Global design firm HDR has delivered the ‘Factory of the Future’ for Western Sydney University, a new experiential learning environment designed to redefine how emerging technologies are taught and applied in the real world.

Bringing together advanced technology, applied research and workforce development within a single, integrated setting, the facility provides an immersive platform for innovation, empowering students to actively engage with robotics, advanced manufacturing and digital processes through experimentation, prototyping, research and collaboration.

“The Factory of the Future is an immersive platform for invention, creativity, and collaboration,” says 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.”

Rather than concealing emerging technologies, the design focuses on making them visible and accessible. “You cannot be what you cannot see,” she adds.

The two-level space is structured to guide users through a progressive learning journey. On the lower level, the Discovery Space introduces Industry 5.0 concepts through workshops and collaborative zones, while the upper-level Immersive Training Hub houses advanced prototyping labs, as well as virtual and augmented reality suites, and flexible research spaces for deeper technical training and industry engagement.

To overcome the constraints of an irregular floor plate and a vertical campus, HDR developed a circular spatial strategy inspired by Bankstown’s industrial and aeronautical heritage. This approach connects the two levels and centres the experience around the project’s focal point – the Innovation Engine, an 8.6m kinetic installation resembling a propeller, with its rotating turbine revealing inner mechanisms that help students better understand fabrication and engineering.

“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 explains. “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 was delivered in collaboration with Western Sydney University, Built, STAKK Studio and local fabricators, with over 80% of components manufactured in Sydney – more than half of which were sourced within a five-kilometre radius of the facility.

Since opening, the Factory has extended its reach beyond university students, with local secondary schools accessing the space through outreach programs aimed at strengthening STEM education pathways.

“The Factory of the Future represents a new kind of technology-led campus environment – one that dissolves boundaries between education, research, and enterprise,” says Graeme Spencer, Education and Science Principal at HDR. “It demonstrates how thoughtful design can catalyse social and economic transformation, enabling institutions like Western Sydney University to become engines of innovation for their communities.”

The Factory builds on HDR’s earlier work on the broader Bankstown City Campus, forming part of a vertical learning ecosystem designed to accommodate up to 10,000 students and 1,000 staff alongside industry partners.

“The facility is a bold step forward for Western Sydney University and our partners,” comments Don Wright, Executive Director, Innovation at Western Sydney University.

“It will accelerate innovation, strengthen industry capability, and create new pathways for students to shape the future of advanced manufacturing. By uniting research expertise, cutting-edge technology, and real-world collaboration, this facility will empower Western Sydney to become a national powerhouse for resilient, sustainable, and future-focused industry.”

Photography Credits: Western Sydney University & Mike Bell, Courtesy of Built

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