Co-design is always central to FISH’s work with communities. For lasting change, projects need to be by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people. Buildings and programs need to belong to the place and to the people. You can read FISH’s publication on co-design and co-build Indigenous housing, in Sustainability Journal, here, and watch our TEDx UWA talk, here.
Life is different between city and country, in “whitefella” and “blackfella” culture, in hot and cold climates. Co-design puts responsibility and control back into the hands of the people involved.
Co-design guides the full range of FISH initiatives, including the Myalup Karla Waangkiny Justice Initiative in the South West, the Bawoorrooga Self-Build Sustainable Housing, Education and Enterprise in the Kimberley, and the Aboriginal Home-Ownership Initiative.
At Bawoorrooga, FISH and the community have created a house designed for the needs of a family in the remote Kimberley, following their customs and culture, adapted to the harsh climate and built using the sacred earth of their ancestors.
This practice of co-design ensures that FISH projects reflect the wisdom of First Nations culture, old and new, and the ongoing achievements of First Nations people in our communities.
