Our Current Opportunities
Liyan Housing - Stories that Build Homes, Homes that Build Hope.
The Liyan Foundation is pioneering a new approach to housing in remote Aboriginal Australia — walking shoulder-to-shoulder with community, culture, and world-class design. In partnership with internationally acclaimed architect Nonda Katsalidis and the Nyikina people, we are co-designing a culturally appropriate home that reflects the values of Country and community.
This house will not only stand as a real and practical model for sustainable living in the Kimberley, but also feature at the heart of Desert Fish — a feature film written by the Foundation’s founders, Melanie Hogan and Victor Hunter. Through story and design, we aim to inspire Australians everywhere to imagine homes that heal, connect, and endure.
The Foundation is also working with architect Robert Toland and the Pandanus Park community in the West Kimberley to design and build a second pilot home. This project is driven by local vision and collaboration, ensuring the design speaks directly to community needs while demonstrating a scalable model for culturally grounded housing across the region.
Desert Fish
Local Economic Empowerment Initiatives
In February 2025, renowned Sydney-based artist Joshua Yeldham mentored emerging Wolmajerri artist Lloyd Kwilla, made possible through the support of the Regional Arts Fund Western Australia. Held in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, NSW this intensive mentorship provided Lloyd with the opportunity to explore new carving and painting techniques under Joshua’s guidance. In just two weeks, Lloyd demonstrated an extraordinary hunger to learn, rapidly adapting to new methods and infusing them with his own cultural storytelling. Joshua was deeply impressed by Lloyd’s dedication, experimentation, and creative evolution in such a short period. This successful mentorship laid the foundation for Lloyd’s next stage of artistic development, setting him on a path to refining his unique artistic voice and mentoring younger artists in his community.
New homes and community member resources in remote WA
We are in discussions with a remote Indigenous community in Western Australia.
Together, we aim to co-design and co-build new homes and essential community resources.
This collaborative effort ensures that the community’s needs and cultural values are at the forefront of the project.
Refurbishment and local home ownership
We are partnering with local community and government agencies to explore opportunities for local home ownership.
This initiative focuses on refurbishing existing public housing stock.
Our goal is to empower local residents through home ownership and revitalise the community’s living spaces.
Stay updated
Stay updated on our progress by following us on Instagram and YouTube. For occasional updates (we promise not to spam you), subscribe to our newsletter. Exciting times ahead!