James Hardie Building Products Ltd

The new clubhouse for Bridgnorth Rugby Club is designed to be a versatile venue, accommodating both match days and various functions. The choice of Hardie® Panel in Anthracite Grey and RAL 6017 not only provides a sleek, modern aesthetic but also ensures a robust and durable solution that will stand the test of time. This project exemplifies the perfect blend of functionality and contemporary design, making it a standout addition to the community.

fermacell’s Gypsum Fibreboard panels have saved construction costs for a new school. fermacell® was used to dry-line a new primary school to enable the main contractor, Interserve Construction, the international support services and construction group, to accelerate the construction programme.

Around 34,000 sq m of gypsum fibreboard has been installed throughout the internal walling of The Morgan Stanley Clinical building (Phase 2A), which will form one half of the £300 million Mittal Children’s Medical Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

There’s no greater accolade for a building products manufacturer than being specified by architects for architects, and that is exactly what specialist partitioning board supplier fermacell® achieved at the University of Portsmouth. The £9 million building comprises large lecture theatre, seminar room, café and shop over the ground and first floors, and open-plan offices for academic and administrative staff and a post-graduate centre on the upper floors via floor plans which are easily divided and flexible.

Timber frame manufacturer Scotts of Thrapston has used fermacell on a pioneering school build. Scotts of Thrapston in Northamptonshire have 95 years’ expertise in the equestrian and garden buildings sector but recently decided to try and break into the education sector by supplying modular classroom buildings. They specified 153 of fermacell’s 1200mm x 2400mm x 12.5mm boards for their first such project, Weldon Church of England Primary School, in their home county, and have not looked back since, also using fermacell® for another school and an office building.

Gypsum Fibreboard partitioning by specialist building panel manufacturer fermacell® was specified for a redeveloped research facility for a quadruplet of reasons at least, its fire and acoustic properties, robustness and weight bearing capabilities to name just a few.

Modular buildings are becoming a more popular solution as they demonstrate cost savings, shorter construction time and sustainability benefits. Go Modular Technologies (UK) Ltd manufactured ten flats constructed by nine large modules on three levels over the concrete commercial ground floor for this project in Poole. We were able to offer an affordable A2 fire rated solution to finish the building envelope which resulted in the facade being completed in Hardie® Architectural Panel. The planning approval was originally for render and buff brick so we were able to provide a similar look with our Smooth Sand texture which was chosen in three of our core colours to give this coastal location a modern and contemporary look.

When Ace Kind Ltd was asked to refurbish and retile the shower and changing facilities at the prestigious Shifnal Golf Club, they were expecting a fairly straightforward job. However, Adrian Holt, a director of the Staffordshire-based building contractors, had no idea that the original plasterboard had started to disintegrate behind the tiles. When the contractor highlighted the problem to golf club managers they were given the go-ahead to replace the plasterboard, but rather than repeat the mistakes of the past Ace Kind opted to use Hardie® Backer board.

Norstone UK is the leading provider of natural stacked stone and stone veneers in the UK. When used for interior applications such as around enclosed fire places and feature walls, Norstone recommends Hardie® Backer cement backerboard for tile and stone. Jack Jago, Director of Norstone UK, explains how the relationship with Hardie® Backer board came about: ‘we were having problems with many projects that have existing plasterboard where people wanted to tile stone on the plasterboard. But this won’t work as it will pull away half of the time as Norstone is a natural stone; it weighs 65kg per square metre.’

James Hardie recently featured on a stunning leisure facility in the heart of Clarach Bay, Aberystwyth. In collaboration with Nick Carroll Architects, we were able to provide a unique Hardie® Panel solution to this project. Originally a competitor product was specified at nearly three times the cost of Hardie® Panel, the client chose to switch to James Hardie thanks to our cost effectiveness, A2 fire rating and providing a robust cladding solution.

Lukehurst furniture shop required a much-needed facelift to attract local customers and ensure the building was suitable to host the family business for years to come. Working with Apex Façades Ltd and James Hardie, this became a reality. As a well-known fitter of Hardie® products, Apex Facades knew that there was a safe and affordable solution available for this project. Apex worked with the owner of the business, providing our free to order samples to help them decide which product and colour scheme most suited their style and brand. 

