Bradfield City First Building

Discover the First Building at Bradfield City, a cutting-edge hub for advanced manufacturing, research, and innovation, shaping Sydney's future.

ARMF building

Project status

Complete

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About the First Building

The First Building was opened by NSW Premier Chris Minns on 5 March 2025.

The building marks the beginning of an industry-led hub designed to connect and attract local and global partners. It will develop and grow a skilled future workforce. 

The building houses industry tenants and Stage 1 of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF). Visitors can watch prototypes and new technologies being tested through the glass-walled manufacturing hall at the heart of the facility.

1:15

Bradfield City First Building fly through

Construction of the First Building - housing Stage 1 of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) - is now complete.

Key design features

  • A unique urban pavilion with 3 connected buildings under one roof, including:
    • an advanced manufacturing hall
    • office spaces
    • areas for exhibitions, talks and events.
  • A rooftop viewing platform and green roof.
  • A large roof structure that generates solar energy and collects water for reuse.
  • Low-carbon materials, including timber and rammed earth.

Awards

The award-winning First Building has been recognised by multiple institutions for its design, impact and commitment to sustainability including:

AwardCategoryRecognition
Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue Boomtown Project of the Year Awards 2024Outstanding Innovation ProjectWinner
UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence in Urban Development 2025Excellence in Sustainability Winner
NSW Architecture Awards 2025Commercial Architecture and Sustainable ArchitecturePremier’s Prize, Award for Sustainable Architecture, Commendation for Commercial Architecture
Urban Taskforce Development Excellence Awards 2025Innovation DevelopmentShortlisted
Urban Developer Awards for Industry Excellence 2025Sustainability  Shortlisted
Biophilic Design Awards 2025Building scale projectsShortlisted
Master Builder's Association Excellence in Construction Awards 2025Sustainability, Best use of timberWinner
AIPM Project Management Achievement Awards 2025Government ProjectWinner
Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture NSW Awards 2025Civic LandscapeShortlisted
Powerhouse Museum Holdmark Innovation Award Winner
Good Design AwardsSocial ImpactWinner
Dezeen Design AwardsWorkplace, SustainabilityShortlisted

Location

  • A 400m walk from Bradfield Metro Station, opening in 2026.
  • A 5-minute train ride from Bradfield City to Western Sydney International Airport station on the future Sydney Metro Western Sydney Aerotropolis line.
  • Rapid bus services connecting Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown to Bradfield City and Western Sydney International Airport.

Connecting and designing with Country

Connecting and designing with Country is central to the First Building's design.

Inspired by the natural waterways and Cumberland Plains, the building is open and welcoming. It will feature green, open spaces where residents, workers and visitors can gather.

Sustainability is at the core of the design, setting a benchmark for the new city.

Watch the video to learn more about the inspiration behind the building's design and surrounds.

2:21

First Building design inspiration

Read transcript
Video transcript

First Building design inspiration

Liz Westgarth:

Hello, my name's Liz Westgarth and I'm the architect leading the first building.

John Hazelwood:

Hi, I'm John Hazelwood, a landscape architect working on the landscape setting for the building and really pleased to be working with Danièle Hromek

Danièle Hromek:

Hi I'm Danièle Hromek I'm a Budawang/Yuin woman and I'm the cultural designer and researcher for this first building. This is beautiful, Wianamatta Country out in Western Sydney. As you can see it's Cumberland Plains Woodlands. It's beautiful country with rolling grasslands, these magnificent eucalypts spotting the landscape and water. It's a very important water place. The water here is sacred. It's important in so many ways, especially to women, and it's an important place for us to be working on. So we have used Country as our inspiration and our guide. We've looked at things like cultural practice, women's relationships to place, how men come in play a role in this and how to use materiality in a really sensitive way.

John Hazelwood:

We've been working closely with Daniele to ensure that the landscape setting of the building reflects the context in the setting of Cumberland Plain and of Country. It will be an exemplar of how this can be reflected meaningful in a contemporary and urban setting. The landscape will celebrate the connection to water that Daniele has discussed and a setting of beautiful tree stands that are diverse carpet of understory plants. And will include places for many people to gather and to celebrate and places to sit quietly, a meandering an intimate landscape in a new city centre.

Liz Westgarth:

The first building will sit softly within the landscape, blurring the line between built form and the landscape, allowing the landscape to flow through and have a female character. The first building will really be a memorable landmark. It also needs to be flexible and adaptable to evolve over time. It has a role to inspire investment and it must be welcoming and engaging and really start to showcase the values of the city, particularly around environmental and social sustainability, but also it has to be advanced and innovative unique to place and Country.

Project documentation

In line with planning approval requirements, information and documents about the First Building are available. Visit our Publications and resources page for more details.

Exploring the First Building, Bradfield and beyond

Learn more about the delivery of the First Building and the Western Sydney region.

Contact the Bradfield Development Authority

Contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss the project further.

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