‘Magical’ Sydney site takes out prestigious architectural award
The indigenous-led design was among more than 80 winners at the NSW Australian Institute of Architects awards
4 min
Shannon Foster talks a lot about the magic of place.
A D’harawal eora Knowledge Keeper, Dr Foster and her partner Wugulora woman Jo Paterson at Sydney-based indigenous design consultancy Bangawarra believe that when we truly engage with the environment and its traditional custodians, something special occurs.
Last week, something special did happen.
Foster and Paterson were awarded the NSW Australian Institute of Architects NSW Medallion for Sydney’s north head viewing platforms, which they designed in collaboration with fellow recipients, Sydney architectural firm CHOFRI.
Dr Foster is still trying to process the win.
“You see all these amazing projects, these big elaborate buildings worth millions of dollars and they award this to our project,” she says. “I didn’t even know there was a NSW Medallion.”
The project, which provides space to contemplate views of the endless Pacific Ocean in one direction and the celebrated Sydney Harbour in the other, is shaped by the bandicoots that inhabit the local area, as well as the unique position the locations hold in indigenous communities. Dr Foster says the site, known as Car-rang gel by local indigenous people, has been used to celebrate Gawura, the whale and Car-rang, the pelican, for centuries, and is a popular spot for whale watching.
“We wanted to put a fire circle in the middle of each lookout because it’s a circular space and you can see the smoke (from long distances) and fire circles are used for important events like initiation ceremonies, but it’s up to National Parks and Wildlife Service (who manage the site).
“It’s a stunning place and when you visit, you get the full understanding of the scale. We are creating these spots where something magical can happen.”
The project was among 82 winners announced at the state awards held in Sydney over the weekend. Other winners included Grimshaw and Andrew Burges Architects with McGregor Coxall, who were awarded the prestigious Sulman Medal for Parramatta Aquatic Centre, Studio Bright, who won the Wilkinson Award for Maitland Bay House, Bates Smart, who won the Aaron Bolot Award for their multi-residential project, Iglu Mascot, SJB, who won the Premier’s Prize for the Nightingale Project and Candalepas Associates, who were awarded The Greenway Award for The Porter House Hotel.
The North Head Viewing Platforms also took out the Robert Woodward Award for Small Project Architecture.
While Dr Foster is thrilled to have received the award for the work Bangawarra did alongside CHOFRI, which was largely managed through COVID lockdowns, she says indigenous voices were still under-represented in awards for the built environment.
“Our project, other than one at Redfern Station (by Nguluway DesignInc), was the only one with an indigenous collaborator,” she says. “There is a startling lack of meaningful collaboration with country.
“I was quite shocked there was not much of an Aboriginal presence at the awards.”
She says acknowledging Australia’s indigenous past and laying down connection for the future is about more than choosing a few native plants for the perimeter of the site.
“We always asked ourselves: how can we do this really well and make sure these stories are told? Every aspect of the built form can be informed by country,” she says.
In announcing the award, the AIA jury said designing with, and for, country honoured First Nations perspectives and values.
“At its core, this project is about fostering relationships with Country that are reciprocal and respectful,” the jury said. “It involves engaging with Indigenous knowledge and recognises that Country is not merely a backdrop for human activities but a living entity with its own agency and significance.
“Both the southmost platform, Burragula (the time of sunset), and the northern viewing platform, Yiningma (a cliff edge) understands its responsibilities to engage meaningfully; creating poetic, generous ways to share stories and opportunities for learning, and create a truly meaningful connection with Country.”
While the viewing platforms may appear to sit modestly in the landscape, Dr Foster says they reveal their charms to those who take the time to contemplate.
“When you stand in that space, the acoustics are extraordinary — the sound reverberates and circles back to you. It’s incredible,” she says.
“Country is amazing and if you hold space, you get magic.”
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It pays to do logistical research before taking this leap of faith for your travels
4 min
Would you let a stranger vacation in your home if you got free lodging in return?
A free stay in someone else’s home, long a budget-friendly way to travel, has become more appealing as costs rise and travelers seek out local vibes.
Home-swapping platform People Like Us has more than 10,300 homes listed on its site. Chief Executive Drew Seitam says, by the end of June, members had completed or arranged for 30% more swaps than in all of 2023. Another platform, HomeExchange, has more than 175,000 members, a number it says has grown 17% this year.
Home-swap platforms like these charge annual membership fees north of $100. Swaps also happen more informally in Facebook groups and between friends. Travellers can do a simultaneous swap, where they travel during the same dates, but can also plan to host each other at different times.
