The Yothu Yindi Foundation have announced Troppo will work in collaboration with Greenaway Architects and Mantirri Design, a landscape architecture studio, to design the Garma Institute in northeast Arnhem Land.

In confirming the announcements on Monday, the foundation's (YYF) chief executive Denise Bowden said Greenaway and Mantirri are both Indigenous practices, while Troppo has over 45 years' experience working in the Top End.

"YYF has welcomed the dynamic mix of local and Indigenous advice we've received to date, and together our focus is to create a culturally responsive, living, breathing VET and tertiary education institute," Ms Bowden said.

"The Garma Institute will be a bank of Yolngu knowledge and wisdom, and the design of the building will embody the six Yolngu seasons found in the Arnhem Land ecosystem."

Last year, the federal government committed $6.4 million in the lead up to the Voice referendum to the institute, noting it was the "Yolngu people's long held vision for a world class tertiary institution in northeast Arnhem Land".

The YYF offers Yolngu-centred curriculum for school students through the independent bilingual Dhupuma Barker School at Gunyangara.

The new institute's construction timeline is proposed to begin in 2026.

Ms Bowden said the vision for the institute has existed for over 20 years, and it has been future proofed by "securing a Tripartite Agreement between the Foundation, and the Commonwealth and Territory governments".

"This game-changing project is an important generational piece for our communities, and brings assurance to the region that our people will have the opportunity and choice to decide a pathway for their future, without having to leave family and culture behind," she said.

In a joint statement, Troppo, Greenaway Architects, and Mantirri Design said for over 10,000 years, "Yolŋu have learnt in place, growing and transferring knowledges to shape and enrich sustainable cultural practice".

"The Garma Institute will offer a contemporary setting in Country, marrying traditional with modern technological ways to continue that learning and knowledge transfer – at the highest educational level, but Yolngu way," the statement said.

"We – Troppo + Greenaway + Mantirri – are honoured to be able to collaborate with Yolŋu in delivering a setting that is 'just right' for this new yet ancient way of learning. We expect that the outcome may reshape how we as a modern nation think about learning on our ol continent."