Cemintel™ has introduced a new range of low maintenance, pre-sealed facade panels that ticks all the right boxes for architects, designers, builders and building owners.
Featuring a warm-raw concrete look, Cemintel BareStone is practical, appealing and versatile, and has become a preferred choice for key architects across Australia for their standout projects.
Projects such as the Desert House in Alice Springs by Dunn and Hillam Architects, and The LiFEHOUSE by LiFEHOUSE Design in Victoria, to Noosa’s Flexible Learning Centre by Fulton Trotter Architects, all incorporate BareStone as both the backbone and feature of their design.
Desert House, Alice Springs
The brief from the owners for Dunn and Hillam’s founder and Principal, Ashley Dunn was to design a home that appeared welcoming for guests but was also protected from the harsh desert environment around. The design also needed to incorporate some aspects of the beautiful desert environment.
Following a worldwide search for a material that had to meet strict criteria such as good performance in a harsh environment, low maintenance and no requirement for applied finishes, the architect chose BareStone. According to Mr Dunn, BareStone was lighter and easier to cut or drill than similar products on the market; and also met their needs for a standardised product that could be shipped to Alice Springs.
BareStone was incorporated as the tough outer skin and provided a clear concrete finish. Since the panels were all dimensionally stable and did not need squaring up on site, it was possible for the architect to detail the facade to have consistent shadow gaps between sheets and around openings. The pre-finished sheets were also a bonus when working aboveground as they reduced the time that scaffolding was required.
The LiFEHOUSE, Victoria
Yet another impressive example of BareStone’s unique and versatile appeal, The LiFEHOUSE by LiFEHOUSE Design is an award-winning concept that is affordable, sustainable and beautiful, minimising overall energy use, saving 80 percent of design costs and 20 percent of building costs, and reducing running costs.
The LiFEHOUSE design incorporated BareStone on the south wall of the structure to create a strong statement as well as for weather protection. Selected for both practical and aesthetic reasons, it was also installed on the entire detached office and studio and all the fascias of the house.
LiFEHOUSE Interior Designer, Robyn Gibson explains that the house design is based on lightweight walls. The design has been able to achieve good air gaps between stud walls and external cladding, maximising the added insulation within those walls.
Designed to produce less waste during the construction process, The LiFEHOUSE uses standard material dimensions such as in BareStone, while efficient space planning ensures minimal use of materials and finishes that require little or no coating/ finishing, saving on resources and maintenance.
According to Ms Gibson, BareStone was the ideal selection for LiFEHOUSE in terms of ease of design, construction and installation. In addition to the prefinished condition and the concrete appearance, the panels can also be screwed off and reused, proving their environmental sustainability.
Noosa Flexible Learning Centre, Sunshine Coast
Located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Noosa Flexible Learning Centre for Edmund Rice Education Australia was designed by Fulton Trotter Architects to create an alternative learning environment for disengaged and disenfranchised young people.
The team from Fulton Trotter including Mark Kalinowski wanted the informal nature of the learning and gathering spaces to provide a welcoming environment for the young people.
Mr Kalinowski explained that they found BareStone cladding to be the perfect choice for the school due to its non-institutional nature and the rawness of the material, which aligned with the school’s principles of honesty and respect.
BareStone also met requirements for durable and hardwearing properties, minimal ongoing maintenance, use of different and edgy materials, and clear contrast to traditional education material palettes.
The BareStone sheets are interspersed between bright panels of polycarbonate and painted steel in alternating colours of yellow, red and orange.
In addition to the aesthetics, Fulton Trotter Architects preferred to use BareStone for the CeminSeal technology and common lightweight cladding details, eliminating the need to apply a sealer on site and ensuring ease of construction.
According to Cemintel Marketing Manager, Ben Thompson, BareStone meets industry demand for durable, versatile materials that match their high standards and expectations, while also assisting architects and designers in their drive for creativity and originality. He adds that Cemintel will continue to invest into the colour and design of prefinished, low maintenance products, so cutting edge projects such as the Desert House, LiFEHOUSE and Noosa Flexible Learning Centre will continue to be created.
