Progressive Materials specified and supplied EQUITONE natura panels in three tones – N252, N251 and N549 (Grey and Green) which were installed using DC Tech’s concealed fixing system for a clean, fastener-free finish. The high density, through-coloured fibre cement panel – meaning the colour runs through the full thickness of the board rather than sitting on the surface – hides cut edges and helps the cladding resist fading and weathering from UV and salt exposure over time. The panels are deemed non-combustible, making them well suited to a facility handling hydrogen and other energy feedstocks.
The standout design feature of this facade is the fixing. Paired with DC Tech’s concealed fixing system, the panels are mechanically anchored entirely from behind, with no face fixings, screws or visible brackets anywhere. That means a completely uninterrupted, seamless surface that reads as a single continuous plane from a distance. It’s a significantly cleaner, more refined result than a face-fixed system can achieve and it was exactly the crisp, architectural finish Ferguson Architects were after.
Behind the panels, SOLITEX EXTASANA® Wall underlay – a CodeMark-approved weather resistive barrier – was installed across the whole inside of the facade. It’s a non-porous monolithic membrane with Class 4 vapour permeability, so it keeps wind and driving rain out while still letting moisture trapped in the wall escape.
As a WA-based supplier, we are glad to support FEnEx CRC’s goal of building local industry capability, working alongside Ferguson Architects, Western Projects and BTG Building Services to keep the supply chain local, shorter and easier to coordinate.
