Djaara (Dja Dja Wurrung People) are the Traditional Owners of Dja Dja Wurrung Country
Victoria
_‘Homes can take so many forms. The Dja Dja Wurrung are contributing positively to healing Country and its People. This Centre will be a place for us to work together to create a future for Central Victorians that would make all of our Dja Dja Wurrung Ancestors proud’._
CEO Rodney Carter
Y2 Architecture collaborated with the Dja Dja Wurrung Corporation and Community to create a culturally rich site that reflects Djandak’s work.
Cultural heritage and placemaking have informed design decisions through aesthetic choices, materiality, integration of landscaping and site rehabilitation. Together we have developed a concept that embeds storytelling, connecting to Waa, Bunjil, Barramul, Mindi, the Milkyway and significant local landscapes.
Ongoing Wartaka sessions provided a culturally safe space, ensuring the Dja Dja Wurrung people’s voices shaped their community hub. By embracing the tradition of Wartaka (meetings of importance), the project fosters grassroots ownership and deep connections to place.
A Dja_Dja_Wurrung_Wartaka (advisory_group) informed Larnangurrak’s architectural forms, design features and functions.
Every element has a purpose and has been carefully considered to create a welcoming and safe place.
Features include yarning and sand circles for ceremony, rammed-earth-walls and extensive use of locally sourced materials like stones and timber. Landscaping reintroduces culturally important plants, watered by stormwater. Several site-specific artworks are also integral.
Larnangurrak provides spaces for learning and interaction. It’s an opportunity to share our Culture, where we can make a positive contribution to healing people and Djandak (Dja_Dja_Wurrung_Country), for the benefit of all who live, work and visit Djandak.
Matthew Dwyer, Design Architect
Mathew Soulsby, Project Architect
Mariana Moreira, Design Architect
Felicity Brown, Graduate of Architecture
Sai Wongcongsawat, Design Architect
Udit Sharma, Design Architect
Nathan Peucker, Architectural Technician
David Choate, Project Architect
Lindy Zerman, Interior Designer
3Acres, Landscape Consultant
RMG, Structural Engineer
Ascot Consulting Engineers, Services Consultant
Dja Dja Wurrung Corporation, Project Manager
RBS, Building Surveyor
IMPACT, Engineer
Rodney Vapp and Assoicates, Quantity Surveyor
Drew Berick, Artist
Natasha Carter, Artist
Neane Carter, Artist
Aunty Marilyne Nicholls, Artist