Client: Bayford & Co Developments
Architect: Garnett Netherwood Architects
Type of works: supply and installation of Marley's fibre-cement cladding.

Marley has supplied its Natura Pro fibre-cement cladding to the Hunslet Wharf development in Leeds.

Natura Pro features Marley’s new Pro coating, which has a tactile smooth surface. This protects against various types of staining, including graffiti produced by common aerosols and other paints, which can be eliminated by graffiti removers.

This was an important consideration for the architect who designed Hunslet Wharf as the site is close to the city centre and adjacent to an industrial area.

As well as its tough, hardwearing surface, Natura Pro was specified because the Anthracite colour and surface appearance complemented the red brick construction used on other elements of the building.

Natura Pro’s surface allows the natural variegation of the fibre-cement finish to be seen through the semi-transparent, pigmented coating. As soon as the architect saw this effect on the Marley sample, which was subsequently presented to the client, the decision was taken to use it as the rainscreen facade solution.

“We specified Natura Pro because it is a tough and durable cladding system that overcame the issues that we had with graffiti on some of our other developments in Leeds,” said Neil Oxlee, architect at Garnett Netherwood Architects. “We also liked the fact that Natura Pro in Anthracite complemented the red brick used on the building so well and the samples provided by Marley really helped us convey this to the client.”

Marley’s secret fix system was used to install the panels to the steel frame structure. The secret fix system uses specially designed plugs for fixing into pre-drilled holes in the backs of the fibre-cement panel. This ensures they are completely invisible once the panels are in place, allowing specifiers to retain the visual purity of the facade.

Hunslet Wharf, which opened earlier this year, was a design and build project by Garnett Netherwood Architects on behalf of the client, Bayford & Co Developments.