogatory and gendered binaries to perpetuate that the organism was difficult to work with as it could not be monetised and reproduced by the colonial regime for capital gain.

Keeping these destructive imaginaires in mind, we ask you to create a body of work that probes into how architecture has made you complicit in spatially enacting personal and impersonal narratives around the swamp. We will each enter the decolonizing space through a deeply personal and intimate process of positioning, and an intense reading of multiple texts of our individual discourses. Through prolific reading, your task becomes one of intense reflection (and uncomfortability) to understand one's responsibility and connection to place and space - Country.

If we are to continue designing we must learn how to navigate these colonial stigmas of water, place and space. A practice of hyper sensitive stewardship to ethically and inclusively move forward with Country and her respective forms of life.

Work will be presented as works-in-progress in class for discussion.

• Criterion: Demonstrates deep reflection on personal values, biases, and assumptions.
• Description: The student critically examines their own beliefs, values, and assumptions, and clearly articulates how these influence their design practices and interactions with Country. The reflection should show a significant level of self-awareness and an understanding of how their background and standpoint impact their research.

• Criterion: Effectively integrates Indigenous and decolonial methodologies and perspectives.
• Description: The student shows a comprehensive understanding of Indigenous and decolonial methodologies, and successfully incorporates these perspectives into their work. The work should demonstrate respect for Indigenous protocols and provide insights into how these methodologies inform their positioning and design practices.

• Criterion: Demonstrates a strong connection and engagement with the context of the Wetlands.
• Description: The student displays a thorough engagement with the specific context of the Wetlands, including the historical, social, political, and ecological aspects. The work should reflect an understanding of the complex relationships and narratives associated with the Wetlands and how these inform their design and positionality.

• Criterion: Presents ideas clearly and creatively through visual and written components.
• Description: The student effectively communicates their reflections and analysis through both visual and written formats. The visual diagram should be clear, well-organized, and creatively convey the student’s positioning and understanding. The written component should be well-structured, coherent, and provide a compelling narrative that complements the visual representation.

Assessment 02 expands on the narrative writing and research techniques learnt in Assessment 01 to develop an experimental cartography of each student’s chosen wetland biome. Students will conduct independent research into their case-study, which will be transformed through in-class mapping exercises and workshops. The final outputs produced may take the form of sound-maps, decolonial cartographies, material gestures, archival arrangements, films or drawings.

The speculative cartography invites students to envision and (re)create maps that transcend traditional (and colonial) representations. This approach will encourage imaginative thinking and critical engagement with spatial and environmental issues, allowing for the exploration of potential futures and alternative realities, resurfacing and drawing on millenia old knowledges of Country.

Students will begin to establish their own methodology and practice and begin to think through the following:

What is the role of a non-Indigenous designer in archival re-telling, un-telling?

What colonial or destructive stigma does the designer perpetuate within the urban park/wetland?

What are the limitations of cartography?

What modes of ecological destruction are you implicitly or explicitly complicit in through design?

What is the designer's role in research, communication and spatialising findings in urban fabric?

How can the designer bring agency and sovereignty to First Nations communities through archival research and architectural communication?

How do we build a radical visual archive resurfacing the knowledges of Country?

How can we advocate for these narratives through the act of Counter Mapping?

Through a series of visuals and text, students will present their findings in the archives - the ‘Archival Arrangement’. Using the right of reply as precedent students will respond to their research and findings, subjectively. What are you finding? Is it accessible? How are you feeling about it? What are the western imperial forms of mapping? What are the limitations of your cartographies? What are the alternative modes of mapping that you are practising? How are you addressing Multi Species Justice within the Wetland through sensitive stewardship with Country?

Work will be presented as works-in-progress in class for discussion.

• Criterion: Demonstrates innovative and critical engagement in developing speculative cartography.
• Description: The student creatively reimagines traditional mapping techniques, producing speculative cartographies that challenge colonial representations and incorporate alternative narratives. The work should reflect critical thinking and originality, presenting a thought-provoking and imaginative exploration of the wetland biome.

