HDR Delivers Western Sydney University’s Factory of the Future
HDR has delivered Western Sydney University’s Factory of the Future, an experiential learning and innovation environment within the Bankstown City Campus. Its fit-out transforms a complex technical brief into a coherent, inspiring learning space that empowers students to discover emerging technologies.
“The Factory of the Future is an immersive platform for invention, creativity and collaboration,” said Alex Wessling, associate principal at HDR. “We set out to design a space where innovation is visible and approachable — a place where students, researchers and the community can see, touch and engage with the ideas and processes shaping our future.”
The facility integrates technology, applied research and workforce development in a cohesive environment, with learners engaging in advanced manufacturing, robotics and digital processes in dedicated experimental and collaborative spaces. “Central to the design is a pedagogical ambition to reveal rather than conceal emerging technologies, making them visible, approachable and inspiring for the next generation. You cannot be what you cannot see,” Wessling said.
Working within the constraints of an irregular floor plate and a vertical campus, HDR developed a circular spatial logic inspired by Bankstown’s industrial and aeronautical heritage. This strategy connects two levels and choreographs a clear learner journey to the project’s centrepiece: the Innovation Engine — an 8.6-metre kinetic, propeller-like installation fabricated locally. Its rotating turbine reveals mechanisms that draw students into fabrication, engineering and spatial learning.
“Acting as both a navigational cue and a didactic device, the Engine translates complex advanced manufacturing concepts into an approachable, dynamic and immersive learning experience,” Wessling said. “It functions not only as a sculptural statement but as a teaching device — a public expression of the region’s manufacturing history and capability that invites the community into the space.”
The project emerged through a deeply collaborative process with Western Sydney University, Built, STAKK Studio and local fabricators. Over 80% of components were fabricated in Sydney, including 55% sourced within a five‑kilometre radius of the facility.
“The Factory of the Future represents a new kind of technology-led campus environment — one that dissolves boundaries between education, research and enterprise,” said Graeme Spencer, education and science principal at HDR.
About HDR
HDR is a 100% employee-owned professional services firm. Founded over a century ago to bring electricity to a changing world, we are now a global company specializing in architecture, engineering, environmental and construction services. Our success in built and natural environments continues as we collaborate to solve our clients’ and communities’ most complex challenges.
