Our community‑led design work in Vanuatu has grown over more than a decade of collaboration with chiefs, cultural institutions, landholders and local builders. Rather than focusing on single projects, this work forms a connected body of practice shaped by long‑standing relationships and a commitment to design that respects kastom, strengthens local identity and supports community leadership.

Across this time, we have worked with communities on a wide range of initiatives — from visitor and training facilities, eco‑bungalow accommodation and heritage‑aligned upgrades, to individual family homes, a community safe house for disaster relief, and cultural landscape assessments. Several of these projects were also developed as case studies within Wendy’s practice‑based PhD, providing a structured way to document local knowledge, test design strategies and understand how community‑driven approaches can support resilience and cultural continuity.

The approach is grounded in direct engagement: listening to how people use and value their land, understanding how kastom stories shape visitor experience, and working with local builders to explore vernacular materials and climate‑responsive construction. These conversations guide design strategies that are practical, culturally informed and environmentally resilient, ensuring that development supports community priorities rather than displacing them.

This broader program of work reflects the ethos of community‑led design within Sonder Communities — an approach that centres local knowledge, strengthens livelihoods and supports cultural transmission, while creating built environments that are grounded, sustainable and meaningful to the people who steward them.