James Hardie were delighted to support Featherstone Homes on this recent luxury development of 22 apartments on Mitcham Road, London. The project spanned 800 sqm and required our products to be used in walkways, balconies and soffits. The developer’s commitment to their projects is to help purchasers to move in to a home which has been built to exceptional standards and therefore chose James Hardie as one of their trusted partners due to the quality of our products.

Jerry had always liked New England style houses so this is what he and his wife envisioned for the renovation, a sharp looking house with clean lines. They felt this would be achievable through an extension of the house and a cladded facade. It was their contractor who pointed Jerry in the direction of Hardie® Plank cladding, which he felt would be the ideal solution for the project. Even though the contractor had not worked with the product before, he had seen it on other properties and was keen to start working with the cladding.

When Bill and Angie first moved to Thorpe in 2002, 10 years later and with their retirement in sight, they knew they had their dream location, but refurbishing the existing building would have been challenging. They opted for a self-build bungalow design by Kingspan Potton called the Dartmoor, a stylish design with cladding. Bill explains his choice: ‘We wanted our home to have a contemporary look and to achieve this cladding was a must. We looked at all the options including Hardie® Plank and for us it was an easy decision; quick to install, cost effective and beautiful’

The owner of family business The Fabulous Fascia Company Ltd, Gary has been providing high-quality improvements on homes, schools and commercial properties across East Anglia for years, but says he hasn’t found anything to match the quality and long-lasting results of Hardie® Plank cladding. Five times thicker than vinyl, resistant to fire, moisture, rot, and able to withstand winds of up to 150mph, the product’s maintenance free upkeep appealed to Gary. He believes Hardie® Plank is delivering great visible results for his clients, plus long-lasting reassurance there will be no further outlay on keeping that look.

As the owner of a 1980s brick-built detached house in Chessington, Toby Spencer had never liked the austere timber cladding that covered most of its top half. So when time and weather finally began to take their toll on the black painted wood after 10 years, he decided to consider a tougher, longer-lasting option. Having researched plastic cladding as a replacement, Toby was introduced to Hardie® Plank cladding by James Hardie preferred contractor Square Deal. And by choosing the product in Traditional Red, he said goodbye to the black weatherboard in favour of a brighter future.

Longwater Reach is a collection of 74 two, three and four bedroom houses at Green Park Village being created by St Edward, part of the Berkeley Group. Exterior design traits include classic HardiePlank® weatherboarding in colours including Arctic White and Midnight Black, providing a natural timber effect, long-lasting durability and a stunning finish. Coloured matched finely-finished balconies and window frames complete the look, with natural landscaping and pathways, all designed to blend in to the development’s calming waterside backdrop.

When London Green Developments wanted the latest trend in facade cladding for a new development of town houses in Essex, they didn’t look much further than Hardie® Plank cladding to provide a durable and visually impactful finish. Being that ‘The Beach Houses’ were situated at a popular beachfront location, a selection of colourful cladding finishes were chosen to complement the seaside location and the unique style of the development. Hardie® Plank cladding not only met the aesthetic criteria but as the houses are in close proximity to the sea, it will also provide excellent protection from the harsh elements.’

When Barry Daly, company director of BUDA Building and Development, went to visit an old reclaim yard in Rawreth to purchase some oak for a development he was working on, all he found was a barren site. The development, Trenders Barn, consists of four timber frame luxury detached properties, each with a unique design. Along with the need for a high quality finish for such a premium build, environmental performance was also a key deciding factor for the choice of all materials. Hardie® Plank, in midnight black was specified for the facades to stay in-keeping with local Essex design styles.

The facade of Rollercoaster House is made up of render, a curtain wall system and Hardie® Plank cladding. It is the first time that site manager David Tomlinson has worked with the product, who states that the coastal environment conditions were the main factor when deciding which type of cladding to use. ‘With timber, David says, ‘however good a product you are going to get, it wouldn’t have had the same lifespan as Hardie® Plank at the end of the day. PVC discolours, especially the darker colours, but I am expecting and hoping that Hardie® Plank will stand the test of time.’

