The Purpose of this centre is to provide environmental interpretation and education. The Bilby (a now rare and endangered marsupial species) is its icon, focus and starting point for broader concerns with the stories of the Mulga lands, from the underlying rocks and soil, to the natural flora and fauna systems, to the sky, stars and cosmos.

The building establishes an environmental transect taking visitors under the ground, then to the ground, at night and then connects to the nearby Cosmos Centre (to be rejuvenated). The earth around the building, combined with "windcatchers" and cooling ponds passively moderates the climate. The linear plan lays out the journey through a series of stories/galleries.

The building design integrates and expresses sustainable responses to the specific local environment. This means it implicitly "says" something about the place.