The first building in the new Bradfield City Centre is complete, comprising offices, a manufacturing hall and a multipurpose space.
The completed facility, known as First Building, was designed by Hassell to house stage one of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF). The new facility is sited adjacent to the proposed Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility, designed by Architectus, Aileen Sage Architects, Jacobs and Tyrell Studio. Together, these buildings will form part of a wider innovation hub within the new city centre.
The First Building accommodates an advanced manufacturing hall encased in glazing so that visitors can witness prototypes and new technologies being tested, offices, a multipurpose space for exhibitions and events, as well as a rooftop viewing platform and a green roof.
According to the architect, the project is largely centred around themes of circularity and regenerative design.
Liz Westgarth, Hassell managing director and principal in charge of the project, explained the building is “fabricated as a modular kit-of-parts.” This modular construction enables the building to be disassembled, expanded or relocated, in a move that seeks to enhance the resilience and adaptability of the facility as the future city of Bradfield continues to develop.
“A kit-of-parts construction that can be reconfigured and reused ensures the building’s longevity and responsiveness to Bradfield’s future needs,” Westgarth said.
Another sustainable feature is the large roof structure, which facilitates the generation of solar energy and the collection of water for reuse. Natural materials, such as rammed earth and recycled tiles, have also been integrated throughout the building.
According to a communique from Hassell, First Nations cultural and design agency Djinjama provided guidance on designing for Country. The statement noted that the facility “honours its location on the Cumberland Plain by creating a harmonious connection between built and natural environments” by “sitting softly on the land and using a colour palette and materials that blur the line between built form and nature.”
The landscape design, also by Hassell, is intended to provide green spaces around the building for workers and visitors to gather and socialise.
Bradfield City Centre is part of an approved masterplan that proposes 114 hectares of land nearby the forthcoming Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport be developed into a new city with a residential component, a retail and commercial precinct, open spaces, as well as new and improved streets and roads. In June 2024, the future city’s second building, an Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility, was proposed. In July 2024, the final designs for Bradfield Central Park were unveiled.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
