Terracade Makes an impression in Elwood
Designing two upscale townhouses on a tight triangular site is typical of the work carried out by Melbourne architect Michael Angus. Not so typical is the use of Terraçade™, this being his first exposure to the innovative terracotta facade system.
The site, fronting onto the Elwood Canal, a popular recreation reserve, presented a number of challenges. It didn’t allow a northerly aspect and the upper levels had to be set back because of the prominent location. Essentially, the two three-level townhouses have living and outdoor areas on the middle level with bedrooms above and below. The ground level is defined by a massive curved and rendered masonry wall.
“We wanted the upper levels to dominate, almost float above the ground,” Michael Angus explains. The building structure is predominantly steel, with a slab-on-ground and suspended slab at first floor level and a timber floor above. The upper levels are clad in Terraçade™ TN in Gibson.
“We chose Terraçade™ because we wanted a material that was durable, and it has a nice texture and a bit of geometry about it,” says Angus. That was not before considering alternative materials including zinc panels – “very expensive”– and corrugated steel – “a bit industrial”– and rejecting these. “We could have used lower-grade alternatives like rendered foam or blueboard but it’s just too cheap looking.”
The Terraçade™ tiles are located on rails fastened to timber frames. A cavity insulated with fibreglass wool batts provides an air gap for ventilation and improved thermal performance. “A further benefit of Terraçade™ is that it doesn’t create a thick wall, Michael Angus adds.
The installation was also a first for the builder Jim Oosterweghel. “It was fairly easy,” he tells us, “you just have to keep everything plumb and horizontal and if you do that everything works out.”
So what is Michael Angus’s verdict on Terraçade™ “It’s not a cheap product but I think it really worked well here. We were able to create this effect of having a slick white rendered wall on the ground floor with the Terraçade™ texture and geometry on the upper floors. And it worked in quite well with the window grid.” And in the end? “I think it was quite good value for money. We’ll certainly be using Terraçade™ again in the right application.”