Pushing the Envelope – James Hardie x Retallack Thompson

Embracing distinctive textures, sweeping scale, and every inch of space available, Retallack Thompson has collaborated with James Hardie on a speculative project, reimagining the potential of a traditional Federation brick bungalow using Hardie Fine Texture Cladding.

Architects Jemima Retallack and Mitchell Thompson of Sydney firm Retallack Thompson have approached this notional residence with great consideration, taking care to open the building up to the outside world. The project exists in concept only, not in material reality, as part of a collaborative enterprise initiated by James Hardie to exhibit the architectural potential of new innovation Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding. The creativity and impact of employing a singular material across the entirety of the extension are undeniable. Rather than thinking of the extension “as an appendage to an existing building,” Jemima explains the challenge was to create a new perimeter for the site, reclaiming the edges and underutilised areas of the property as part of the home.

Reclaim the site they did, using Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding, finished in a soft green-grey shade, to define not only the garden wall but also the exterior of the extension. “We like to explore how one material can be pushed. In this case how can it be [used as] fence, building, garden framing, entry portal,” Mitchell says. The singular use of the pre-textured, fibre cement product also showcases its texture. This allowed one of the key design concepts – an amplified awareness of the natural world – to shine through. “When you have a single material employed in different scenarios, you can see it respond in different ways. The cladding responds really well to shadow, and so it picks up different colours of the day,” he explains.

Retallack Thompson has collaborated with James Hardie on a speculative project, reimagining the potential of a traditional Federation brick bungalow using Hardie Fine Texture Cladding.

The size of the panels allowed Retallack Thompson to work on a grander scale. The lofty exterior of the extension, which doubles as a garden wall and features an operable screen, has been enabled by the larger 3600mm panel size. The cladding has also been used to exploit the sense of depth. Jemima describes how the application of the product on the fence “has an inherent thinness almost. But then when we use it as a cladding product on the actual house spaces, we lined the reveals with aluminium and galvanized steel. You get this exaggerated sense of depth in the space. We liked pushing that duality. Yes, it is an 8.5mm product but you can still have this sense of depth through the treatment of the openings and the punctuations.”

The extension primarily accommodates communal living spaces within the home and deftly incorporates the garden areas within this. While there is a conscious contrast between the private spaces of the original dwelling, and the shared area within the extension, the garden and its borders hold the two comfortably. Retallack Thompson worked closely with James Hardie on smaller details, to push the cladding to its most innovative potential. This resulted in features such as the portal within the fence, where an inverted arch steel frame, clad on either side, reveals a glimpse into the garden.

Retallack Thompson’s use of Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding challenges the perception of what such a material can do. Jemima explains the appeal of the product’s accessibility, and how this in no way compromises its potential.  “These sorts of materials can be beautiful when they’re considered; if the placement is considered, if the joints are considered, it can be elevated into these beautifully crafted pieces of architecture.”