COLORBOND steel from BlueScope Steel was extensively used in the roofing and wall cladding of a new home in Brisbane built to sustainable design principles.

Located near the picturesque Brisbane Forest Park in the western Brisbane suburb of Brookfield, Jarden House has been designed and constructed as a sustainable residential property. The house features a striking and distinctive exterior with roofing and wall cladding created using a palette of complementary colours selected from the COLORBOND steel range. 

Though the previous structure was architecturally designed, it was built in 1963 from brick veneer, was low-set and had poor insulation. Owners Ross and Georgina Jarden sought to create a more sustainable residence that would capture the breeze and maximise thermal insulation.

Ross Jarden explained that their brief for the architect was simple: open-plan living, a light and airy design to benefit from the north and south-easterly breezes, generally sustainable design principles and minimal horizontal surfaces. To achieve this, the house has been totally resituated on the land. The open design ensures the house is passively heated and cooled, regulating temperature effectively without any need for active air conditioning.

COLORBOND steel features significantly throughout the design. The roof is made from 450 square metres of COLORBOND steel in Shale Grey. The upper roof section is in LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB profile with a nine degree pitch, while the lower roof is in LYSAGHT TRIMDEK profile pitched at three degrees. 

While the house occupies 320 square metres, the oversized roof creates large overhanging eaves that provide ample protection and capture a large amount of rainwater quickly. The Thermatech technology featured in the Shale Grey-coloured COLORBOND steel roof assists with cooling by reflecting solar heat. 

The walls of the house are also made from COLORBOND steel in LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB profile in Wallaby, which was selected for its earthy and natural mid-grey tone. A west-facing feature wall is made from COLORBOND steel in LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB profile in the colour Shale Grey. The profile on this wall, as is the case for all walls in the house, runs vertically to avoid the unrelenting dust that gathers on horizontal surfaces in the local area. 

The guttering on the property is made from 175mm COLORBOND steel QUAD gutter by LYSAGHT, finished in Basalt, a powerful grey colour with a neutral cast.

COLORBOND's online visualiser was used extensively in the Jarden family's decision-making process. According to Mr Jarden, the ability to plug colours in and compare them created a really good reference point. 

A business development manager with Watpac, a national construction, property development, civil and mining services company, Mr Jarden has a longstanding relationship with COLORBOND steel and is fully aware of the benefits of BlueScope's COLORBOND steel products and the company's reputation for durability, reliability and product versatility.