Bradfield, New South Wales, Australia
The Full–Scale Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility, known as AMRF Second Building, spans three levels and over 18,000 square metres. Located adjacent to the AMRF First Building in Bradfield, the project will be a catalyst of growth for emerging industries in NSW and beyond.
AMRF Second Building by Architectus, received an 2025 International Architecture Honourable Mention from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Focused on advanced semiconductor packaging and electronics, the AMRF Second Building caters to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and includes an advanced manufacturing hall, research laboratory space with high grade cleanrooms, and publicly accessible greenspace. The building engages with industry and the public, through a conference hall, multi-function seminar spaces, and multiple entry foyers, with flexible workplace and collaboration spaces embracing a publicly accessible courtyard.
The AMRF Second Building departs from the typical industrial shed typology where functions are siloed in separate buildings; the design for the new facility prioritises its civic role by proposing a singular courtyard building form.
Our design response emerged from the site’s cultural and environmental context, influencing the building form, spatial organisation, and material choices. Our design team collaborated closely with First Nations spatial design practice, Bangawarra, from the outset.
The robust civic form is responsive to the landscape and evolving urban precinct. It provides seamless transitions through interior/exterior and a strong link to outdoor communal spaces. Public areas feature an expressive mass timber structure, adding warmth and connection to the parkland while the handmade masonry ‘grounds’ the building, a reference to First Nations cultural burning and the underlying Bringelly Shale geology.
A shaded courtyard will serve as a lush gathering space and refuge from Western Sydney’s heat, offering respite. Adjoining AMRF Park, the building is designed to seamlessly integrate with the natural surroundings. The recurring theme of water is symbolic and demonstrates a commitment to healing Country and recognises the interconnectedness of all land. The courtyard mimics ephemeral waterways with planting endemic to the region’s creek lines, creating a green heart for the facility.
Prioritising connectivity, transparency and accessibility, the building functional program is represented by three tightly interconnected components: a Collaboration Hub, the Advanced Manufacturing Hall, and the Research Laboratories.
Collaboration Hub will enable researchers, practitioners, and industry partners to work closely together, with shared collaborative spaces for exhibitions, industry conferences, training and amenities including a public café. A ‘circulation loop’ invites public access with views inside to enhance engagement.
The Advanced Manufacturing Hall is a highly adaptable and resilient high bay volume for pioneering solutions and ongoing innovation. This space is covered by a bio-solar roof with a drought-tolerant native grass meadow and a high efficiency photo-voltaic array.
Research laboratories are designed to meet precise compliance and performance requirements for high grade cleanrooms. Accessible through airlocks and gowning, two large open-plan cleanrooms, interstitial floors, and sub-fabrication levels are strategically linked to ensure a smooth process flow. Highly flexible and adaptable, the cleanrooms cater to the evolving nature of research.
A high level of transparency into the interior of the large cleanrooms fosters passive safety and connectivity, while the incorporation of natural light supports occupant wellbeing to uplift the workspace. Unusually, for this facility typology, researchers within the cleanrooms have views to the courtyard and street.
Drawing reference from surrounding Country, the material palette is a combination of expanded metal mesh, performance glazing, mass timber (glulam, CLT), clay bricks, internal ceramics, and rammed earth – offering a contextual link between the old and the new. Inspired by Aboriginal dilly bags and weaving, the façade introduces a layered and transparent quality to shading materials, allowing views into and through the building and landscape. Patternation provides scaling and is influenced by the language of local geology, local Aboriginal peoples living, and cultural knowledge.
The building will be Net Zero Operational Carbon with a 5 Star Green Star rating by integrating features such as a hybrid mass timber and low carbon concrete structure with a bio-solar roof. Low-carbon materials are sourced locally, whenever possible. The handmade bricks use a combination of local and 40–70% recycled materials without requiring kiln firing. Other energy-efficient strategies include natural ventilation (eg. workplace winter garden), water conservation systems, and passive solar shading.
The Full–Scale Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility will start construction in mid-2025 with completion expected in early 2027.
Architects: Architectus
Design Team: Matthew Todd, Basil Richardson, Rodrigo Castro-Penalva, Eric Lee, John Shipp, Hope Dryden, Piers Hemphill, Lewis Jones, Liam Baker, and Anthony Mollica
Associate Architects: Jacobs and Aileen Sage Architects
Landscape Architects: Tyrrell Studio
Client: Bradfield Development Authority
Images: Aesthetica Studio
