Adesanya Close is a new development which has been built with an aim to offer high quality rental accommodation in Palmerston North. Designed by Houston Architects, the seven two-storey homes feature more architectural flair than your standard rental property. One element that helps elevate the overall design is the use of Cemintel Territory Woodlands  — a hard wearing fibre cement cladding that recreates the look of natural timber while keeping maintenance to a minimum. 

The developers wanted to provide higher quality living for renters in the region, so both design and material selection were crucial. With this in mind, Houston Architects created a design concept which features an eye-catching cantilever off the top storey giving practical shelter over the front door, and the use of both brick and timber-look cladding. 

When it came to selecting the cladding, they needed something that could create the woodgrain look of natural timber, without the high maintenance requirements. Cemintel Territory Woodlands in Teak was chosen as it ticked both boxes.

Cemintel Territory Woodlands is a CodeMark certified fibre cement wall cladding system that replicates the look of natural timber. Available in 10 woodgrain finishes, it offers a smart option for adding the warmth and character of timber to buildings, while keeping maintenance to a minimum. 

Having specified Cemintel on previous projects the architects knew it was a reliable choice. “We’d used Cemintel before, and what we like about it is that it keeps the timber woodgrain look without weathering,” explains Project Architect, Wayne Houston, Houston Architects. “It’s not easy to maintain actual timber so we really like the fact that Cemintel keeps looking good over time. Coupling that with brickwork, we were giving the client a very low maintenance series of dwellings.”

Femi Adesanya, Director of The Stylebender Limited, developer and owner of Adesanya Close, said that he especially liked the look and low maintenance of the Cemintel Territory Woodlands cladding compared with other options considered. “The tipping point was the fact that it is low maintenance,” says Femi. “We don’t need to do heavy maintenance like painting for the next 15 to 20 years — all we have to do is wash it every year. So that was the attraction, and also it’s just different from the typical everyday properties that you see everywhere.”

Cemintel provided support to the architects throughout the project to assist with the vertical cladding design. “They were very good,” says Wayne. “We would keep in touch by email asking questions, sending details and asking opinions, so our detailing was very well documented with their assistance.”

This was the first project the builders had worked on using Cemintel, and the developer was pleased with the hands-on approach the technical team took, visiting the builders in Palmerston North to show them how to install the product. It’s that extra level of care offered by the Cemintel team that gave Houston Architects the confidence to specify the product. “We were able to specify confidently knowing wherever it was specified any problems would be overcome,” says Wayne.

The end result is seven stunning new homes that with their unique cantilever design and combination cladding bring a refined look to the build-to-rent development. And thanks to the low maintenance Cemintel Territory Woodlands timber-look cladding, the homes will look just as good as they did on day one for many years to come. 

“I'm very pleased with the Cemintel cladding. I’d use it again quite happily,” says Wayne. “We’ve even had comments from people in Palmerston North — ‘what's that product? We love it. We want to use it.’” 

For Femi, the cladding and overall design has hit the brief perfectly. “We’re extremely happy. The homes have come out beautifully,” he says. “I haven’t met anyone who has seen the homes and hasn’t commended the project in terms of architecture, materials, uniqueness of the whole concept and above all the thoughtfulness of providing quality accommodation for those who want to live in good homes but can’t afford to buy yet.”