Yutjuwala Djiwarr Aged Care

East Arnhem Land covers an area of 97,00km2 with a population of 16,000, 12,000 of which are Yolŋu. Yolŋu people represent some of the most traditional Aboriginal people in Australia who are highly connected to Country and culture. They are made up of 16 clans, 8 communities and countless homelands. The project was designed in deep collaboration with prospective residents, Yolŋu Elders, families and organisations. Yolŋu people had been advocating for this project for over 20 years to stop Elders having to leave Country for care and inevitably pass away off Country.

The design unites the ancient knowledge / experience of Yolŋu culture with the requirements / technology of contemporary Australia. This required balanced decisions, unique and not deeply rooted in precedent. But it was purposeful and deliberate at every step. With a process rooted in deep participatory design over many years, the design favours residents’ experience over the operational / regulatory requirements as much as possible. Each deviation from the usual was carefully considered and reviewed to form deliberate design decisions. These were based on the direct input of prospective residents and their families, which was overlaid with broader cultural knowledge from key Elders.

The outcome of this collaboration is a project which has been designed by Yolŋu Elders for Yolŋu people, with the project team acting as facilitators. The outcome is a design which includes a range of features that engender cultural appropriateness, such as: De-Institutionalisation: No corridors in resident areas and all beds have 3 views to the outside. Rooms are arranged like palm fronds to create separation, identity, facilitate cross-ventilation and natural light. The series of buildings reduce the scale and enable integration into the landscaping. The buildings linked by a soaring external canopy which captures the sea breeze, naturally ventilates.

Other features and outcomes Materials: The project is clad in a mixture of robust Colorbond and Darwin Stringybark cladding battens. The timber was milled locally by the Gumatj Corporation mill which is Aboriginal owned and operated. The timber was salvaged from the local mine site in the process of clearing. 20 linear km of timber was used for the project. Sustainability: The timber batten façade also serves as a ventilated façade, shading the buildings and facilitating natural ventilation. A substantial amount of rooftop solar has been integrated to minimise offsite energy consumption. Landscaping: The landscaping is an integral part of delivering a culturally appropriate project. Most of the plants were propagated by Yolŋu in the local community nursery from seed collected from Country. This provided a valuable co-construction element to the project, enabling broader participation and control. The latter is important because it is Yolŋu who decided what plants to use and where. All plants have cultural meaning, whether for cultural practice, food or utilisation. Other elements, such as men’s and women’s bungal grounds (ceremonial grounds), were also integrated.