What if our future cities didn’t just stand still but actively gave back — regenerative, adaptable and deeply connected to First Nations culture. That’s the design vision behind Hassell’s First Building for Bradfield City Centre in Western Sydney, Australia’s newest city in over a century.
Designed by international multidisciplinary design firm Hassell, the First Building, housing Stage 1 of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF), will foster innovation through its adaptability, design circularity and connection to Country.
As the first completed building in Australia’s first new city in 100 years, this milestone marks a step forward in the New South Wales State Government’s vision for a dynamic future in advanced manufacturing and innovation. The unique workplace will incubate innovative manufacturing projects and demonstrate the real-time progress of Australia’s newest sustainable, connected city.
Circularity, Regenerative Design and Connection to Country
Inspired by the Cumberland Plain and the area’s natural waterways, the structure is open, inviting and surrounded by green spaces where residents, workers and visitors can gather.
Embodying the principles of circularity and adaptability, the building is fabricated as a modular ‘kit of parts’ and designed to be disassembled, expanded, or even relocated – ensuring it is resilient and responsive to the evolving needs of the future city.
The building is designed to sit softly on the land, using a colour palette and materials that blur the line between built form and nature. Natural materials, including rammed earth and recycled tiles, paired with systems designed to minimise waste and extend the life cycle of resources, reinforce a commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles.
Informed by First Nations cultural research and design agency, Djinjama, the First Building is a project deeply embedded in Country, honouring its location on the Cumberland Plain by creating a harmonious connection between built and natural environments.
Location: Dharug Country, Wianamatta, Western Sydney, Australia
Design Firm: Hassell
Hassell Design team: Liz Westgarth, Jon Hazelwood, Jeff Morgan, Yann Frampton, Michael White, Federico Riches
Collaborators: Djinjama
Photography: Mark Syke, Vinchy Wu;