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The Enduring Character of Sandstone

Gosford Quarries

For generations, sandstone has defined some of Australia’s most recognisable civic and heritage landmarks. Today the material is increasingly being reinterpreted within contemporary architecture, delivering façade systems that combine performance, sustainability, craftsmanship and timeless visual appeal.

As one of Australia’s leading suppliers of dimension stone, Gosford Quarries continues to play a major role in this evolution, pairing traditional stonemasonry expertise with advanced manufacturing technologies to deliver highly sophisticated architectural outcomes across commercial, civic and public projects.

“Australian sandstone has been used for generations in some of the country’s most iconic civic and heritage buildings, yet it also adapts seamlessly to modern architectural forms and detailing,” said Specification Representative James Pilling. “Its rich variation in colour, texture and finish allows architects to create facades that feel both contemporary and connected to the Australian landscape and built heritage.”

That versatility extends beyond aesthetics. Sandstone’s thermal stability, natural durability and lower embodied energy continue to position it as a highly sustainable alternative to many manufactured façade systems.

“Sandstone supports a return to more sustainable construction principles—where materials are both structural and aesthetic,” James explained. “When used in load-bearing or post-tensioned applications, it has the potential to reduce reliance on high-carbon materials like concrete and steel.”

Behind many of Gosford Quarries’ contemporary façade projects lies a sophisticated blend of artisan knowledge and cutting-edge technology. Skilled banker stonemasons work alongside CNC robotic machinery, CAD modelling systems and advanced profiling saws to create complex stone forms with exceptional precision.

“This combination of artisan knowledge and advanced processing technology has expanded the design possibilities of sandstone in contemporary architecture,” James said. “It allows architects and builders to realise complex façade concepts while maintaining the authenticity and qualities of natural Australian stone.”

The company collaborates closely with architects and builders from the earliest design stages, helping tailor colour palettes, finishes and stone profiles to suit each project’s architectural intent. Physical stone samples remain a critical part of the process, allowing project teams to assess texture, tone and natural variation firsthand.

“By working in close partnership with project teams throughout design, specification and fabrication, we ensure each project achieves a unique, site-specific architectural outcome that is both visually compelling and practical to construct,” James said.

Performance and compliance remain equally important considerations. Gosford Quarries works extensively with engineers and façade consultants to ensure fixing systems, weathering performance and durability requirements are addressed from the outset.

“Whether using traditional anchoring systems or modern mechanical fixings, we ensure compatibility between the stone and supporting structure, accounting for load, movement and long-term performance,” James said.

Among the company’s recent façade portfolio, 135 King Street in Sydney stands out as a particularly strong example of sandstone’s contemporary architectural potential. The refurbishment project reinterprets Sydney’s historic sandstone character through sculptural, vertically articulated façade elements that create depth, rhythm and constantly shifting interaction with light and shadow throughout the day.

Delivering the project required highly precise fabrication methods and close coordination across the broader project team. “It demonstrates how natural sandstone can work seamlessly alongside modern materials such as glass and steel, forming part of a fully integrated façade system that meets contemporary performance and buildability requirements,” James said.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Australian War Memorial upgrade in Canberra highlights Gosford Quarries’ capabilities within technically demanding heritage applications, with sandstone sourced from the same quarry location as the original building to achieve close material continuity.

These projects reflect the company’s ability to deliver both highly crafted contemporary façade systems and nationally significant heritage works, reinforcing sandstone’s enduring role within Australian architecture.

For more information contact Gosford Quarries, 301 Mona Vale Road, Terrey Hills NSW 2084, phone 02 8585 8282, email sales@gosfordquarries.com.au, website www.gosfordquarries.com.au




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Façade Design in the Era of Performance-Driven Compliance

RENYI

Australia’s façade sector is undergoing a structural shift driven by increasingly stringent NCC requirements, tightening energy efficiency targets, and the broader push toward net zero building performance.

As compliance thresholds rise, façade design is no longer resolved at the documentation stage, it is being shaped much earlier through thermal modelling, system selection, and performance verification.

This has elevated the importance of certified façade simulation and building physics expertise, particularly in projects where glazing, framing systems, and envelope detailing must be optimised to meet Section J and BASIX requirements without compromising architectural intent or cost feasibility.

Within this evolving context, specialist consultants such as RENYI Pty Ltd are playing an increasingly technical role in bridging design ambition and regulatory compliance through early-stage façade performance analysis and certified simulation methodologies.

Specialist Façade Simulation and Compliance Expertise

Founded by Allan Ang, RENYI operates at the intersection of sustainable building design, thermal performance simulation, façade optimisation, and NCC compliance.

In 2017, Allan became the first recognised NFRC certified simulator operating in Australia after undertaking intensive training in the United States through the National Fenestration Rating Council programme.

