Lunch Talk: Indigenous Design in University Buildings

How can university buildings shaped by Indigenous ontologies and knowledge traditions support the well-being of students, staff, and faculty? Around the world, universities have begun creating buildings that function as both sacred and academic spaces — yet there is still limited research on this emerging global trend.

In this lunch talk, Serge A. Marek, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Sustainability at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, presents a multinational exploration of these buildings, their role in the indigenization of universities, and their impact on placemaking, the built environment, and well-being.

Photo: Kamakaūoukalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa – Honolulu, Hawaiʻi