Cemintel® cladding from the Barestone and Edge ranges was selected by the architect for a new stud farm home designed to connect seamlessly with the surrounding estate.
Nestled in a green setting, Dulong Estate is a modern home designed by Chris Morrison of Morriachi Architecture. The design, which is influenced by the homeowners’ passion for horses, uses natural-looking materials such as wood and stone to bring home the elements and textures of the stud farm. Morrison chose Cemintel’s Barestone and Edge cladding to bring his design to life.
Cemintel’s Barestone is a sleek, smooth concrete cladding, featuring a raw stone finish to suit both interior walls and exterior façades. The cladding can be a statement feature in itself, or a subtle backdrop to enhance design elements.
Barestone was used for both the interior and exterior walls of the stud farm home, creating a smooth transition from the outside to within.
“Barestone creates an eye-catching facade without dominating the design. The open plan layout connects the interior and exterior of the home to the surrounding estate,” says Morrison.
Another inspiration source for the architect was the black tar fencing enveloping the fields. To extend this character element to the home, Morrison chose Edge cladding, which added clean sleek lines and finishes to the stunning luxury design.
“We really wanted to bring elements of the stud farm into the home and create a striking contrast to the Barestone cladding. Edge is a versatile and durable alternative to traditional weatherboard, which we painted a deep black to emulate the woodgrain texture of the stables and the black tar fencing,” says Morrison.
"By lining the Edge cladding horizontally and vertically across the awnings and window frames, it adds dimension and a subtle texture to the exterior facade.”
That Barestone’s prefinished panels could be cut onsite was a major advantage for builder Butch Barrett of Barrett Constructions.
“Barestone is a great product to work with, and cutting the panels to create the shadow lines gave it a sleek, modern look. We cut the panels onsite to ensure a perfect fit. Barestone is prefinished, which adds real value to the project by reducing costs. Using lightweight, easy to install products like those made by Cemintel also means you don’t need as many people for the installation, allowing us to keep project costs down,” says Barrett.
Both Barestone and Edge cladding panels can stand up to the unpredictable weather of subtropical Queensland. Barestone is designed to weather naturally, blending seamlessly with its environment. Edge is manufactured from advanced, lightweight fibre cement, which resists shrinking, swelling and cracking in all weather conditions.
Additionally, fibre cement features a low maintenance ventilated cavity structure that helps reduce heat transfer and facilitates air flow, providing improved thermal performance for the home. Each fibre cement panel is coated in Ceminseal water block technology, which repels water while maintaining the natural appearance of fibre cement.
“With rain and water penetration a challenge in sub-tropical Queensland, we had to ensure we used a durable product that would repel water while allowing air to flow freely. Fibre cement was the most effective solution. The warranty that Cemintel provides was also really important for this project, given the range of weather conditions that the area is exposed to. The durability of both Barestone and Edge gave us the peace of mind that the structure would stand the test of time,” says Morrison.
Cemintel products have become an important part of Morrison’s material selection across his projects as they allow him to create diversity and contrast in his designs.
“I just love how the Cemintel cladding solutions blend so well together to create really unique designs. Cemintel products will feature heavily in a number of my upcoming projects,” he concluded.