RENYI provides certified thermal performance and façade design advice alongside BASIX and NCC Section J compliance assessments across residential and commercial projects. Accredited in both NFRC and AFRC simulation, the consultancy delivers both international and Australian façade performance modelling, enabling a holistic assessment of building envelopes rather than isolated system components. This integrated capability is increasingly critical as façades shift beyond aesthetics and weatherproofing to become key drivers of energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and long-term building performance.

RENYI has built a strong reputation for delivering highly technical outcomes with a collaborative and responsive approach. “We are able to not only undertake window thermal calculations, but we can also set realistic targets for projects as well,” Allan explained. “We can look at the whole building holistically from a sustainability perspective.”

Early-Stage Façade Optimisation and Specification

Renyi provided technical advice for the facade design of the Macquarie luxury residential development in Sydney CBD, and this occurred before a façade subcontractor had even been engaged. “Façades come with a high level of risk. Consulting with us early in the process allows us to identify potential issues, which can otherwise become very expensive design changes later.” Allan said.

At Harbourside Darling Harbour, RENYI worked closely with the façade subcontractor during the early design phase to optimise window profiles and glazing selections against Section J energy efficiency targets.

“We undertook NFRC thermal calculations and worked out if the proposed system and glass selection would meet the target,” Allan said. “For the windows that didn’t meet the target, we provided improvements to how the window frames should be designed, without blowing the budget.”
That process took approximately three months and involved highly detailed analysis of frame design, glazing systems, thermal breaks, and façade composition. Using years of technical knowledge and simulation experience, Allan is often able to make subtle adjustments that produce significant energy efficiency improvements without forcing major redesigns.

RENYI’s expertise spans major healthcare and residential developments, including the Women’s Hospital in Perth, John Hunter Hospital, 699 Park Street for Mirvac, and current projects across Melrose Park and Rhodes.

As Australia’s construction industry continues pushing toward higher-performing and more sustainable buildings, RENYI is helping project teams bridge the gap between design ambition, compliance, cost, and buildability; ensuring façade systems perform not only for today’s standards, but for the future of the built environment.

For more information contact RENYI, Level 23, 520 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022, phone 02 9316 8882, email info@renyi.com.au, website www.renyi.com.au




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Heritage Glazing Solutions: Preserving Character with modern Façades

Altitude Facades

In premium architectural projects, the facade is often where design ambition is won or lost. Delivering bespoke finishes, large-format glazing, and heritage-inspired detailing requires far more than product supply, it demands specialist expertise capable of transforming architectural intent into built reality.

This challenge is particularly evident in adaptive reuse developments, where façade systems must preserve a building’s architectural character while meeting contemporary performance, compliance, and constructability requirements.

For Altitude Facades NSW, these complex projects sit at the core of the company’s expertise. Established in 2014 and led by Managing Director Rino Soriente, whose 40 years of industry experience spans some of Sydney’s most significant projects, specialising in bespoke architectural glass, aluminium, and steel facades, cladding, windows, and canopies.

At the Rosebery Engine Yards refurbishment, Altitude Facades NSW delivered a customised steel glazing package that combined heritage authenticity with contemporary performance requirements. Responsible for the complete design, engineering, supply, and installation scope, the company navigated strict heritage requirements while maintaining the precision craftsmanship needed to realise the project’s architectural vision.

“This was an adaptive reuse project with a strict heritage compliance standard,” says Rino. “Every glazing and façade element had to match the original intent of the building, which required an exceptional level of care from design right through to installation.”

The scope included more than 2,500m² of clerestory windows and what is anticipated to be Australia’s largest pivot doors for a commercial retail setting. This remarkable achievement required the doors to be designed and fabricated entirely in-house, with a hand-applied rust finish used to achieve an authentic heritage aesthetic. Frameless glass doors completed the shopfront treatment.

Current projects include the Cutaway, SCEGGS Wilkingson House refurbishment, 175 Pitt Street, an early learning centre in Turramurra, and a façade refurbishment at Bondi Westfields.

For more information contact Altitude Facades, 105/14 Loyalty Road, North Rocks NSW 2151, phone 0424 262 557, email sales@altitudegroup.net.au , website www.altitudefacades.com.au



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What Goes Behind Crafting Some of the World’s Most Challenging Curved Brickwork

Custom Clad, VIC and QLD–based cladding specialist, supplied and installed the complex curved brick façade at 17 Bennetts Lane.

Custom Clad

Rising 20 storeys above the narrow rhythm of Melbourne’s CBD, 17 Bennetts Lane demonstrates what is possible when technical façade engineering and vision align. At street level, this ambition is expressed through a highly intricate curved brick façade, where horizontal and vertical curves intersect to form a seamless, sculptural surface.

