Bold yet restrained - LYSAGHT ENSEAM®

demonstrates versatility in Jamberoo project

When working with a steep block there are two schools of thought – fight with the land, scar it with deep site cuts and allow for expensive retaining walls, or work with the slope using it to advantage, and to the overall benefit of the home design.

Looking at a recent project in Jamberoo on the South Coast of New South Wales, built by Chris Evans Constructions and conceptualised by Nadine K Design, it’s clear that principal Nadine Ryan has taken the latter approach, working closely with clients Brad and Karen to design a generously proportioned home that still manages to meld with the hillside.

“We wanted low standout because the block has a lovely rural outlook – one of our main goals was to have the home blend into the landscape rather than overpower it,” Nadine explained.

“As well as opting for a more subtle split-level design, cladding the home with LYSAGHT ENSEAM® in the dark Monument® colour helped anchor the home, allowing it to complement the surrounding farmlands.”

Nadine said that ENSEAM® also assisted in meeting other areas of the design brief, both aesthetically and through its impressive functionality.

“ENSEAM® is characterised by its generous flat pans and bold vertical ribs, and this worked extremely well with the dimension of our 882m² corner block,” she said.

“The site had considerable frontage to the West, and the vertical ribs helped offset the width of the home, bringing balance to the front façade.”

This rationale was replicated by choosing dark powder coated aluminium battens installed vertically as balustrading for the home’s verandah, as well as in the downstairs outside seating area, where it’s been applied in a grand piano-shaped pattern that acts as privacy screening.

Nadine specifies LYSAGHT® steel wall and roof cladding extensively in her designs and when she broached the idea using ENSEAM® to her clients, her choice was enthusiastically received.

“Although now retired, Brad had enjoyed a long career in the steel industry. He’s worked at Whyalla steelworks, in The Illawarra, and he also had a stint in New Zealand before finishing at Port Kembla. Wife Karen thought the idea of a home that used steel extensively throughout, was a fitting nod to her husband’s long involvement in steelmaking.”