Merrima Indigenous Design Group

The Merrima Group provides consultation and architectural design services for Indigenous and other communities.

Merrima is fully staffed by Indigenous people and is committed to the struggle for self-determination through cultural expression in the built environment. One of Merrima's broader aims is to encourage indigenous people to consider a career in Architecture, Design and related fields.

One of Merrima's broader aims is to identify opportunities for employment for indigenous people on all levels of a project, from design through to construction.

Set up in 1995, Merrima has undertaken projects from several NSW Government agencies including Health, Ministry for the Arts, Corrective Services and Juvenile Justice.

The group has now expanded to collaborate with architects, interior designers, academics and artists to bring a unique indigenous perspective to non-indigenous projects and are extending further into work of this nature while maintaining their original service to indigenous communities.

Three examples of their designs are:

Acmena Juvenile Justice Centre

NAISDA Vault refurbishment

Wilcannia Hospital

Acmena Juvenile Justice Centre, Grafton

Site and design
Acmena Juvenile Justice Centre is built on a hill surrounded by trees in the Gumbangerr tribe's traditional land. The Gumbangerr Elders responsible for cultural input into the design of the centre, gave permission to use their totem, Buurrga the golden eel, to inspire the design. The eel is found in the Clarence River, a waterway integral to the culture and lifestyle of the Aboriginal tribes who live along its banks.

The architectural expression of the design relates to the lifecycle of the freshwater eel. The female spawns in the ocean beyond the continental shelf, the larvae hatch and drift to the coast where they swim into the river system to develop. The males stay in the salty tidewater waiting for the return of the females who will travel upstream to mature. During this stage the skin darkens to a deep brown and its underbelly turns yellowish - hence the 'yellow eel' or 'golden eel'. When it is time to reproduce the female eel heads back downstream to return to ocean waters. Once beyond the continental shelf the eels will complete their lifecycle.

The design of Acmena relates to the form of the female eel, nurturing the young people placed in this centre. The mother eel is facing east in the direction of the ocean to prepare for reproduction and to continue the lifecycle.

The layout of the building is an interpretation of the eel's curvilinear form and anatomical features:

• the head - contemplation, spirituality, cultural knowledge - covered outdoor learning space
• the body - processing, life functions - education, centre support and accommodation
• the tail - activities, motion - the gymnasium, tennis court, swimming pool

The material chosen for the walls of the centre reflects the sunrise and sunset, giving it a golden glow.

Organisation of space
An important feature of the centre was to create a community of buildings rather than one large institution. The front entry forecourt has a yellow circle in a red decomposed granite, and combined with the shadow of the administration building makes reference to the Aboriginal flag.

Near the education buildings there is a circular outdoor garden with local bush medicine vegetation. Elders and staff can counsel residents in privacy here as well as transfer knowledge of the native plants. The education rooms enjoy views to the existing forested valley to the east. The security fence follows the contours of the hill and falls away from the building providing an opportunity to see over the fence, particularly from the open recreation area on top of the hill.

Environment and energy performance
Environmental and energy efficiency were achieved through:

• A north facing open recreation area
• Preservation of trees to help shade the west and east facing buildings
• Minimum width buildings to maximise day lighting and cross ventilation
• Polycarbonate roofing and skylights to improve day lighting levels
• External sunshades doubling up as wet weather protection
• Replanting of native vegetation to soften the impact of the centre

Community involvement and ownership of the design were integral to the success of the project. It is hoped that the design will encourage the Aboriginal oral tradition of explaining places of cultural significance by interpreting the visual clues in the landscape and within the design of the centre.

NAISDA Vault refurbishment

Another Merrima Aboriginal Design Unit project was for the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA), Australia's premier indigenous performing arts school located in The Rocks, Sydney.