Barratt Developments, the UK’s largest housebuilder, has built a unique flagship zero carbon home concept featuring Hardie® VL Plank. The home is called the Zed House and will be occupied and monitored to assess its performance.It is the first new home in the country built by a major housebuilder to go beyond the new Future Homes Standard by delivering a carbon reduction of 125% . Last year Barratt announced that all their new homes will be zero carbon by 2030 and this flagship concept house is the first step in achieving that. For this project Hardie® VL Plank was chosen in Anthracite Grey in a half wrap to create a great contrast against the brickwork. The seamless interlock of Hardie® VL Plank cladding epitomises architectural modern design and creates a stunning look for any home.The home has been developed as an industry showcase home to demonstrate what is achievable, particularly from a mainstream, volume housebuilder. There has been a collaboration with over 40 leading industry partners from across the housebuilding, sustainability and technology sectors, all helping to broaden knowledge in zero carbon living with the lessons learnt from the construction being shared across the industry. Incorporating Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) such as closed panel timber frames with highly insulated cladding. Less maintenance due to our ColourPlus™ Technology means that our products deliver a high-quality, consistent finish to facades that will stand the tests of time. Our unmatched technological innovation makes our product generations ahead in performance meaning our products are impact, fire, insect resistant and weather resistant. Therefore, as the world continues to look towards sustainable solutions for the future we continue to invest in the on-going development of composite cement products recognised as being durable, low maintenance and energy efficient.

A self-detached home in Brighton that once blended in with its' neighbours is now arguably the street's most striking resident. The homeowners were passionate about creating a contemporary two-toned look, using materials that are durable and low maintenance.The exterior walls are clad with Hardie® VL Plank fibre cement board, showcasing a mix of a vertical installation on the top half and horizontal installation on the bottom half. The clean, modern lines of the interlock V groove help to accentuate the building's shape, enhancing a sense of spaciousnous.

Classic meets contemporary with new Hardie® VL Plank interlock board on new extension.Traditional home in Harrogate was extended at the rear with a new double-storey extension and contrasting tongue and groove Hardie® VL Plank weatherboard on the upper level.The homeowner chose Hardie® VL Plank board for its' fresh, symmetrical look and low maintenance properties. Here Anthracite Grey in cedar complements the local stone to offer a strong contrast. The end result is a striking renovation that beautifully captures the character of the home's local heritage. "Mixing traditional with modern was key to our design and so we quickly switched to Hardie® VL Plank for the crisp, clean lines to contrast with the exposed stone" - Private Homeowner.

Heathlands School is the largest deaf school within the UK offering a Total Communication approach to education incorporating British Sign Language, Sign Supported English and spoken English. The school needed more classroom space so they commissioned architects Manalo & White (in collaboration with deaf architect Richard Dougherty) and building contractor Gemstone, to create a new dedicated classroom building on the same site as the existing school building. The School wanted to improve the provision of classrooms but it was already a tight site so the designers carried out an initial master-planning exercise to identify potential opportunities. They chose to create a new timber-framed building rather than extending the existing school building, and the architects connected the new structure to the existing building via a first-floor level bridge.Originally the site was built as a Primary School and had been adapted to make it suitable for a deaf school. This new building was purpose built for the requirements of the pupils with 6 bright, open classrooms with generous windows and a state-of-the-art heating, cooling and ventilation system. All of the circulation is exterior so there are no internal corridors. By positioning the new building in the corner of the campus it made use of otherwise under-utilised space and created a new additional outdoor learning area for the students which could be accessed directly from the ground floor classrooms. The new building mirrored the scale of the existing buildings so that it immediately felt like a comfortable addition. The architects didn’t want to design another brick building and instead deliberately chose to clad the exterior, creating a new identity for the building. The architects specified Alexandrite Green for the cladding to symbolise nature, health, and harmony, with yellow windows to represent light and ‘thriving in unison. Yellow also helps with perception and helped the students to move easily around the spaces. Initially Gemstone spoke with a number of cladding manufacturers about producing the coloured panels for the project, but it was James Hardie who were able to colour match the panels in custom colour Alexandrite Green with a professional service. Hardie® Panel can be produced in any colour within the RAL colour system, providing plenty of options for every project. They are available in a range of textures, offering the ultimate design flexibility. Gemstone chose to use Hardie® Panel in smooth for the 240m2 envelope of the building.  Because the project was on a live school site Gemstone had to be sensitive to disruption and pupil access. Deliveries were scheduled for early morning and late afternoon to avoid pick up and drop off hours. The site was cordoned off from the rest of the school during construction to ensure minimal interruption to the pupils and teachers.All of the panels were designed individually and fabricated off site by Marco Industries to minimise drilling and cutting on site. Not only did this help with health and safety on the school campus but it also sped up the installation process. The project was completed on time, to a very tight budget, and the client was very happy with the delivery.