Life Force of Water: Embedding Wurundjeri culture in workplace design

The practice’s recent workplace design for Medibank at Melbourne Quarter is a powerful example of how genuine collaboration with First Nations communities can bring meaning, identity, and authenticity to the built environment.

Guided by Uncle Dave Wandin, a Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Elder, the design team participated in a private smoking ceremony on the Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve. This experience, alongside ongoing consultation with Uncle Dave throughout the project, deeply influenced the spatial planning, materials, and colour palette of the space.

The collaboration also inspired the ‘Life Force of Water’ design narrative, which draws on the natural landscape and culturally significant landmarks across Wurundjeri Country, connecting place, people, and purpose in a truly meaningful way. 

In this interview with Clémence Carayol, Heidi Smith, Gray Puksand Melbourne Partner and Project Lead, reflects on this exceptional collaboration and what it means to design for and with Country.

Architecture & Design: How did the initial conversations with Uncle Dave Wandin influence the direction and priorities of the Medibank Melbourne Quarter project?

Heidi Smith: The initial conversations with Uncle Dave came about from Medibank’s commitment to their Reconciliation Action Plan. Through that experience of learning and connection to community, a strong relationship with Uncle Dave Wandin was formed.

We benefited by being welcomed into that relationship and through the warm and open nature of Uncle Dave and his community. We were honoured to participate in a smoking ceremony on sacred ground where we were immersed in the nature, culture and storytelling.

This experience, along with collaboration with Uncle Dave and Auntie Kim Wandin, influenced our Design Narrative and in turn, the spatial planning and flow.  Ultimately, it also guided the colours, textures, artworks, and materials embedded in the design.

Can you share specific examples of how Wurundjeri cultural values were translated into spatial and material design decisions?

The Yarning Circle on Level 8 was designed directly from the experience on country with Uncle Dave. Medibank’s aspiration is that work is what you do not where you are, and as such, we were looking for ways to create spaces that reinvented the workplace whilst being culturally impactful. 

Learning that yarning circles in Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung culture are about equality and inclusion resonated strongly with Medibank, so we created spaces that were inspired by that knowledge.

The materiality of the cascading stairs was wholly inspired by our experience at the smoking ceremony at Coranderrk; the blackbutt timber staircase is entwined in native botanical-inspired rugs and upholstery of weathered sandstone, bronze, violet, and bush plum. 

The haze of a smoking ceremony is found in the enveloping balustrade of the atria, whilst the sparkle and reflection of the rapids can be found in the play of light within the landings.

The Sky Garden and Staff Café, where the Yarra Ranges have been reinvented as tree-top team gathering pods, have been landscaped in abundant native planting, all selected and curated by Uncle Dave.

Sculptural tree houses for congregation and connection are placed over Dreamtime flooring, creating the social heart of the workspace. 

The colours of these spaces evoke the bushland of the ranges; bluegum, eucalyptus green and ironbark, along with natural timbers forming the movement and shadow evoked by sunlight through the treetops.

The patterns created by the Manna Grub (Wurundjeri) in the timbers can be found throughout the design.

What were some of the key challenges or learnings encountered when embedding cultural narratives like the ‘Life Force of Water’ into a contemporary workplace environment?

The key learning from this engagement was that authentic collaboration is born from authentic connection. Without the relationship between Medibank and Uncle Dave, this experience would not have been possible.

Respecting that our Indigenous community is not a merely “resource” for design practitioners to draw on to tick a box of engagement, but that true co-created design occurs through ongoing relationships and genuine friendships.

Uncle Dave welcomed the design team into his country and story only after he had built trust and comfort with the Medibank team from his continuing involvement with them. From there, I believe, our open hearts and respectful curiosity resonated with Uncle Dave and resulted in the sincere and frankly beautiful design outcomes.

In what ways do you believe this collaboration has shaped your broader approach to inclusive and culturally sensitive design?

This collaboration has opened my eyes to the reality of authentic connection. Medibank are to be commended for their commitment to reconciliation and allowing us to interact with and benefit from an honest relationship they have cultivated with the Indigenous Community. 

This allowed us to have genuine collaborations and learning experiences to better understand their stories, and therefore translate them into our design in a more meaningful way. This project elevates our approach to culturally sensitive design from an artistic veneer to genuine impact.

How do you envision the ongoing impact of this project on both Medibank employees and the wider community who engage with the space?

As the design came to life, the community both within Medibank and beyond, has become stronger and more connected. The Indigenous committee within Medibank facilitated a genuine connection to the local community and influenced a tangible outcome, being a respectful and responsive working environment. 

As the broader community interact with the space, stories are shared, learnings are experienced, and connection to country is made.

By integrating biophilic principles, Indigenous cultural storytelling, and sustainable materials, the project has pushed the boundaries of workplace design, aligning space with purpose. 

Even though a design narrative can often only be recognised by the original design team, this project’s spirit of connection remains. Its legacy is etched in the people it nourishes and the stories it carries, a testament to the enduring power of quality design.

Images: Medibank at Melbourne Quarter / Tatjana Plitt