Project Name: Plant Futures Facility, University of Queensland 
Architect: m3architecture 
Structural and Façade Engineer: Bligh Tanner 
Builder: Hansen Yuncken 
Masonry Contractor: MBRICK (Fugen Masonry) 
Façade Engineer: Kusch Consulting Engineers 
Leviat solution: Ancon MDC system 

The University of Queensland’s Plant Futures Facility sets a new benchmark for climate-responsive, research-focused architecture. Purpose-built to support advanced plant science, the $65 million AUD facility operates as a sealed environment for precision experimentation and collaboration.

Located among the university’s heritage brick buildings, the facility balances contextual design, sustainability, and technical complexity. Leviat’s engineered Ancon MDC masonry support system played a central role in realising the complex façade design, contributing to the project’s recognition as winner of the Horbury Hunt Commercial Award – Think Brick Awards 2025, and overall winner of Excellence in Brick and Block at the 2024 Bricklayer Contractors Association Awards. 

The goal was to deliver a world-class research facility that exceeded international standards—functionally, technically, and architecturally. It had to support sensitive, high-precision environmental controls while serving as a beacon of innovation.

The structure also needed to visually integrate with its diverse surroundings, despite having no windows and strict performance constraints. The challenge was clear: build a facility that embodies scientific excellence without compromise. 

To meet the technical and aesthetic demands of the complex façade, Leviat’s Masonry Support division worked closely with MBRICK (Fugen Masonry) to deliver a structural solution that met the façade’s complex geometric and aesthetic requirements.

The Ancon MDC system is an engineered shelf angle capable of supporting masonry heights up to 8 metres and accommodating variable cavity widths. Brackets are welded to the angle, and the material content of both components is optimised to ensure the most economical solution.

Leviat designed and supplied bespoke MDC systems to support curved corners and the distinctive brick arch entrance, including custom hanging plates for soffit bricks beneath. 
Over 500 metres of Ancon MDC were manufactured at Leviat’s Mount Druitt factory, providing concealed, high-performance support that preserved the architectural intent and ensured precise alignment across the façade. 

The Plant Futures Facility tested construction precision, particularly when a major redesign required part of the façade to be demolished and rebuilt. Leviat’s responsive design support and engineering agility were crucial in navigating these challenges.  

The result is a technically advanced and visually refined facility that unites architectural ambition with structural clarity. It stands as an example of how close collaboration between designers, engineers, and manufacturers can elevate complex masonry design to an award-winning standard.