Project Overview

Ryman Healthcare is New Zealand's biggest listed retirement village operator and the Malvina Major Retirement Village in Khandallah is one of 30 villages Ryman operates throughout the country. Built in 1999, the village enjoys breathtaking views overlooking the Ngauranga Gorge and across the Wellington Harbour.

The Challenge

During annual maintenance at the site, Ryman identified the need to reclad a number of areas to guarantee weathertightness. Wellington wind and rain make for challenging conditions – Ryman staff say it is the only site where they have seen water run up windows and cladding. The location of the site in an Extra High wind zone of 51-55 m/s on top of a steep hill added to the complexity of the repair work and influenced material selection – the building products needed to be robust enough to withstand these extreme elements.

Malvina Major is home to the elderly, so it was critical that the work be undertaken with minimal disruption to residents. The application of James Hardie products has facilitated this process by enabling a speedy and straightforward build.

The James Hardie Solution

Ryman uses James Hardie products on all 30 of its villages across the country.

“By using James Hardie products throughout the country we can achieve a consistent, high quality finish and reduce maintenance requirements,” explains Jason Browne, Ryman Site Manager.

At Malvina Major the solution includes a mix of James Hardie Monotek Sheet finished with STO Plaster System and Linea Weatherboard both fixed over cavity battens on RAB Board.

This type of cavity system provides a second line of defence by 'draining' away water that may penetrate in high-pressure situations. The use of James Hardie cladding in conjunction with RAB Board is particularly suited to the context of this site, which has an Extra High wind exposure.

Both the Monotek Sheet and Linea Weatherboard are suitable for installation in Extra High wind zones or SED wind zones up to 2.5kPa, while RAB Board is suitable in Extra High or SED wind zones up to 4.5kPa.

“The new cavity system should eliminate any weathertightness issues and avoid the high wind, low pressure scenario around windows in the units,” says Browne.

RAB also provides excellent temporary weather protection before the final cladding is installed.

“We are two years into a four year programme of work and the build has been reasonably straight-forward to date. All the products are easy to handle – RAB and Linea are gun-nailed and so are relatively quick to install. Another benefit to Linea is that it can be painted any colour," adds Browne.