Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Setting a new benchmark for world-class sustainable developments, the Foundry by fjmtstudio, Sisson, and Davenport Campbell & Partners offers a different typology of the workplace that heralds a shift towards new ways of working.

This “ground scraper,” together with its sister project, Axle, houses over 10,000 workers.

The exceptional working environment is technology-enabled, fostering collaboration while also allowing ultimate flexibility and diversity for its workforce – all elements that will meet the needs of current and future generations of workers.

The Foundry is located along the northern edge of the South Eveleigh precinct, directly opposite the heritage Locomotive Workshop.

Analysis of the site generated linear built forms with their long axis orientated in the east-west direction.

To ensure a high-quality workspace, spread over 50,000 sqm, full-height atrium spaces have been provided to achieve natural light from above via over 2000 sqm of glazing.

Given the depth of the site “The Foundry” is designed around a pair of seven-meter wide linear atria with a large central gathering space at its heart.

This dramatic central space forms the social focus at the main entry point of the building, allowing a direct visual and physical relationship to the Locomotive Workshop immediately opposite.

This central space includes a large “lunch and learn” stair, created from steel and timber which accommodates both formal and informal collaboration and events.

The design of The Foundry has been inspired by the Locomotive Workshop with its long and narrow bays, evocative of the industrial production areas within.

Its steel-framed structure, created with more than 9000 tonnes of steel is evocative of the adjacent heritage building and has been celebrated throughout the building’s interior.

Floor plates within act as a series of open and permeable platforms serviced by dedicated and expressed steel framed and glass lift banks.

Lateral bridge links provide logical, clearly articulated circulation paths within the workplace.

The structural steel to the atrium roofs and bridge elements evoke the red tones of industrial red oxide primer.

The ends of the east/west atria are celebrated with the expressive vaulted roof forms which create a signature roof form.

Externally, the vaulted end bays of the roof reveal the internal planning of the building and give clues to the internal atrium spaces and roofs.

Whilst the office accommodation is broken into bays, the roof conceptually ties these together into a singular whole.

Terracotta-clad perimeter cores form the means of expression on the external façade, breaking down the scale of the building into a series of smaller more intimate volumes.

These also act as a means of creating individual workgroup zones or villages through the building, creating smaller communities each with its own character and purpose.

Despite its size, each part of The Foundry feels open, bright, and human-scaled. The facades are expressed as a series of individually expressed frames that serve to modulate the scale of the development into a number of individual small-scale elements.

This is particularly evident along Locomotive Street where the façade colors and materials evoke the warmth and materiality of the original heritage workshop.

All facades incorporate sun-shading elements and screens as required to meet requirements relative to solar heat gain.

The Foundry makes a strong civic contribution with retail activation along all primary edges.

There are two entry points into the building, one from the northern Locomotive Street and another from the civic square along Central Avenue, directly opposite its sister building; Axle.

There is a selection of food and beverage outlets and cafes along Locomotive Street which provide a high degree of amenity for both the occupants and the wider community.

The Foundry provides approximately 2500 square meters of retail space at ground level.

The Foundry targets a 6-Star Green Star rating and a 5-Star NABERS Energy rating. There are solar panels on the roof with a design output of 370kW, 320 bicycle spaces, and 15 car charging stations.

Project: The Foundry
Architects: fjmtstudio Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp Pty Ltd. and Sisson
Associate Architects: Davenport Campbell & Partners Pty Ltd
General Contractor: Mirvac Constructions Pty Limited
Lead Architect for fjmtstudio: Richard Francis-Jones
Lead Architects for DA: Christian Cooksle
Lead Architect for Sissons: Nick Sissons
Design Team: Deni Mandrovski, Demus Rusli, Mahsa Alavi, Grace Goh, Reiko Iwamoto, Dev Tippur, PeterDawson, Johnathan Lynn, Steven Wu, and Soenke Dethlefsen
Client: Mirvac Constructions Pty Limited
Photographers: Steve Brown, Kitti Gould, and Brett Boardman