While home exchanges can save travellers thousands on lodging, they aren’t for everyone. Home swappers give the following tips to consider before listing your home.
Get a read on the situation
The person you are swapping with shouldn’t feel like a stranger by the time you arrive, home exchangers say.
Barbara Osterwisch , 66 years old, and her husband, both retirees, have swapped their home in Houston and their cabin in Texas’ Hill Country for stays in the Netherlands, France, Canada, Austria and California. They video chat with potential matches to establish rapport, and to give tours of their homes. Many exchangers begin planning their swaps months, if not years, in advance. This gives ample time for getting to know one another, Osterwisch says.
Apprehensive travellers should consider a swap within a few hours’ drive as a trial run, rather than jumping into an exchange in another country, she says.
Home swaps aren’t for tourists who like everything just so, travelers say. Unlike a short-term rental, home swaps are more likely to be people’s primary residences. People leave clothes in the closets, tools in the garage and photos on the walls. Living in someone’s home is part of the charm, but it isn’t the same as staying in a hotel with a front desk and staff to fix issues that arise.
Using a platform can ensure some safety and quality guarantees, swappers say. Some companies, such as Kindred, a members-only platform, offer 24/7 text support for problems.
Osterwisch says she and her husband have stayed in touch with the families they swapped with and now have connections all over the world.
Check your insurance policy
Some travelers use membership-based services to provide supplemental insurance or support if things go wrong.
Oleg Pynda is a 31-year-old New York City tech worker who has swapped with travellers from France. He says, based on his experience, U.S. travellers tend to worry more about strangers staying in their homes and damaging their belongings. Most of the initial messages he gets from U.S.-based travellers emphasise their trustworthiness, while European travelers focus on the quality of the home they are offering to exchange.
Pynda says he is comfortable with people staying in his apartment for a short time, so he doesn’t feel compelled to sign up for services that provide extra insurance for members. The people he swaps with end up becoming familiar to him and don’t feel like complete strangers.
He says his lease prohibits situations with a monetary exchange, such as a short-term rental or sublet, but not home exchanges.
Homeowners and renters-insurance policies might limit the number of days a guest can stay in your home during a swap, says Janet Ruiz of the Insurance Information Institute. They might also limit compensation for damage done to hosts’ and visitors’ possessions while people are in your home.
“People don’t want to tell their insurance agents what they are doing,” she says. Having a conversation with the agent before anything happens can help you make informed choices about coverage, she adds, including whether to buy a supplemental policy for vacation-rental coverage.
Travelers should also ensure the home they are staying in has coverage. And renters ought to check their leases before entering into a swap.
Some swappers let travellers borrow their cars. Ruiz recommends first asking the person you’re exchanging with about their driver’s licenses and insurance coverage.
Shawn and Bill Personke , from Michigan, had a potential swap fall through because the other family wanted to use their car. They had promised it to someone else while they were away.
Some travelers say they lock valuables in one room of the house or put them in the trunks of their cars and take the keys with them. Problems can arise, but none of the travellers interviewed had any horror stories to share.
“My only regret regarding home exchanging is not figuring it out sooner,” Osterwisch says.
Travel somewhere new
Marina Wanders , a photographer, lives in a suburb of Austin, Texas. She floated the idea of a summer house swap in a Facebook group. A Dallas woman, whose home has a backyard swimming pool and a shower with a chandelier in it, responded and said she was game. Wanders says Dallas isn’t her ideal vacation destination, but as a 29-year-old single mom of two, she looks for affordable travel alternatives.
“I’m like a middle-class American single mom and make enough to pay my bills and buy $40 shampoo, but I do not have a chandelier in my shower,” Wanders says.
She decided to go for the swap because she can give her sons a memorable vacation in a beautiful home while saving thousands on lodging. The Dallas family will stay in her home during the same dates.
Travelers with flexible dates and locations will have more options. The Personkes once scored a swap in Angers, France, on their preferred dates.
People who live in major cities have more luck requesting specific dates because their locations are in demand, but travelers like the Personkes, who live in a small city outside of Detroit, often need to work harder marketing their homes and communities. The Personkes’ swappers have experienced their town’s local parade and nearby nature trails.
The retirees have swapped as part of People Like Us and HomeLink. They also use the People Like Us Facebook group to speak with other travellers, get advice and suss out exchanges.
They say they love living like locals, getting baguettes from vending machines in remote French towns and joining neighbours for dinner.
“Sometimes we are the first Americans people are ever going to meet, and I want to make a good impression,” Shawn says.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
