Human-centred design and co-design may seem like new concepts, but for many cultures across the globe this way of living is second nature, like breathing.
Valuing the wellbeing of the planet and people is the fabric of many indigenous peoples and ancient cultures. Indigenous knowledge has held these understandings dear to heart, while many parts of Western culture are now awakening to this idea of people over profit and centring ourselves around sustaining the planet. This is an exciting shift in paradigms as our hearts are shaped towards caring for those who have historically been pushed to the corners of spaces. We are continually realigning our businesses, communities and families towards a greater sense of wholeness.
We honour and acknowledge those who have learned the rhythms of the earth and embedded the wellbeing of people into the way they operate and live. The opportunity we are presented with each day is to actively step into stitching the fabric of the universe back together. Restoration. Slowly but surely we return to these values and practices whilst humbly learning from those who’ve held them close for generations. ALL Together Architecture is proud to be a part of this ongoing journey of restoration. We want to centre ourselves around people, with the planet at the heart of all decisions and a living, breathing stakeholder to all work we do.
A cornerstone of restorative process is humility. The willingness to keep learning and pay the price; our pride. Our team wants to be people who continue to learn, even if it’s painful and challenges the way we have seen the world in the past. Traditional metrics of success might need to be thrown out the door, and profit, success and wealth may need to be redefined. It may be a never-ending journey, but human centred design is a lens through which we may be able to re-thread our shared land, spaces and systems back together. Let us together view the world through a lens that is grounded in age-old understandings of caring for our present and our future.