Disproportionately afflicted by end-stage renal disease, Indigenous Australians in the town of Fitzroy Crossing were once faced with a choice between seeking treatment in Perth – more than 2,500 kilometres away – or dying at home. The town’s new hostel provides in-patient treatment and hosts visitors, keeping families together. Though simply constructed, outlying guest buildings honour the locals’ way of life: They’re separated to enable the observation of people and animals moving across the landscape (a response to the tradition of “cultural surveillance”) while ample open-air spaces and landscaping support outdoor cooking and even edible plants from residents’ homelands.

Project: Fitzroy Crossing Renal Hostel Location: Fitzroy Crossing, Australia Firm: iredale pedersen hook, Australia

Team: Finn Pedersen, Adrian Iredale, Martyn Hook, Rebecca Angus, Jordan Blagaich, Rebecca Hawkett, Jason Lenard, Craig Nener, Nikki Ross and Leo Showell with BCA Consultants, Ri-con Contractors, Terpkos Engineering and horticulturalist Tim Willing