Australia’s newest city, Bradfield City Centre in Dharug Country (Western Sydney), is home to the First Building by design firm Hassell in consultation with First Nations cultural research and design agency Djinjama. 

Photo: Mark Syke

As the name suggests, it is the first building designed for the city of Bradfield and the surrounding Aerotropolis, a new urban region set to reshape Western Sydney. The design ethos is centred on being ‘connected, green and advanced’, developing a city that fosters innovation through its commitment to design circularity and connection to Country.

The First Building houses stage 1 of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF). It is a collaborative space for government, industry and research to develop advanced manufacturing projects. 

Photo: Vinchy Wu

Design vision for the First Building

The First Building centres sustainability as its guiding principle, while honouring First Nations heritage as the essence of the land.

As the first building for the city of Bradfield, it sets an important benchmark for the future development of the city. The First Building represents Bradfield’s future-driven goals, serving as a catalyst for high-value jobs, skill development and partnerships between industry, government, and academia.

Photo: Mark Syke

Hassell managing director Liz Westgarth says the goal was to create a building that can adapt to new challenges and opportunities, while staying grounded in values of sustainability, inclusivity and resilience.

“The First Building provided a rare opportunity to innovate, but it also carried a profound sense of responsibility,” she says. “While designing for a future-focused, sustainable city allows us to explore new possibilities, we were always aware of the legacy we were creating.” 

Photo: Mark Syke

Connection to Country 

Informed by First Nations cultural research and design agency Djinjama, the First Building is a project deeply ingrained in Country, honouring its location on the Cumberland Plain by creating a seamless integration between built environment and natural land.

Drawing inspiration from the Cumberland Plain and the area’s natural waterways, the structure exists through a richly planted landscape of local plant species and water features. 

Photo: Mark Syke

The area hosting Aerotropolis is known as ‘Wianamatta’ in the local Dharug language, which translates to ​‘Mother Place’. It’s a site of significance for First Nations women, which is reflected in the building’s open and welcoming architectural expression, a design language centred around concepts of water and fluidity, and the use of warm, soft and natural materials that rest lightly on the land. 

Regenerative design for future residents 

The building is designed using natural materials, including rammed earth, timber and bamboo. This is paired with systems designed to minimise waste and extend the life cycle of resources, such as the recycled ‘Green Ceramic’ tiles, upholding a commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles. 

Photo: Vinchy Wu

Bradfield Development Authority CEO and AMRF chair Ken Morrison says they’ve made ambitious commitments to sustainability and resilience in Bradfield. It’s been “designed to address climate impacts now and into the future”, says Morrison.

Commitment to circular economy 

To encompass the principles of circularity and adaptability, the building is conceived as a modular ‘kit of parts’ and designed to be disassembled, expanded, or relocated – enabling a resilient and adaptive structure that is able to respond to the evolving needs of the future city. 

Photo: Vinchy Wu

Westgarth says a kit-of-parts construction that can be reconfigured and reused ensures the building’s longevity and responsiveness to Bradfield’s future needs, representing the city’s commitment to adaptability and circularity. 

“Our responsibility extends beyond the immediate moment, it’s about crafting a space that will evolve, adapt and grow with the city over time,” she says. 

Photo: Mark Syke

Lead image by Vinchy Wu.

Learn more about the First Building.