Q&A with Ashley Wood

We recently sat down with QTMP Torbanlea Project Leader, Ashley Wood, where he gave us a deeper insight into the architectural challenges of building a "factory of the future" and our design approach.

What has been one of the biggest 'architectural' challenges, or specific design or logistical hurdles at Torbanlea that required a particularly creative solution?

One of the biggest architectural challenges at Torbanlea was constantly balancing what we wanted to do environmentally with what was genuinely buildable, affordable, and operationally robust for the client. On a site of that scale, every design decision carries cost and program consequences, so the tension between doing the “right thing” and doing what could be delivered was very real. My role was to test ideas and ask where passive design, material choices, or long‑life solutions genuinely added value, and where they risked pushing cost or complexity without benefit. What’s often invisible to is how early design decisions lock in construction cost, future maintenance, and operational efficiency for decades. At Torbanlea, the creative challenge wasn’t about making a bold gesture—it was about shaping a facility that performs exceptionally, stays within budget, and still has clarity and presence. That’s where architecture becomes problem‑solving: using design to control cost, manage risk, and deliver long‑term value, not just a fancy cantilever.

Designing for rail manufacturing requires strict technical workflows (like the robotic welding zones). How did those industrial requirements dictate, or perhaps challenge, the aesthetic design of the building?

Rail manufacturing facilities are fundamentally driven by highly controlled technical workflows—robotic welding zones, heavy lifting paths, automated assembly lines, and strict safety separations. These requirements often set the geometry of the building first: long-span volumes, clear heights, structural grids aligned to production logic, and tightly defined exclusion zones around robotics. Rather than treating these constraints as a limitation on architectural expression, the design uses them as an organising framework. The building’s form, rhythm, and material language emerge directly from the manufacturing process, making the industrial logic legible and honest, rather than concealed. In practice, this creates an architecture where aesthetic decisions are inseparable from performance. Robust materials, repetition, and clarity of structure reflect the precision of the manufacturing taking place inside.

Can you talk about the engineering behind containing industrial noise while still creating a well-ventilated, light-filled workspace?

At QTMP Torbanlea, managing noise, temperature and light is critical due to the scale of rail manufacturing activities. These operations generate heat and noise, so the buildings are designed to actively protect worker comfort rather than respond to issues later.

Acoustic specialists help identify noise sources such as workshops and machinery and guide how sound is contained and separated from quieter work areas. Environmental and mechanical engineers undertook temperature and airflow studies to ensure large workspaces remain comfortable, well-ventilated and consistent across seasons and shift patterns. Daylight studies helped to shape building layouts and roof forms to bring natural light deep into work areas while avoiding glare. By coordinating this information early, noise, temperature and light are resolved together. For QTMP Torbanlea, this results in facilities that are not only efficient and functional, but calmer, safer and healthier places to work over the long term.

What design elements (e.g., breakout spaces, natural lighting, airflow) have been included specifically to improve the daily experience of the 300+ staff?

The design prioritises everyday comfort and wellbeing. Workspaces receive ample natural daylight while controlling glare, that create bright but comfortable environments. Thermal conditions are designed to remain stable, with good fresh air supply to support air quality and avoid stuffy spaces. Acoustic treatments reduce noise and reverberation, allowing staff to focus while maintaining privacy where needed. The overall material palette and spatial planning create a calm, welcoming environment rather than a harsh or overly industrial workplace.

Amenity and convenience are also central to the design. Toilets are easy to locate and feel safe and clean, while kitchens, breakout areas, and other supplementary rooms support a range of daily needs. End‑of‑trip facilities include showers, lockers, and bike storage to encourage active travel. A mix of meeting rooms and smaller spaces also provides places to collaborate or take private calls, and clear wayfinding ensures staff can move through the building easily without feeling lost.

What are the sustainable features of this facility?

Robotic manufacturing places extraordinary demands on power and thermal performance. High electrical loads, the need for stable power quality, and continuous heat quickly become defining constraints. In an Australian context where energy costs, grid capacity, and resilience are a concern these issues cannot be treated as purely engineering problems.

Architecturally, this influenced the building orientation, roof form, spatial planning, and the materials we selected for occupational comfort in the building. Large roof areas are deliberately designed to support solar generation. Plant rooms, substations, and heat rejection systems such as operable louvre were integrated early and expressed clearly, rather than being relegated to leftover space. Efficient layouts reduce energy loss across long production lines, while zoning strategies allow high-energy processes to be isolated from lower-demand areas.

These technical decisions naturally extend into broader conversations people care about: manufacturing, energy independence, and climate responsibility. Designing a facility that can support advanced rail manufacturing without overwhelming local infrastructure speaks directly to Australia’s ability to manufacture locally and sustainably. Integrating solar generation, and energy‑efficient layouts is not just an operational decision—it becomes a visible commitment to resilience and long‑term capability.

In that sense, the architecture does more than house production and tack on sustainable features. It communicates confidence in advanced manufacturing, demonstrates responsible energy use, and shows how industrial buildings can contribute positively to both the grid and the community. The industrial requirements do not challenge the architecture form, they define it, giving the building authenticity, purpose, and relevance beyond its walls.

This facility is built to deliver trains for the 2032 Olympics and beyond. What features have been integrated into the design to ensure the building remains state-of-the-art for the next 20-30 years? This facility has been designed not just to deliver trains for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but to remain valuable, reliable, and relevant beyond this. The design prioritises the people who use the building every day focusing on comfort, safety, and reliability. High‑quality internal environments create calmer and healthier workplaces even in a 24/7 operational setting. Clear layouts, intuitive circulation, and robust systems reduce complexity and stress, helping the facility simply work as expected day in and day out. As climate conditions change, the building has been designed to maintain safe internal conditions during heat events and peak operational periods. 

Long‑term value has been a core design driver. The facility is planned to be adaptable, resilient, and economical to operate. Building systems and spaces are designed with flexibility in mind, and allow for changes in commuter rollingstock technology, maintenance practices, and digital systems without requiring major rebuilds. Durable materials, resilient services, and low‑energy strategies help reduce ongoing operating costs and future maintenance burden. Together, these features ensure the building is not just fit for the Games, but a trusted piece of state infrastructure that continues to support Queensland’s rail network well into the future.

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Find out more about the QTMP Torbanlea project here