Curving brickwork in a single direction is already complex. At 17 Bennetts Lane, the challenge was amplified by the need to curve across both horizontal and vertical planes simultaneously. Every deviation, no matter how small, had the potential to compound across the façade. This combination of geometry and material behaviour is rarely attempted, not because it cannot be imagined, but because controlling it in practice demands an exceptional level of planning and expertise.

It was within these constraints that Custom Clad’s end-to-end cladding approach became critical. by bringing design, manufacture, supply and installation together as a single, coordinated process.

As part of this integrated scope, Custom Clad supplied a complete lightweight wall cavity system combining steel framing, non-combustible insulation, breathable sarking, and metal battens. The brick slip cladding extended across both the internal and external faces of the front entry, reinforcing the continuity of the curved form. Custom Clad also installed vertical feature cladding made from recycled Oregon timber salvaged from the demolition of the original structure on the site.

“This project began long before fabrication, with a fully modelled 3D steel framework developed by the team at Hacer Group”, said Michael Slowey, Director of Custom Clad. “The 3D model allowed our team to visualise every curve and detail of the building well in advance. Both the primary steel frame and the brick façade sub-frame were fabricated directly from this model, ensuring every line aligned with the intended architectural vision.”

From the 3D model, Custom Clad manufactured precise jigs for accurate setout on site for the specialised curved light gauge steel framing. These jigs ensured consistency across all curved sections, allowing the framing to form perfectly around the intricate window and wall shapes.

Every steel frame was manufactured in Custom Clad’s Hallam facility and delivered to site ready for installation, sorted and labelled for efficient assembly. Managing the logistics of delivery and coordination was crucial given the site tight access in the CBD.

Custom Clad’s ability to manufacture in-house and supply complete system helped reduce downtime on site and maintained consistent quality across every stage of the project. Working closely with Nubrik, Custom Clad ensured that the variations in natural clay pressed materials were managed carefully so that the finished façade achieved both structural and visual harmony.

During installation, multiple cladding installers worked simultaneously to erect the steel framing and lay the brick slips precisely according to detailed shop drawings.

Brickwork was installed progressively before mortar was applied, allowing the curvature to be refined and checked throughout the process. Particular care was taken to ensure brick and mortar colours aligned with adjacent façades and neighbouring buildings, reinforcing visual continuity at street level.

“It has been incredibly fulfilling to push the limits of cladding innovation again with Hacer Group, setting a new standard for what can be achieved with modern construction tools, exact setout and a collaborative approach”, said Slowey.
The finished result appears calm and effortless, a seamless curved brick façade that conceals months of planning, coordination and technical discipline.

At 17 Bennetts Lane, complexity has not been eliminated, but resolved, demonstrating how careful modelling, material understanding and craftsmanship can bring ambitious architectural forms to life with precision and elegance.

Custom Clad logo

For more information contact Custom Clad, phone 03 9791 2904, email info@customclad.com.au, website www.customclad.com.au

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Cladding as Character: Defining Walkerville Recreation Centre

LS Roofing and Cladding delivered precision roofing and cladding, balancing durability, performance, and modern identity.

LS Roofing and Cladding

The redevelopment of the Walkerville Recreation Centre showcases a strong balance of performance, durability, and modern design, with the roofing and cladding package playing a central role in the building’s visual identity and long-term resilience.

LS Roofing and Cladding delivered the full external roofing and wall cladding systems, supplying and installing FIELDERS materials across multiple building zones.

The main roof was completed in 0.48BMT Klip-Lok sheeting in Matt Shale Grey, paired with roof razors and insulation blanket to enhance thermal performance and weather protection.

The gymnasium walls were clad in 0.48BMT Span-Form, continuing the sleek Matt Shale Grey finish, while the lower level features 0.55mm Nailstrip cladding in Metallic Aries, adding contrast and a refined architectural detail.

“The Nailstrip cladding has that nice seamless finish and, when installed correctly, it has little to no oil-canning,” explained founder Leigh Surman.

Precision was critical. “All of the walls were packed out to a 1mm tolerance to provide a level surface,” says Leigh Surman, ensuring the cladding achieved a clean, consistent finish. Flashings in Matt Colourbond and Metallic Aries were detailed to integrate seamlessly with the façade.

Despite tight material lead times, the team maintained progress through careful sequencing of preparation works.

Led by founder Leigh Surman, the business brings strong industry experience to every project. From small re-guttering jobs, LS Roofing and Cladding has grown in three years into a seven-person team delivering medium to large commercial projects across the state.

For more information contact LS Roofing and Cladding, phone 0412 412 514, email leigh@lsroofing.net

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