Situated on the hillside in Kelburn, Te Puni Village at Victoria University offers idyllic views of Wellington. Being positioned in such a location, the building is subjected to high winds and severe weather which led Frank Coleman from Architectus to select the Jacobsen Terracotta Cladding System. Over 6,000m² of terracotta tiles were used producing an impressive and aesthetically pleasing result.

The Jacobsen system is a back-ventilated and heat-insulated facade made from materials with optimum performance and resistance to aggressive environmental influences including wind, rain, frost, UV, and salt water. It withstands windloads up to 4.2 kpa, prevents direct egress of water onto the weather-tight layer, and is engineered to sustain seismic load, racking and inter-storey drift for all NZ quake zones. In addition, the T66 marine grade alloy rail system is rust and corrosion resistant; perfect for New Zealand’s harsh conditions and the entire system is low maintenance with an annual washdown all that is required.

Dividing the physical and technical building functions using the different layers of the wall design results in much lower heat loss, reliable heat protection in summer and effective weather protection and wicking of moisture. The Jacobsen system has a long lifespan, is dimensionally stable and non-flammable. And at the end of its lifespan is fully recyclable.

The Jacobsen system can be applied to new or existing buildings as facades, interior walls, soffits, window reveals, parapets and roofs.