Shadowclad case study: Blues Point Hotel

Project:

Blues Point Hotel, McMahons Point, NSW

Product:

SHADOWclad® Grooved

Architect(s):

Carterwilliamson

Award(s):

Australian Timber Design Awards: Special Judges Award

Fluid SHADOWclad façade – the perfect place for a quiet drink.

Sometimes the most challenging jobs, end up being the most rewarding. This was certainly the case for architect Shaun Carter of Carterwilliamson when commissioned to create an outdoor area and ‘smokers terrace’ in Sydney’s Blues Point Hotel. The curved façade of this Art Deco hotel provided the initial inspiration to create an extraordinary 4.8 m tall, walled and acoustically attenuated outdoor room.

Challenged with planning constraints, acoustic constraints, budget constraints, concerns from neighbours and a 30 m tall Norfolk Pine, Shaun and his team rose to the challenge. The fluid curves of the courtyard’s SHADOWclad® façade undulate to provide a contemporary contrast to the heritage of the old hotel. Originally specified as zinc, cost became a factor and SHADOWclad was the perfect replacement material. “We needed something that looked fantastic,” said Shaun – not to mention something that was tough enough for the façade, could be curved around the structural steel frame and house hi-tech acoustic insulation.

Shaun was very familiar with SHADOWclad having used it on five residential jobs before this – including his own home and the Blues Point Hotel builder’s home. SHADOWclad has become favoured by architects, designers and builders alike for its strength, durability and appearance. As Shaun puts it, “getting a façade working and looking beautiful, that’s not that expensive – well, that’s the ideal in architecture.”

Lightweight, plywood SHADOWclad is available in sheets 1200 mm wide and lengths of 2440, 2745 or 3050 mm with a shiplap weathergroove joint. The sheets have a rough band sawn surface and in this project, the vertical grooved texture with a pre-primed powder coated finish was selected. SHADOWclad is also available in an unprimed, natural surface for staining.

Manufactured by Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts from sustainable managed plantation timber, SHADOWclad is available with FSC Chain of Custody certification on request. That’s good news for the environment and for contributing to Green Star credit points.

Ecological sustainable design (ESD) is a specialty of Carterwilliamson and it shows. In this project, they’ve produced an impressive timeless piece of architecture of the highest quality, with a long-wearing façade that will stand the test of time. Let’s drink to that!