ExoTec façade panels from James Hardie Australia met all the requirements for an exterior cladding installation at the Central Adelaide Apartments project located in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD.
The $70 million residential apartment development sets high standards for luxury living. Designed by architect Brown Falconer, the 18-storey high rise offers features such as a stunning sky garden with mini golf and infinity sky pool for the residents of its 266 apartments.
A standout feature of the ultra-modern building is the floor-to-ceiling window façade framed by custom coloured cladding that pulls together its unique design.
Award winning cladding and roofing specialist SA Construct was engaged to install the cladding on the building. The contractor not only had to ensure a tight turnaround and quick and safe installation but also address waterproofing concerns without compromising on the building’s aesthetics.
James Hardie’s ExoTec façade panel and fixing system featuring 9mm cladding was selected for the building’s exterior.
"Being an 18-storey building, waterproofing was a concern but with ExoTec being a sealed system, it was always going to be the best choice of cladding. Of all the options, it was the most visual and had the quickest install time, which ultimately led to cost savings,” says Jarrad Morgan, Director SA Construct.
Given the sheer scale of the building, a number of areas were only accessible by abseiling, calling for cladding materials that could be cut in a workshop offsite for a quick and safe installation.
“ExoTec is a relatively fast system and we get the majority of the sheets cut in our workshop on the wall saws, so the install time onsite is reduced dramatically. Sheeting up the building as it’s still getting built would have to be the most rewarding aspect," Morgan added.
Specially designed to be installed on the face of a building, the ExoTec cladding range can also be used in eave, soffit or fascia applications. The durable and low-maintenance product allows for easy customisation to suit diverse designs using a range of decorative paint finishes and panel patterns with either exposed or concealed screw heads.
Morgan said, “ExoTec is definitely one of the easier products to install. Each floor was sheeted using full vertical sheets and painted onsite, and there is no lead time with the materials.”
Morgan recommends the ExoTec product as the system is well designed and both easy to learn and teach.
