The sculptor Paul de Monchaux has a new studio in south London which perfectly showcases the looks, quality and versatile nature of Cembrit’s Cembonit cladding. Designed by Rozeman Architects’, the studio uses a dark Blue-Grey Cembonit as a hard-wearing external cladding which blends subtly with the garden setting while providing the perfect backdrop to the stone selection and cutting used in the artwork.

The commission to design the studio came to Rozeman following a long working relationship between the architectural practice and sculptor. The detailed design brief held a number of challeges for Rozeman: the project had to be completed on a tight budget; the design needed to accommodate a large A frame gantry to move stone around, and the studio also had to double up as a display space. In addition to this the studio would also need to be completed in a fashion that would get conservation area consent.

Rozeman Architects’ worked on a design that was able to accommodate the constraints of access, cost and buildability. Working closely with the structural engineer and the steel fabricator the result is an elegant solution.

“We used the Cembonit to wrap round the studio and give it presence and a volumetric appearance,” say Bert Rozeman. “It is a great product that offers beautiful colours integral to the material, is cost effective and with the option of concealed fixing all the drawbacks in weathering have been removed.”

The Cembonit was installed by contractor HA Marks mounted on timber batten framework to Rozeman Architects’ detailed specifications. Cembonit cladding is specially designed for external cladding, semi-exposed and internal lining applications. It is produced from cement, sand, cellulose, wollastonite and sodium silicate and impregnated with an aqueous, hydrophobic liquid, which provides the sheets with a water and dirt repellent surface.

Cembonit is a strong, durable and lightweight product and is an attractive, cost-effective and maintenance-free Class 0 cladding panel, ideal for a variety of decorative cladding applications.