Djinjama is a collaborative team that combines disciplines across design and research, extending into fields such as architecture, built environments, storytelling, biodiversity and ecology, and Aboriginal cultures.
Driven by the leadership of Dr Danièle Hromek, our diverse team approaches each project holistically, ensuring a profound and effective impact.
Our team’s values are centred around ensuring First Nations’ wisdom and cultural practices guide architecture and design projects, including how to support the health and wellbeing of Country through practising cultural responsiveness. As such our team includes First Nations ecological understandings, care for Country and cultural practice expertise, design across several disciplines including spatial design, architectural design, and visual communications design, and First Nations researchers.
Dr Danièle Hromek is a Saltwater woman of Budawang/Dhurga/Yuin and Burrier/Dharawal ancestry, with French and Czech heritage.
Danièle is a spatial designer and Country-centred designer. Danièle is the first Indigenous person in Australia to achieve a PhD in built environment and spatial disciplines. Her research and experience contributed to the Connecting with Country framework and Designing with Country discussion piece by Government Architect NSW.
As director of Djinjama, Danièle’s methodologies lead their approach to working with Country. Her work as a researcher, educator and cultural advisor brings Country, culture and community to the built environment by creating spaces to substantially affect Indigenous rights and culture.
Danièle holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Design), and Bachelor of Design (Interior Spatial Design, Performance major).
Danièle has been recognised as an Honorary Fellow at the University of Western Sydney for contributions to the cultural enhancement of the Western Sydney region, and has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Architects for her contributions to the profession of Architecture and Design.
Space, for Aboriginal peoples, is full of Country. Furthermore, space, place, land, ground, geography, geology, cartography, topography, site, location, landscape, terrain, environment are held by Country. Deploying Indigenous theoretical and methodological approaches, an Indigenous experience and comprehension of space is investigated. By reconsidering and contesting the notion of terra nullius – an ‘empty land’ – it considers how First Peoples occupy, use, narrate, sense, dream and contest their spaces.
Narratives and oral recordings are key to First Peoples’ expressions of their lived experiences of both culture and colonial trauma. The thesis offers a (re)interpretation of the relationship between First Peoples and the land that is based on connectivity and relationality, as opposed to colonial writings that have inferred, stated or demanded that First Peoples’ relations with land were and are non-existent and even lost.
Through cultural practice, this foundational research explores spatial reclamation and restoration of Indigenous spatial values to examine the micro and macro connections between Country, people and making. It rethinks and reframes values that inform Aboriginal understandings of space through Indigenous spatial knowledges and narratives. By offering a reinterpretation and retranslation of Aboriginal methods of reclaiming space, it reflects on the sustainability of Indigenous cultures from a spatial perspective.
Ellen is a Budawang/Yuin woman of the Dhurga language group, with qualifications in Communications, Visual Arts and experience in Research and Photography. With a background in Communications, Ellen contributes to Djinjama through research, cultural analysis and community engagement. This includes analysing sites and projects from a First Nations perspective and researching Indigenous history.
Kristelle is a visual communication designer with experience working within research and education spaces, specialising in visualisation and data storytelling across print and digital outcomes. Kris shares her graphic design skills at Djinjama through contributions to a range of mapping, diagramming, storytelling and interpretive works across the teams projects.
Carlos is a biologist-ecologist with excellent skills in natural resources management, education, team management and ex situ and in situ conservation, with over 20 years in the research and education industries. The last years focusing more in environmental urban design as well as environmental health.
Shanaya holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Environments, with interests in sustainable social and environmental outcomes. At Djinjama, she applies her expertise to develop designs and planning strategies informed by Country, culture, and community. She is involved in creating site plans, diagrams, and technical drawings, as well as contributing design input.
Djinjama honours our connections to Country, community, culture and kin through our work. Djinjama’s projects actively interact with lands, waters and air, and as such we actively protect the rights of Country to be healthy in our work. We respect Traditional Custodians who have long cared for Country and aim to elevate First Voices in all our work. We are grateful to Elders and Knowledge Holders for their continued sharing of wisdom, story, language, and knowledge.
