The Foundry

The Foundry is setting a new benchmark for world-class sustainable developments, bringing together leading technology and green design to create a cutting-edge work environment that meets the highest sustainability standards and delivers a leading destination for innovation in a refined and deeply human architecture. The design of The Foundry has been inspired by the adjacent Locomotive Workshop with its long and narrow bays, evocative of the industrial production areas within.

The Foundry was designed around a pair of seven meter wide linear atria connected via a large central gathering space at its heart. This dramatic central space forms the social focus off the building, allowing a direct visual and physical relationship to the Locomotive Workshop immediately opposite. The floor plates within act as a series of permeable platforms serviced by expressed steel framed glass lift banks. Lateral bridge links provide logical, clearly articulated circulation paths within the workplace.

The Foundry runs along the northern edge of the South Eveleigh precinct, directly opposite the heritage Locomotive Workshop. It 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. The Foundry is conceived as a miniature city, offering variation, vitality and choice in a refined and deeply human architecture.

The design of The Foundry has been inspired by the Locomotive Workshop with its long and narrow bays, evocative industrial production areas. The Its steel framed structure was created with more that 9,000 tonnes of steel. The exposed steel is evocative of the adjacent heritage building, and has been celebrated throughout the building's interior. 8,900 sqm floor plates are conceived as a series of open and permeable platforms serviced by dedicated and expressed steel framed, glass lift banks. Lateral bridge links provide logical, clearly articulated circulation paths within the workplace. The structural steel to the atrium roof and bridge elements evoke the red tones of industrial red oxide primer.

Vaulted end bays of the roof reveal the internal planning of the building offering clues to the internal atrium spaces. Whilst the office accommodation is broken into bays, the roof conceptually ties these together into a singular whole.

Despite its size, each part of The Foundry feels open, bright and human scaled. To ensure a high quality of workspace, full height atrium spaces have been provided to achieve natural light from above via over 2,000sqm of glazing. Given the depth of the site ’The Foundry’ was designed around a pair of seven metre 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 building was designed to embody a next generation workplace, a vision for the future of co-working and collaboration, allowing the tenant to bring together tech innovators, entrepreneurs, educators and the community. An integrated technological overlay ensures interfaces for access, amenities and space optimisation are intuitive and adaptable for a changing context.

The fit out and furniture selections provide a consistent though subtle thread via a shared blonde palette across a wide range of forms. Tiling in mid-grey green is echoed in other finishes. Again this colour incursion is subtle and elegant. Colour is delivered most boldly through the well-curated art collection that appears natural to the space and scale of the building.

There is no point where the tenancy works and the building architecture are at odds. An ever-present hum of activity swells within the greater structure.

Sustainability statement
The Foundry sets a new benchmark for world-class sustainable developments, bringing together leading technology and green design to create a cutting-edge work environment that meets the highest sustainability standards and delivers a leading destination for innovation. As one of Australia’s largest commercial buildings it was prefabricated from structural steel, ensuring that as much of the building was built offsite. This unique prefabricated design and steel frame creates significant construction and sustainability efficiencies and adheres to the evolution of the GreenStar Design & As-Built v1.1.

The Foundry contributes to the creation of an activated public realm for the local community with retail, artwork, and amenities. Social sustainability is also at the forefront, with community engagement and outreach supporting not-for-profit projects within the area. The Foundry achieved a 6 Star GreenStar Design rating and is on track to achieve 6 Star GreenStar AsBuilt, 5 Star NABERS Energy, and 4 Star NABERS Water Rating.

Photography: Steve Brown: Brett Boardman: Kitti Gould