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 (Karl Gotts)

Engineer  – WGA RFP (Henry Bui, Bede Rodeghiero)

Photographs – Clinton Weaver

Awards || Publications

2024 National Architecture Awards - Residential Architecture: Multiple Housing - National Award

2024 National Architecture Awards - Sustainable Architecture - Shortlist

2024 NT Architecture Awards:

- The Tracy Memorial Award

- The Indigenous Community Architecture Award

- The Sustainable Architecture Award

- The Ken Frey Award for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing 

- The People's Choice Award

2023 ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact - Shortlist

Architecture Australia - May / June 2023  +  Nov / Dec 2024