Architectural ambition meets everyday practicality

The two-lot subdivision was never intended as a speculative build. Both homes were designed for an owner occupier client, created to accommodate their immediate and extended family in a practical, cohesive living arrangement. This brief shaped decisions from roof form down to cladding profile. “The architectural language aimed to be contemporary, minimalist and timeless,” says Elaine Cheung, Project Lead, 10x10 Architecture. 

“Simple geometric forms, a restrained material palette, strong vertical lines and a hint of natural timber on lot two were used to create a clean but warm residential character.” 

The client had a clear preference from the outset for pitched roof forms over flat ones, favouring a more conventional and robust approach to long-term weather protection. Combined with the sloping nature of the site, this meant the building form had to be carefully worked through in response to planning requirements, including height in relation to boundary controls. The result is two homes that are in harmony with their site.

For the cladding, Hardie™ fibre cement was specified across both homes. “Oblique™ Weatherboard provided the clean, contemporary appearance we were looking for, while allowing us to work confidently with a darker colour palette.” 

Vertical timber shiplap and cedar were considered as alternative cladding materials, with cedar featured as an accent on Lot 2 alongside the Oblique™ Weatherboard. Used selectively, it provides warmth, texture and contrast, creating a balanced façade that blends contemporary design with natural materials.

“We were aiming for a contemporary and timeless architectural language, with a balance between darker painted cladding and warmer natural timber elements. The vertical Oblique™ Weatherboard profile reinforces the sense of height and creates simple, consistent shadow lines across the façade”

Durability and low maintenance were key considerations for the project, particularly given the long-term ownership and maintenance requirements of the development. “We wanted a cladding material that would retain a clean, architectural aesthetic over time while minimising the ongoing upkeep typically associated with natural timber cladding.”

A distinctive white portal frame at each entry adds a further layer of definition, marking out each home’s front door within the wider streetscape.

Vertical timber was considered as an alternative cladding, but Oblique™ Weatherboard was ultimately preferred because it offered a similar clean vertical aesthetic while providing greater durability and lower ongoing maintenance requirements. Its ability to achieve a strong architectural appearance in darker tones was also an important consideration.

“For a multi-unit development, we consider the long-term performance and maintenance requirements of the external envelope to be particularly important, both from an owner’s and a developer’s perspective.” 

Fire performance was also a key factor in material selection. James Hardie’s Fire & Acoustic Design Manual helped coordinate fire and acoustic requirements across the design and construction teams. “Fire separation was an important consideration for this multi-unit development. We used the JHETGO30V Fire and Acoustic Rated Wall System by James Hardie for the relevant boundary walls.”

The finished development presents a row of gabled, dark-clad homes, each given its own identity through subtle cladding variation and a bright portal entry. For 10x10 Architecture, it’s an example of how a familiar architectural form, paired with the right cladding system, can meet the practical demands of a multi-unit development while still delivering an aesthetically pleasing result.

10x10 Architecture also liked how the product’s BRANZ appraisal gave both the design and construction teams confidence, with no significant issues raised by council or inspectors in relation to the cladding throughout the project. Builders on site reported a similarly straightforward experience, with the product’s availability and consistency helping keep the programme on track.

The finished homes present a clean, contemporary street presence – dark, vertically-clad forms with pitched rooflines and warm timber accents, shaped as much by the site as by the client’s brief. The final outcome is a project that shows how the right cladding choice can support a design language built for the long term.