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Designing & Connecting with Country

Honouring Country through design,

weaving First Nations wisdom, values, and connection to land.

Designing with Country is a collaborative process that honours First Nations knowledge, values, and deep connections to the land. We partner with communities to create designs that reflect the spirit of place, story, and heritage, blending cultural insight with contemporary practices.

Narrative-Driven Design

Our approach starts with crafting narratives that form the foundation for culturally conscious design.

We partner with design firms to provide the cultural lens and insight that stimulate creativity, helping architects and engineers design spaces that honour First Nations perspectives and connections to Country.

Through our narrative-driven approach, we bring forward the stories, values, and philosophies of First Nations culture, ensuring that each design resonates deeply with the land and community it inhabits. By embedding these narratives into the design process, we support the creation of spaces that are functional, visually compelling, and culturally enriched. YarnnUp’s work becomes the guiding spirit behind every line and structure, shaping places that foster genuine connection, reflection, and respect for the world’s oldest living culture.

Services

What We Offer

We work collaboratively to bring forward the deep-rooted stories, values, and insights of First Nations communities, ensuring that each project embodies authenticity, respect, and a sense of place.

Cultural Narrative Development

We develop foundational narratives that reflect First Nations perspectives on land, history, and cultural values. These narratives guide the entire design process, providing architects and engineers with insights that help shape culturally respectful and meaningful spaces.

Consultative Partnership with Design Firms

We collaborate closely with design professionals, offering insights into cultural protocols, storytelling elements, and visual cues that enhance design concepts. By partnering with us, design firms gain access to a cultural lens that enriches their approach and ensures alignment with First Nations values.

Place-Based Storytelling

We emphasise the unique characteristics of each place, integrating First Nations stories and knowledge specific to the land. Through place-based storytelling, we help design teams create spaces that resonate with the history and spirit of the land and its people.

Workshops and Cultural Insights

We provide workshops and educational sessions for design teams, offering insights into First Nations cultural heritage, fostering a design process that is informed, respectful, and aligned with cultural protocols.

Artistic and Cultural Curation

In partnership with artists and cultural practitioners, we curate design elements, artwork, and visual aesthetics that reflect and celebrate First Nations culture. 

Sustainable and Culturally Aligned Practices

We offer guidance on integrating practices that respect the land, prioritise environmental stewardship, and reflect the long-term thinking embedded in First Nations culture. This includes suggestions for materials, landscape integration, and ecological considerations.

Ready to Design with Country?

Partner with YarnnUp to create spaces that are culturally enriched, visually compelling, and deeply connected to Country. Let’s collaborate to honour the land and its stories.

Deliverables

Work with YarnnUp

Our deliverables are designed to guide and enrich the design process, ensuring cultural integrity and meaningful outcomes:

Cultural Narrative Document

A detailed narrative that informs and guides the design process, emphasising cultural values, historical context, and community perspectives.

Guidance documents that provide insights into cultural aesthetics, storytelling elements, and visual themes for architects and engineers to incorporate.

Interactive sessions tailored for design teams, focusing on First Nations cultural insights, protocols, and collaborative brainstorming for informed design.

Recommendations for integrating First Nations-inspired artwork, patterns, or motifs that align with the narrative and enhance cultural resonance in the design.

FAQs
Can YarnnUp assist with the tender submission process as it relates to Aboriginal Design Principles or Designing with Country?

Yes, YarnnUp can assist throughout the process of tender submission, helping you to formulate a strategy on how to best meet the criteria in place to ensure success when there is a requirement for Aboriginal Design principles and Connecting with Country as a part of a project.

Yes, YarnnUp thrives on building partnerships with its clients and our service is always circular as we want to ensure things are done authentically. Our goal is to set your organisation up for success particularly when it comes to sensitive topics such as Aboriginal Design principles and Connecting with Country.

YarnnUp’s service is all inclusive. As the cultural authority assigned to your project, we will act as an extension of your business.

Yes, YarnnUp will develop a detailed First Nations engagement plan that considers all relevant stakeholders that can provide value to the project. YarnnUp has a broad network that includes local land councils through to significant members of the community that hold strong influence within the design and construction space.

Yes, YarnnUp will develop ma detailed community engagement plan that considers all influences and influencers throughout the community from inception through to implementation.

Yes, YarnnUp will have a working paper throughout the project and conclude with a final report that represents the findings and recommendations as it relates to First Nations cultural protocols, suggestions and actions. This will be a comprehensive report that is all inclusive of the needs of the client when looking to activate the project.

YarnnUp has relationships and preferred supplier agreements with designers and architects that can assist with your project requirements.
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Ready to make an impact?​

When different perspectives meet, extraordinary things happen. Partner with YarnnUp Collective to create something truly meaningful.

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