Luxury meets practicality at Sierra Hawthorn—the $250 million residential and retail space on Burwood Road in Melbourne.
The building was the daring brainchild of JD Group, MAP Architecture, L.U. Simon, C&K Interior Design and Industry Cladding. Its bold architectural statement goes beyond aesthetics to create a tremendous sense of space via its unique ‘S’ shape. Its unmistakable presence is even more evident in the well-considered, interactive retail spaces.interactive retail spaces.
The building encompasses all the usual mod-cons one would expect of luxury living. From a rooftop garden terrace overlooking magnificent CBD views, through to a well-equipped gymnasium and a 22m indoor pool, spa and sauna. Nestled within the Sierra’s elegant curves sit two, large landscaped courtyards that present a broad, leafy outlook.
The building is split into various functions; the different areas and purposes fit seamlessly together to make most use out of precious inner-city space. Different façades have been used for different sections of the building, chosen to best reflect the surrounding area. For instance, the street-facing façades feature materials like shimmering glass and slick metal, whereas the residential units located in the quieter rear of the ‘S’ adopt a more traditional medium density design.
A One-Stop Cladding Shop: Fabrication and Installation
Industry Cladding & Roofing not only installed the 2000sqm of panels required to clad the façade. We also manufactured the panels at our Bacchus March factory. This was achieved through our sister business: Industry Metals. Launched in early 2020, the capabilities of Industry Metals have enabled us to streamline our workflow even further and continue delivering projects to the highest standards, within the most efficient timeframe possible.
“We are Victoria’s leading metal cladding business. Our knowledge and experience is second to none. We know metal cladding inside out in terms of its capabilities and limits. Not only do we fabricate it, we install it as well,” said Wright.
The Power of Colour
The project façade called for a combination of COLORBOND® steel cladding, encompassing panels in Cosmic® from the metallic range, as well as four different shades of green: COLORBOND® SucculentTM, Fresh GreenTM, Mangrove® and Pale Eucalypt® brought Sierra to life.
According to our Managing Director, Grant Wright, “Material choice plays a huge role in the design of any building, whether it is a university, a hospital, or a high-end residential development like Sierra Hawthorn. Materials play a significant role in a building’s energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and the comfort and safety of its occupants. Material choice directly impacts the durability, maintenance requirements, and overall aesthetic appeal of a building.”
“The most unique aspect of Sierra’s aesthetic appeal is derived from its use of colour. We used COLORBOND® steel panels in a variety of shades, including Cosmic®, SucculentTM, Fresh GreenTM, Mangrove® and Pale Eucalypt®.”
The use of colour in a building’s façade holds the power to not only enhance its aesthetic appeal but also influence the mood and perception of the space. Thoughtful colour choices can make a structure stand out, blend with its surroundings, or even convey cultural significance and identity. The COLORBOND® steel Studio makes it easier than ever to make carefully considered colour choices.
As Joshua Muyambo (Director, MAP Architects) described, “If you look around Hawthorn, you will find that there is a lot of established greenery and established trees. The shades of green as time progresses through the seasons vary. So, it was very important for us to reflect that in the building façade material selection. [The use of varying shades of green] was a very deliberate gesture that enabled us to create a direct link between the building elements and the prevailing surrounding conditions of the site.”
“The COLORBOND® steel Studio empowers you to unleash your creative potential in unprecedented ways, offering a spectrum of over 200 hues. Plus, it gives you the ability to colour match just about any product or finish,” said Wright.
Using the COLORBOND® steel Studio, architects, developers and home owners alike can match colours and finishes by RGB or HEX colour values, as well as Dulux® paint colour names. It even allows you to upload a file, which it will then automatically match with the four closest COLORBOND® colours.
Creating Magic via Collaboration
Collaboration between the architect and on-site trades is an essential ingredient of any construction project. Collaboration ensures that a building’s design is faithfully and efficiently translated into a physical structure.
“The interlocking profile was the most delicate profile between the panels, which enabled us to bring out best in the design. We’re not cladding installers, we’re architects, we know what we want it to look like. We use the best of our abilities to recommend how it should be done. But the guys on site are the ones who are doing it every day. There needs to be communication and collaboration on the best way to do it. Then you meet halfway and it creates magic,” said Muyambo.
“The architect’s vision and technical expertise need to align with the practical knowledge and skills of the tradespeople to address unforeseen challenges and make necessary adjustments. Our collaborative approach fosters better communication, minimises errors, and contributes to the timely and cost-effective completion of a building,” said Wright.
Creating Magic via Collaboration
“The interlocking profile was the most delicate profile between the panels, which enabled us to bring out best in the design. We’re not cladding installers, we’re architects, we know what we want it to look like. We use the best of our abilities to recommend how it should be done. But the guys on site are the ones who are doing it every day. There needs to be communication and collaboration on the best way to do it. Then you meet halfway and it creates magic,” said Muyambo.
“The architect’s vision and technical expertise need to align with the practical knowledge and skills of the tradespeople to address unforeseen challenges and make necessary adjustments. Our collaborative approach fosters better communication, minimises errors, and contributes to the timely and cost-effective completion of a building,” said Wright.
Collaboration between the architect and on-site trades is an essential ingredient of any construction project. Collaboration ensures that a building’s design is faithfully and efficiently translated into a physical structure.
Beautiful, Aesthetically Pleasing Spaces
Sierra Hawthorn showcases the incredible versatility of cladding and the power of colour. It empowers architects and engineers to break free from conventional building notions and craft awe-inspiring structures that would be challenging to accomplish with alternative construction materials.
“Cladding addresses a whole host of design dilemmas and helps create beautiful, aesthetically-pleasing spaces in which people want to live, shop and work. With cladding systems, the possibilities are boundless—achieving wonders is feasible with the appropriate team on board,” said Wright.
