The International Crop and Digital Agricultural Research Centre
The new purpose-built International Crop and Digital Agricultural Research Centre is owned by the NSW Wheat Research Foundation, operated by the University of Sydney, in partnership with the Australian Grain Technologies and Grains Research and Development Corporation.
The facility is dedicated to advancing research into digital agriculture, heat-tolerant crops, and robotic farming. The design seamlessly combines genetic and agronomy laboratories, robotic workplaces, and meeting spaces to promote collaboration between research professionals and industry experts.
Located in northwest NSW, the town of Narrabri sits on the banks of the Namoi River with the Nandewar Range to the east and the Pilliga Forest to the south. The research facility is set against the backdrop of the Nandewar Range and Mount Kaputar with magnificent landmarks like the ‘organ piping rock formations of Sawn Rocks.


nettletontribe’s design of the building’s roofline acknowledges the site’s rural context & typology, while also providing weather protection. External screening elements are arranged in vertical stacks in referring to Sawn Rocks. The earthy tones and herringbone patterning on the screens resemble the grains of the wheat crop to which the centre dedicates its research.