• Criterion: Effectively integrates independent research into the development of a unique methodology.
• Description: The student conducts thorough and insightful independent research into their chosen wetland biome, integrating findings into the development of a personalized methodology. The work should clearly articulate how the research informs their approach, showcasing a well-defined and coherent methodology that addresses the role of a non-Indigenous designer in archival re-telling and un-telling.

• Criterion: Demonstrates deep reflection and sensitivity to Indigenous perspectives and ecological justice.
• Description: The student reflects deeply on their positionality, biases, and the implications of their design practices. The work should show sensitivity to Indigenous perspectives, addressing how the designer can bring agency and sovereignty to First Nations communities through archival research and architectural communication. The reflection should also consider multi-species justice and the ethical responsibilities of the designer in engaging with Country.

• Criterion: Presents a clear, cohesive, and well-organized body of work.
• Description: The student presents their findings and methodologies in a clear, cohesive, and well-organized manner. The final outputs, including speculative cartography, reflective essay, archival arrangement, and literary review, should be consistently formatted and effectively communicate the student’s research and reflections. Visuals and written components should complement each other, creating a comprehensive and engaging narrative.

Assessment 03, again, expands on the narrative writing and research techniques learnt in Assessment 01 and 02 to redevelop an experimental cartography of each student’s chosen Wetland/Water biome. Students will conduct independent research into their case-study, which will be transformed through in-class mapping exercises and workshops. The final outputs produced may take the form of sound-maps, material gestures, archival arrangements, films or drawings.

Assessment 03 will be the culmination of all work across the semester. Work will be presented as a cohesive body of work across the studio. Students will curate an exhibition for guest panellists to engage in conversations around the body of work.

On completion of all assessments students will have developed new narrative and cartographic methods for understanding and communicating complex and dynamic water biomes. Students will have developed technical skills in writing and design informed by Indigenous and decolonial methodologies. Students will understand where they are placed, their standpoint, their worldview and what that means for their practice and research. Students will have started to establish methodologies and gained confidence in navigating their practice(s) working on Country and with the archives, creating a critically sensitive methodology to design ethically with human and non-human agents within the wetland and other respective biomes.

• Criterion: Demonstrates effective synthesis and advancement of narrative writing, research techniques, and cartographic methods developed in previous assessments.
• Description: The student builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in Assessments 01 and 02, showing clear progression and deepening of understanding. The work should integrate previous insights and feedback, advancing the development of experimental cartography and narrative methods in a cohesive and refined manner.

• Criterion: Produces a coherent and innovative speculative cartography that effectively communicates complex water biomes.
• Description: The student's speculative cartography should be well-organized, coherent, and innovative, providing a fresh perspective on the chosen water biome. The final output should transcend traditional representations, integrating sound-maps, material gestures, archival arrangements, films, or drawings in a manner that is both imaginative and critically engaged.

• Criterion: Demonstrates depth of reflection and methodological rigor in the reflective essay, interpersonal diagram, and research methodology.
• Description: The student provides a deeply reflective essay and interpersonal diagram that articulate their positionality, worldview, and the implications for their practice. The research methodology should be well-defined, rigorous, and sensitive to Indigenous and decolonial perspectives, showcasing the student's ability to navigate ethical considerations and complex relationships within the wetland and other biomes.

• Criterion: Presents a professional and cohesive body of work and effectively curates an exhibition.
• Description: The student presents their work in a professional manner, ensuring all components (speculative cartography, reflective essay, interpersonal diagram, research methodology, archival arrangement, and literary review) are cohesive and well-integrated. The exhibition should be thoughtfully curated to engage guest panellists, facilitating meaningful conversations around the body of work. The presentation should demonstrate technical skills in writing and design, informed by Indigenous and decolonial methodologies.