“It would give you a space to be yourself”: The role for interior design in increasing Aboriginal student sense of belonging in Western Australian boarding schools

Abstract

This thesis explored the role of interior design in Aboriginal students' sense of belonging in Western Australian boarding schools. Through Participatory Action Research, data were collected by yarning and drawing with 27 current boarders, 18 recent alumni, and 7 boarding staff. Four major themes emerged: Place Identity, Social Atlas, Spatial Voice, and Third Space. From these, a 'feedback model' for belonging is proposed in which the built environment can be a reciprocal storytelling tool.