Emergent Studios: The Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence is a world-leading, First Nations-led education, sporting and community gathering space in Shepparton, on Yorta Yorta Country. The transformative First Nations-led project was shaped by a process of sustained community engagement and codesign, housing diverse educational and community programs, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to learning, wellbeing and skill development, supporting self-determination and social inclusion.
The development of the MCRE was deeply rooted in community consultation, including Elders Landscape Workshops, where community provided insights on design, plant selection, and cultural programming. The landscape was defined through co-design to support cultural workshops and learning, including outdoor learning spaces, tables, gathering spaces and planting for cultural production and harvest, including weaving, and timber work.
A process of embedded consultative planning and community engagement defined the diverse programs of the centre and authentically reflect the project’s envisioned cultural and social aspirations. In a process of sustained co-design, Emergent Studios worked with lead consultants ARM Architecture, the client and stakeholders, the development involved workshops, gatherings and consultation with community member groups that took place over 12 months and involved the input of over 1,000 community members.
A place of learning, diverse community gatherings, outdoor workshops, events, and skill-sharing initiatives, the centre forms a hub for social connection and inclusion. Embedded community input shaped the landscape programming to support cultural engagement, incorporating a series of external courtyards, social areas and outdoor learning spaces support various programs of the centre spanning educational, social, recreational and community use, and event. A learning landscape corridor hosts cultural workshops such as weaving, outdoor classes and social gathering.
Artworks embedded throughout the landscape form a unique spatial identity, created by members of the community to reflect shared cultural narratives of the centre. The works were developed onsite within participatory community workshops led by Kaiela Arts and facilitated by Spacecraft Studio.
Plant selection and materiality was guided by local community elders. Local stone reflects landmarks of significance, planting provides habitat and resources, planned to support participatory workshops, ceremony.
Designed to foster a deep connection to Country, the project restores local biodiversity and habitat by integrating endemic vegetation, culturally significant plant species, and Indigenous land management, strengthening ecological resilience and fostering traditional environmental stewardship and knowledge.
Landscape architecture: Emergent Studios
Architecture office involved: ARM Architecture
Photo credits: Peter Bennetts
Art curation: Kaiela Arts, Spacecraft
Builder: TVN On-Country
Aboriginal Nation: Built on the land of the Yorta Yorta people
