Hunt Architects has completed a range of defence projects. These include works at the Artillery Barracks in Fremantle and on Garden Island in Perth. We have also completed multiple depot refurbishments in Newman, Port Hedland, Lancelin and other rural locations. The team has experience working in secure and operational environments, meeting strict defence requirements. We have also delivered the RAAFA Accommodation project in Perth, providing practical and well-designed living facilities for service personnel.
24 March 2026
Designing Defence Infrastructure: Navigating Security, Compliance and Operations
Architecture within the Defence sector requires a depth of understanding that extends well beyond conventional practice. Defence facilities are critical enablers of capability, readiness and long-term preparedness, operating within a national framework shaped by security imperatives, sovereign capability objectives and strict governance requirements.
At Hunt Architects, our experience within the Defence sector has been developed over multiple projects delivered within these constraints. While many of these projects are necessarily subject to confidentiality agreements, they have provided our practice with a detailed understanding of Defence environments, approval pathways and operational requirements. This experience has been further strengthened by having key staff members dedicated to Defence work, bringing continuity, institutional knowledge and sector-specific expertise to each project.
Australia’s current Defence posture, articulated through the Defence Strategic Review and the Defence Industry Development Strategy (DIDS), reinforces the role of infrastructure as a foundational component of Defence capability. Facilities must support operations, training, sustainment and workforce needs, while remaining secure, adaptable and resilient over time. Designing in this context demands an informed and disciplined approach — one shaped by experience working within Defence’s unique frameworks rather than around them.
Security and Information Management
Security requirements underpin every stage of a Defence project. Facilities frequently involve classified functions and operate under strict information-handling protocols. This extends beyond physical security into digital environments, data governance, and the management of project information across consultants and stakeholders. Defence projects typically require secure collaboration environments, controlled access to documentation, and adherence to Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) requirements. Information must never identify the facility, its purpose or operational capability, requiring discipline in both design documentation and communication. As Defence increasingly relies on distributed and multidisciplinary teams, secure digital governance has become a core project consideration rather than a support function.
Defence-Specific Compliance and Technical Frameworks
Defence projects often operate outside standard civilian regulatory assumptions. While the Building Code of Australia remains essential, operational requirements may necessitate intelligent approaches to fire safety, engineering systems, building services and security infrastructure. Facilities must support Defence-specific operational needs, which can conflict with conventional design norms. Understanding these requirements — and how to communicate them clearly to approving authorities and delivery teams — is essential to achieving compliant and functional outcomes. The DIDS reinforces the importance of facilities that can support sustainment, maintenance, training and capability development over the long term, rather than focusing solely on immediate delivery outcomes .
Spatial and Operational Complexity
Defence facilities are inherently complex. They often include layered security zones, nested controlled areas and highly managed circulation paths. This results in detailed spatial planning, with “rooms within rooms” and carefully sequenced transitions between secure and non-secure environments. Considerable effort is invested in understanding how spaces interconnect — operationally, physically and digitally. At a broader scale, many Defence sites function as self-contained precincts, incorporating operational spaces, training facilities, logistics, accommodation and support services. This level of complexity requires a systems-based approach to design, documentation and coordination.
Infrastructure as Capability Enablement
The Defence Industry Development Strategy frames Defence infrastructure as a key enabler of national capability, supporting sovereign industrial capacity, workforce development and long-term preparedness. From an architectural perspective, this places emphasis on adaptability, resilience and through-life performance. Facilities must be capable of evolving alongside Defence capability requirements, accommodating new technologies, systems and operational models without compromising security or functionality.
