Amazing to have witnessed leading First Nations Architects and built environment professionals come together and bid as the Blak Hand Collective on Ngurra, the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct at Commonwealth Place, Canberra.

The Blak Hand Collective consists of; BVN Architecture, Greenaway Architecture and Nguluway DesignInc architects in association, Mantirri Design and OCULUS, TTW, Arup, LCI, AtelierTen, and MBM Quantity Surveyors. The bid was a stellar example of Indigenous Businesses coming together, inspired by purpose, to deliver a premium bid emphasising First Nations architectural principles of Connecting with Country and Designing with Country.

For YIMBA’s Managing Director Damien Barnes, the Chair of Nguluway DesignInc (and “wannabe” Architect ) it was inspiring to witness the line-up of quality First Nations talent brought together from across the country to work on this bid. I was fortunate enough to play a small role in negotiating and drafting the partnering arrangements between leading First Nations Architects and built environment professionals to create the Blak Hand Collective.