'The four core principles underpinning co-design with community'
Dr Kali Marnane, the 2025 National Emerging Architect Prize (EAP) winner, embeds community collaboration into every project she works on. As a strategic advisor, educator and researcher, her work demonstrates that genuine co-design, where communities shape problems and solutions from the start, is integral to creating outcomes that last.
During her National EAP Tour across Australia’s capital cities in March 2026, one question surfaced repeatedly in conversations with fellow emerging architects and practitioners: how do we genuinely listen to communities while working within project timeframes, budgets, and other constraints? In a recent article, Kali shares the four core principles that underpin her answer, a practical framework for moving beyond engagement to authentic partnership.