Benefits of Corian cladding for your home

This is Corian as you’ve never seen it before. When you think of Corian, it’s likely you think of Corian benchtops, Corian sinks, or a Corian basin. You’d be forgiven for not associating this material with cladding, but you’d be mistaken as Corian proves itself to be one of the best materials to use for cladding.

This is a new development to the market that effortlessly rivals timber cladding, stone cladding or Colorbond steel cladding giving Australians a new option for their home build.

Designed by David Stewart from Stewart Design, this home was built by Dave Hudson from Milestone Building and lovingly crafted with Corian on both the exterior and interior by SCF Interiors; it is a groundbreaking new build that pushes the boundaries of design and innovation in a way that has never been seen or  done before.

Perched on a waterfront sloping lot in Bayview — one of Sydney’s most sought-after locations —  the design called for something special that would enable it to sit in line with its location and plot. The homeowners had a vision to preserve the stunning view with double-glazed full-height sliding and fixed panels of glass on both levels facing due north. “It was the perfect site,” explains David Stewart, lead architect from Stewart Design, “it sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on the top of a cliff face in Bayview Heights with a large wedge-shaped block that provided expansive panoramic views of Pittwater with the Royal Yachts Clubs to the right, Scotland island to the left in the foreground and Lion Island as the distant centre point.”

This unique location incorporated a gentle slope towards the water, which made the spot perfect for a two-level residence, which would in turn facilitate the use of double-glazed full height windows sourced from Italy and Germany.

Using Corian as cladding

Although the installation of these windows by Enviro Window Designs to the front of the property is a spectacular design feat — the largest being 6m by 2.7m —  the real unsung hero of this home is the Corian cladding used on the exterior to the rear and sides of the home.

“The decision or solution to use Corian as an exterior cladding material almost came about by chance during a meeting while working on the interior design consultancy to Maritimo one of the largest builders of luxury motor yachts that successfully compete with the world’s best of the international brands,” explains David.

“As an aside during the meeting I was discussing this exciting residential project with the Corian Queensland State Manager regarding the kitchens and bathrooms, when he asked if I had ever considered using Corian on the exterior of the residence.”

The benefits of Corian

David had not considered using Corian previously, but as he started to dive deeper into exploring this option, he found its suitability unfolded to present Corian as a perfect solution. While at first, David had had some reservations about using Corian in this way, believing that there could be some expansion and contraction issues and potential UV degradation, he soon discovered that the expansion and contraction was minimal and Corian has a particularly good level of UV resistance, not to mention an excellent track record with stain resistance.

Furthermore Corian offered some extra benefits other competitors didn’t. “Corian by comparison to the alternatives offered all the qualities I had been searching for,” David says, “controlled panel precision, consistent colour and finish, stain resistance, and it offered a perceived softness through a translucent depth. The project was discussed at length with Corian USA and Australia during Milan Design week with great interest and an offer of help to bring this project to fruition.”

What are the challenges?

Being the first home to use Corian as exterior cladding in this way didn’t come without challenges. Firstly, it required the homeowners to take a leap of faith, putting their trust in both the architects and in SCF Interiors that the material would meet their needs of minimal future maintenance in an environment of gum trees. To help meet these needs, Matt Biviano from SCF Interiors was appointed as the contractor to work with Stewart Design during the development stage of cladding system design and detailed costings.

How did SCF Interiors help?

“SCF Interiors was engaged to supply, fabricate and install external Corian wall cladding and the front door and bathroom vanities,” explains Matt. “This was the first time Corian had been used for external wall cladding in a residential home in Australia, so it called for a brand new concealed fixing system consisting of aluminum framing, which was developed to fix the panels back to a dincel concrete wall structure. The fixing system also needed to facilitate the Corian shadow line between each panel.”

This was no mean feat with the oversized panelling of which the largest sits at 3000mm by 1450mm, but the result is spectacular and well worth the effort put in. The clients wanted a house that was unique and that would set it apart from the surrounding properties and anything else in the luxury home space and Corian undoubtedly facilitates this being achieved.

“The end result justifies the time spent in the development of the systems and ensures the future use of Corian in unique exterior situations on residential and commercial projects,” adds David. “My life has been driven by a passion for design that has never diminished over time. Always living for the next challenge, always challenging the design solution, always questioning a better way, a better solution, new technologies and new materials.”

“This Bayview home was a project and challenge that I took on board with great enthusiasm and believed it was one that demanded the ultimate in design solutions and material selection,” he concludes.

Architect: Stewart Design
Builder: Milestone Building
Corian Panels: SCF Interiors
Words Alexandra Longstaff
Photography Alex Mead