The brief was to develop several culturally and artistically appropriate spaces for teaching and dancing within the existing vault, which would acknowledge the traditional people of the particular Sydney region.Design concepts were developed in close consultation with NAISDA.</p> <p>By floating a structural platform above the existing dance spaces in the vault it is possible to provide two more dance spaces. The timber 'ribs' which support the platform above are intended to read as the ribs of a 'carcass'; a poetic reference of respect to the traditional Eora people who were moved off this land. When a creature dies, the body decomposes until a skeletal carcass is left - although the body dies the spirit still remains. With the arrival of NAISDA, life is breathed into the 'carcass' and the 'spirit' is celebrated through dance.</p> <p>The work is being carried out in stages:</p> <ul> <li>Refurbishment of the dance studios - main structure and fitout to the ground floor studios, installation of first floor glazing to enclose the studios currently open to the vault and the hanging of mirrors and dance barres. <li>Demolition of existing workshop structures and rebuilding of administration, teaching, student and staff areas. </ul> <p><b>Environment and energy performance</b><br /> An energy efficient mechanical ventilation system supplies and exhausts fresh air to the enclosed spaces. Lighting heat loads and therefore ventilation loads were minimised by using a system of internal and external lighting sources to the studios.</p> <p><b>Organisation of spaces</b><br /> The functional requirements of the spaces have simply been to provide appropriate spaces in which to teach, learn and express dance within the constraints of the existing fitout. It was also considered necessary to acknowledge the quality of the vault's space and detail. To achieve this the structure sits independently of the vault while circulation guides the dancers in between the vault's raw patterned concrete lining and the aluminium glazed planes on a walkway of timber.

Wilcannia Hospital

The plan for Wilcannia Hospital is to create a centralised integrated service combining health and social services. The brief was to refurbish the existing heritage buildings and build new residential accommodation. It is proposed to reinstate the integrity of the original design and to demolish later additions. The new residential accommodation will be a mix of lightweight construction and locally made stabilised earth bricks.

Site and context
By road the town of Wilcannia is 973 kilometres west-north-west of Sydney, on the Barrier Highway connecting Sydney to Adelaide. The original inhabitants of the area were the Barkinji people whose descendents still remain living in the town.

The town was established in the late 1860's and prospered as a river trade centre. Over the next 30 years many public buildings were erected including the hospital designed by Cyril Blacket and built in 1879 along the river.

The decline of river transport in the 1930s marked the decline of the town, from a population of over 3000 to approximately 1000, of which 65% is Aboriginal.

The hospital is listed by the National Trust and constructed from white quartzite sandstone quarried locally. Alterations were made to the building in the 1950's and in its current format it no longer meets the health service needs of the community.

Architectural expression of the concept
Even though Aboriginal people were originally segregated from the non-Aboriginal patients and treated in the back of the hospital they have developed a strong affinity to the building through the cycles of birth, death, sickness and health.

It became apparent very early during consultation that the proposed redevelopment must address the Darling River, which has spiritual and cultural significance for the Barkanji people. This presented an opportunity to explore the idea of a new building as something which had evolved from the river, and to develop a building language based on an understanding of the river's 'living' qualities. For example, 'walls' and 'roofs' become 'skins' and 'fins'.

Environment & energy performance
The idea of 'sustainability' has been an overarching principle guiding the project.

By using the town's earth brick industry, simple passive strategies of environmental and energy efficiency could be achieved. In particular, the thermal mass properties of earth brick construction reduces the extremes of internal temperature conditions. This has several flow-on effects: long term potential savings, and benefits directly to the community through the use of a local industry and local labour.

Using natural day light where possible while excluding intense afternoon sun has meant energy savings and reduced running costs. Hot summer winds and cold winter winds were controlled through the use of court spaces. The internal court in particular generates 'wind breaks' through building mass and provides both shade in summer and sun drenched areas in winter.

For further information

Contact	:	Dillon Kombumerri
Address	:	Merrima Indigneous Design Group
Phone	:	(02) 9372 8323
Fax	:	(02) 9372 8366
Email	:	dillon.kombumerri@dpws.nsw.gov.au

WWW

:

http://www.dpws.nsw.gov.au/Buildings+and+Infrastructure/Architecture+and+Design/Merrima+Indigenous+Design/Merrima+Indigenous+Design.htm