A windowless brick building that can recreate climates from the sub-Saharan desert to Finland has won a National Award for Educational Architecture for the University of Queensland's Plant Futures Facility.
The facility, designed by Brisbane firm M3Architecture, was honoured at the Australian Institute of Architects' 2026 National Architecture Awards. It houses research into sustainable food, fibre and fuel production in response to climate change, environmental degradation and population growth, with about 40 growing rooms, cabinets and glasshouses where conditions can be manipulated.
Professor Sagadevan Mundree, head of the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, called the building "a game changer".
"It's state of the art, and the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere," he said. "It feels like a very luxurious hotel for plants."
Architect Michael Christensen said the building's main challenge was that it could not have windows, because they would change the amount of light or the temperature.
"It's a big brick box, right? So we were thinking about how can we make working in there a more pleasant experience," he said.
Brick was chosen in response to the neighbouring Hartley Teakle Building, a 1969 brick edifice built for the Agriculture and Entomology departments. Jury member Alice Hampson described the result as "astounding" and said its patterned facade reminded her of sedimentary rock samples.
"The patterning in the brickwork is from basically a cross-section through the Great Artesian Basin, the geological profile of Queensland," Christensen said.
Seven of the 34 national awards went to Queensland projects, including two houses in the Mount Coot-tha foothills, the renovated Woodside Cottage in Burleigh, the 443 Queen St apartment block, the 205 North Quay office tower and the Golden Avenue restaurant.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The facility lets researchers mimic microclimates and pursue speed breeding and genome editing of crops, work the university says could help feed a changing world.
- It puts Queensland architecture on a national stage, with seven of 34 national awards going to local projects.
- The building offers a model for designing pleasant workplaces inside highly controlled, windowless research environments.
Background
The Plant Futures Facility is a research building at the University of Queensland supporting work on sustainable food, fibre and fuel production. It contains about 40 growing rooms, cabinets and glasshouses where light, heat, humidity, CO2 and other environmental factors can be adjusted to replicate conditions anywhere. Designed by Brisbane firm M3Architecture, it is described by the university as the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Key Perspectives
Sagadevan Mundree, head of the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability: says the facility is "a game changer", state of the art and "the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere", adding that "it feels like a very luxurious hotel for plants".
Alice Hampson, jury member: says the building is "astounding" both for its technology and its aesthetic, comparing it to a walled garden with a pixelated brick facade.
Michael Christensen, architect: says brick was chosen as a response to the neighbouring 1969 Hartley Teakle Building, and that the main challenge was making a windowless "big brick box" pleasant to work in.
What to Watch
- Whether the facility's speed breeding and genome editing research produces new crop varieties.
- Whether other institutions seek to develop similar controlled-environment facilities, given UQ's is described as the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Recognition for the other Queensland winners, including the residential projects and commercial buildings honoured alongside the Plant Futures Facility.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe windowless UQ Plant Futures Facility won a national architecture award.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Designed by Brisbane firm M3Architecture, the Plant Futures Facility has won a National Award for Educational Architecture 2026, bestowed by the Australian Institute of Architects.”
- Partly supportedA UQ professor called the facility a “game-changer” for crop research.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “when the head of the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability first walked in, he knew it was “a game changer”.”
- SupportedThe windowless brick facility can recreate climates from the sub-Saharan desert to Finland.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “It contains about 40 “growing rooms”, cabinets and glasshouses where climatic conditions of any environment can be recreated. One room might be like the sub-Saharan desert. Another might be like Finland; another, a tropical region.”
- SupportedM3Architecture designed the facility, which received the 2026 National Award for Educational Architecture from the Australian Institute of Architects.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Designed by Brisbane firm M3Architecture, the Plant Futures Facility has won a National Award for Educational Architecture 2026, bestowed by the Australian Institute of Architects.”
- SupportedThe facility houses research into sustainable food, fibre and fuel production in response to climate change, environmental degradation and population growth.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The building houses research into sustainable food, fibre and fuel production in response to climate change, environmental degradation, and population growth.”
- SupportedThe facility has about 40 growing rooms, cabinets and glasshouses where conditions can be manipulated.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “It contains about 40 “growing rooms”, cabinets and glasshouses where climatic conditions of any environment can be recreated. ... Laboratories can manipulate light, heat, humidity, CO2 and other environmental factors.”
- Partly supportedMundree said, “It's state of the art, and the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““It’s state of the art, and the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.””
- SupportedMundree said, “It feels like a very luxurious hotel for plants.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““It feels like a very luxurious hotel for plants,” Mundree said.”
- Partly supportedChristensen said the building could not have windows because they would change the light or temperature.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Christensen said the new building’s main challenge was the fact it could not have any windows, “because that will change the amount of light, or the temperature.””
- SupportedBrick was chosen in response to the neighbouring Hartley Teakle Building, a 1969 brick building originally built for the Agriculture and Entomology departments.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Brick was chosen as a response to the neighbouring Hartley Teakle Building, a well-loved 1969 brick edifice originally built for the Agriculture and Entomology departments.”
- SupportedJury member Alice Hampson called the building “astounding” and said its patterned facade reminded her of sedimentary rock samples.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Jury member Alice Hampson said the building was “astounding” both for its technology and its aesthetic. “Conceptually, it’s like a walled garden [with] a pixelated brick facade, it reminds me of sedimentary rock samples,” Hampson said.”
- SupportedSeven of the 34 national architecture awards went to Queensland projects.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Seven of the 34 National Architecture Awards were won by Queensland projects.”