First Building – Bradfield City Centre

The first cutting-edge manufacturing facility completed in Australia’s newest city in 100 years, First Building marks the start of a new industry-led ecosystem, offering shared facilities with advanced technology, expertise, training, and networks to help manufacturing businesses grow. A significant challenge was designing the building prior to Bradfield’s Master Plan approval (September 2024), while ensuring seamless integration of First Building into the future Master Plan. The design needed to be led by Country with the site’s sloping landscape incorporated into the design itself, minimising excavation. Designing regeneratively ensured adaptability with our modular approach allowing for disassembly, reconfiguration or reuse.

An exemplar of circular design principles, the building is designed as a modular kit-of-parts that can be disassembled, expanded, or relocated, ensuring resilience to the evolving city. Guided by First Nations cultural research and design agency Djinjama, the design is deeply embedded in Dharug Country, honouring and respecting the building’s location on the Cumberland Plain and the ephemeral waterways of Wianamatta. The project, which is targeting a 6 Star Green Star Buildings rating, challenges supply chain and advocates for the use of natural low-embodied carbon materials such as rammed earth, bamboo, and timber to minimise environmental impact.

First Building is setting a benchmark for sustainable city-building in Australia and exemplifies Bradfield City’s aspirations for sustainability and design excellence in line with 6-Star Green Star targets. Innovations in timber construction systems, modular design and use of low embodied carbon materials with minimal impact to Country all formed part of the regenerative design concept. The AMRF will provide local manufacturing businesses access to advanced machinery and expertise. Positive social impact on local businesses: •Over $12 million spent with local businesses, including more than $3.5 million with First Nations businesses •200 jobs created •Building open for community events and activities

The building is designed as a modular ‘kit of parts’ allowing for disassembly, expansion, or relocation, responding to the evolving needs of the new city. In the local Dharug language, this is known as Wianamatta (‘Mother Place’). It’s a significant site for First Nations women, reflected in the building’s open and welcoming architectural expression, a design language centred on water and fluidity, and the use of warm, soft, natural materials including timber, bamboo and rammed earth. First Building has a unique natural ventilation system to assist in the reduction of energy consumption. Natural ventilation is designed to be used 60% of the year, cooling the building by opening the atrium and façade panels to the breeze. During hot summer nights, air can be purged through the chimney stacks, cooling the building and reducing reliance on mechanical systems. The manufacturing hall’s custom-engineered airport door was seamlessly installed and integrated into the building’s façade, consisting of structural steel framing. The roof is both protective and functional — a green roof of 14,000 100% native plants enhances biodiversity, harvesting water and solar energy, while providing shade and cooling the building’s roof by up to 20°C. It’s also symbolic of the surrounding tree canopies.