Nungalinya
On the land of the Larrakia people.
The ‘Nungalinya’ project is the provision of five student accommodation units for use by indigenous adult students coming to Nungalinya College from across the NT and the top end of Australia. The scheme provides for additional, flexible and appropriate accommodation on the Nungalinya site in Darwin, which allows the college to accept more students from remote communities each year.
These units were built between 2018 - 2022 and have evolved from direct student and stakeholder feedback. With their elevated central breezeways, deep eaves and orientation to prevailing and cooling breezes, the units respond directly to Darwin's tropical environment. This climactic response converges with thoughtful cultural consideration and an understanding of permitted and forbidden relationships. Here, spaces for casual/passive surveillance from an elevated and shaded space, multiple entrances/exits, and purposeful plantings are plantings are ways the buildings help manage privacy, male/female and cultural relationships.
Project Team – Matt Elkan, Daina Cunningham
Builder – C & R Constructions
Engineer – WGA RFP
Photographs – Clinton Weaver
Awards || Publications
2023 ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact - Shortlist
Architecture Australia - May / June 2023
