Facing the future while honoring the past, the First Building — housing Stage 1 of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) — is a collaborative space for government, industry, and research to incubate innovative manufacturing projects. As the name implies, it’s also the first building designed for the new city of Bradfield and the broader Aerotropolis region, the emerging urban district set to transform Western Sydney.
Designed by Hassell, this workplace features a visitor center and public viewing spaces designed to showcase the real-time development of Australia’s newest sustainable, connected city.
Guided by First Nations cultural research and design agency Djinjama, the First Building celebrates the meandering, ephemeral water systems of the Cumberland Plain. It reinstates the site’s permeability, collecting and filtering building and site runoff across a richly planted landscape of Cumberland Plain species and water features.
An urban pavilion
Designed around the existing paddocks and tree stands, and conceived as an urban pavilion in the future city context, the First Building is a human-scale structure that serves as a public space, offering relief from the density of the surrounding urban area.
In the local Dharug language, the area hosting Aerotropolis is known as Wianamatta, meaning “Mother Place.” It’s a site of significance for First Nations women, reflected in the building’s open and welcoming architectural expression. The design language centers on ideas of water and fluidity, and the use of warm, soft natural materials that touch the ground lightly.
Strengthening ecological identity and function
The First Building shows how contemporary urban landscapes can reflect, be informed by, and champion existing ecology and natural systems. It celebrates the Cumberland Plain of Western Sydney by immersing people and activity within a richly planted, permeable ground plane made up of locally underused species.
Water and water management are central to the site and its broader context. The building takes a holistic approach by capturing and storing rainwater for greywater use and landscape irrigation. Existing water bodies, including the longest freshwater stream in Greater Sydney, will be regenerated to support biodiversity, slow runoff, and allow water to naturally filter into the ground, improving creek health.
Circular economy at the core
Circularity is embedded at every scale of design and construction. Disassembly is supported by a modular timber structure assembled with bolts and mechanical joints. Materials include low-embodied carbon timber, rammed earth, and low-carbon concrete. Resource reuse is prioritized, with 92 percent of construction waste diverted from landfills; on-site trees become habitat logs and soil is reused.
The building’s spaces are designed for flexibility, allowing reconfiguration, relocation, or changes in programming. These measures support long-term adaptability, ensuring the building can evolve with Bradfield’s needs rather than becoming obsolete.
According to Djinjama’s Danièle Hromek, designing the First Building represents “a massive opportunity across time and space.” It addresses a key question: what happens when the building outlives its use? Here, the idea of circularity is embedded from the outset.
Liz Westgarth, Hassell managing director and principal in charge of the project, describes the building as being “fabricated as a modular kit-of-parts.” This approach allows the structure to be disassembled, expanded, or relocated, enhancing resilience and adaptability as the future city of Bradfield evolves.
“A kit-of-parts construction that can be reconfigured and reused ensures the building’s longevity and responsiveness to Bradfield’s future needs,” Westgarth adds.
The landscape design, also by Hassell, provides green spaces for workers and visitors to gather and socialize.
Recognition for sustainability and country-led design
Prefab modular assembly techniques significantly reduce construction time, transport needs, and waste. The project targets a 6 Star Green Star As-Built rating and a 5.5 Star NABERS Energy & Water rating. It has also received a number of awards recognizing its sustainability and design innovation.
Guided by First Nations cultural agency Djinjama, the project reflects the stories of Dharug Country. The site, Wianamatta, is significant to First Nations women and shapes key design decisions. Soft lines and a natural palette honor the Cumberland Plain and its waterways, using low-carbon materials such as rammed earth to reinforce the connection to the environment.
Ecological integration
The First Building restores natural hydrology through a permeable ground plane that allows water to filter back into the local creek network. Rainwater harvesting supports greywater use and irrigation, while landscapes planted with Cumberland Plain species help regenerate local biodiversity. Vegetated roofs moderate temperatures and improve the performance of photovoltaic arrays, which cover about half the roof and reduce reliance on grid energy.
Energy, ventilation, and user well-being
The workplace is naturally ventilated for around 60 percent of the year. A behavioral feedback loop, supported by a red-light/green-light indicator, alerts occupants to upcoming shifts in air system modes, helping maintain comfort while reducing energy use. On-site renewables, a low-carbon envelope, and high-performance mass-timber construction all contribute to a zero-carbon trajectory. Design for disassembly and the use of lightweight materials reduced transport needs, waste, and embodied emissions from the outset.
A new standard for regenerative urbanism
As the inaugural public building in Bradfield City Centre, the First Building sets a precedent for how architecture can honor Country, support industrial innovation, and operate within planetary boundaries. It achieves strong environmental performance while restoring ecological identity, supporting human well-being, and advancing circular design in large-scale public construction.
