Page 37 - Tropic Magazine Issue 31

TROPIC • ARCHITECTURE

Sustainable

designs and communities to create projects that
respect the people, culture and Country
where we work. Design factors are Did you know ...
PEOPLE & PLACE unique to each place and are influenced Cairns is a leader in female-
A graduate of architecture at by culture, history, and connection led architecture practices in
to Country and place. Environmental
People Oriented Design (POD) principles also need to be front and Australia, with 33% of registered
architects being women.
discusses what it takes to make centre. Being at the mercy of extreme Source: Board of Architects of Queensland
socially and environmentally and ever-changing climatic conditions,
sustainable buildings in Far including cyclonic winds of up to 300
kilometres an hour, means buildings
North Queensland. must be resilient and climatically
responsive. This is particularly important
Words: Rohana Fullarton
when working alongside World Heritage
Architectural practice in remote and sites, such as the Great Barrier Reef and
regional areas of the tropical north is Wet Tropics Rainforest.
fascinating, presenting a unique set However, it’s not just environmental and
of challenges as well as opportunities cultural factors that need consideration.
directly influenced by environmental and Competing challenges include everything
cultural contexts. Buildings must last, from supply chain issues in remote
while offering delight for our clients and areas, to the availability of materials
the community. For this to be successful, and seasonal construction limitations.
a number of factors have to be taken On any given day, I am working on
into consideration. projects that span from Cairns, west to
I joined POD in September 2020 and Mount Isa and south to Airlie Beach and
quickly learned that people are the centre Hervey Bay. Partnerships with other
of everything we do. As part of this, we built environment professionals, clients,
work closely with First Nations people funders, and regional tradespeople in 1

each area are essential to seeing builds
come to fruition. It’s so rewarding when
it all comes together. My move up north
from the Sunshine Coast has provided
an opportunity to have new experiences
with people from diverse backgrounds,
be involved in regional conversations
and learn from the varied, changing and
vibrant life of Far North Queensland.

1. Rohana Fullarton, Gimuy Walubara Yidinji Elder
2 Uncle Peter Hyde & Angela Morton
2. The Gurriny Yealamucka Heath & Wellbeing
People Oriented Design (POD) is a cohort of architects, project managers, Centre at Yarrabah, collaborators POD with Coburn
Architecture, photographed by Scott Burrows.
landscape architects, urban designers, scholars and researchers,
who are leaders in environmental and socially sustainable design. MORE: peopleorienteddesign.com.au

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37 • tropicnow.com.au