Designing for Country: the new Gungahlin school embedding First Nations artwork into every corner
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The ACT’s newest high school has welcomed its first ever cohort of students this year, but the learnings aren’t just happening in the classroom – they’re embedded in the walls.
Situated on Ngunnawal Country, Aunty Agnes Shea High School in Gungahlin is a living, breathing display of First Nation’s culture through a close collaboration between Canberra-based architecture firm, ck architecture, and five First Nations artists.
The school’s architecture brings to life the stories of Ngunnawal’s six seasons, with different areas of the school drawing inspiration from the flora, fauna and cultural narratives of each season. But we’re not just talking about artworks displayed in frames. We’re talking about larger-than-life artworks interwoven into the walls, the roof, the finishings, the furniture – the very fabric of the school.
The goal of the project, led by ck architecture, was to educate students about the very land on which they’re living through immersion, nurturing an understanding that goes far beyond the surface.
Jazz Matthews Summer.
ck architecture co-owner Cassandra Kellar said this project represented the company’s firm commitment to collaboration with First Nations communities, and honouring their history.
“The fundamental goal of schools is to educate and engage students. By embedding First Nations culture as an integral part of our culture and design approach, we’re creating a platform to share their stories for generations to come.” says Cassandra.
“At Aunty Agnes Shea High School, First Nations art is not merely showcased, it’s deeply embedded into the essence of the building.”
The five talented artists – each with their own personal connection to Ngunnawal Country – drew inspiration from the principles of the Ngunnawal six-season calendar. Each artist utilised colour palettes that reflect the colours you see on Country during each season, intertwined with the native animals and their migration behaviours throughout the year, for example nesting magpies in spring, and kangaroos gathering in mobs in pre-winter. They then worked closely with ck architecture to co-design interpretive applications of their art into the school.
The artists.
But while ck architecture were the experts in design, they relied on the knowledge of Ngunnawal Kamilaroi custodian and Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation Cultural Director Richie Allan to guide the Cultural stories.
“In our calendars, there’s no twelve months in a year, there’s just time. Seasons might last days, weeks, months or years. We have to look at the indicators; the flora and fauna, how it moves, how it comes and goes, so that we know when things change.” Richie says.
Richie’s autumn artwork can be seen in the school’s kitchenettes and food technology areas, featuring the earthy tones and patterns inspired by the turtle’s shell.
Richie Allan with his artwork.
Upstairs in the school’s meeting and gathering spaces, Dhanggati Birrbay artist and teacher Bek Weddell crafted a pre-summer-inspired piece that celebrates warmer days and wellbeing. The integrated artwork shows creamy candles that symbolise flora, eucalyptus leaves that represent wellbeing, and suspended acoustic baffles above the stairs evoke the layering and texture of gathered Bogong moths, creating a unique space for student interaction. Bek also created a spring piece which is integrated into the classrooms, which weaves in imagery of wattles and magpies.
“What I love is the fact we’ve all taken our aspects of the seasons and interpreted them in our own way to produce artworks that are all very different, but still so connected through the seasons of Ngunnawal,” she says.
“The whole process was really safe, and representing Ngunnawal seasons was a really nice way to integrate country into the build – bringing the outside in.”
Fellow artists Jazz Matthews, Kristal Matthews and Leah Brideson all contributed to the project, designing moving pieces inspired by summer, the cooler months and winter, respectively. Each original artwork is displayed in the school library’s Seasons Room.
Photography: Geoffrey Chew.
