“We used Villaboard Lining over RAB Board to give the walls a better fire-resistance rating.”

The concept for the Maison Apartments combines an outdoor New Zealand lifestyle with all the features and conveniences of a high-end apartment. The building was designed to take advantage of the area’s many geographical assets: the pohutukawa lined beaches, the Waitemata Harbour, and Lake Pupuke.

Sitting above three levels of basement car parking, with an air-conditioned commercial space on the ground floor, the Maison Apartments features a majestic five-storey atrium at the entrance and incorporates five levels of opulent apartment accommodation.

The towering atrium is the project’s pièce de résistance and represents one of James Hardie’s technical contributions. Architect Matthew Parker wanted a very specific panelised look with a textured paint finish. Requiring a custom solution, Parker consulted with Singh Kamboj, James Hardie’s Technical Manager who created a tailor-made system of Villaboard Lining glued directly onto RAB Board.

“We used Villaboard Lining over rigid backing RAB Board to give the walls a better fire-resistance rating,” explains Singh. “The boards were put together in the internal corridors with negative joins and were adhesive-fixed only to enhance the aesthetic.”

Product performance

Despite being outside the technical specifications, Singh looked at the details and considered the product’s performance history in applications such as this, and didn’t hesitate to issue it with a 15-year product warranty, provided the system was fitted by a construction company trained and experienced in working with James Hardie building products.

Linea Weatherboard and Titan Facade Panel were also used on the Maison Apartments to break up the exterior of the building, creating both visual interest and increased fire safety.

James Hardie Recognised Installer Livefirm Construction was contracted for the project. A major benefit of the James Hardie Recognised Installer network is that it alleviates the stress for contractors and developers, allowing them to use contactors experienced in installing James Hardie products. As a result, they know that the job will be completed exactly as it should to be.

Most staff working for a Recognised Installer have completed James Hardie’s comprehensive training programmes in products such as Linea Weatherboard and the popular Titan Facade Panel.