• Atmospheric Environments
• Metal Science
• Design & Maintenance
• Step-by-Step Guide
• Distributors
• Case Studies
  • Case Study 13 - Lake Ohau
  • Case Study 12 - St Francis Church
  • Case Study 11 - Breaker Bay
  • Case Study 10 - Dumpling Hut
  • Case Study 9 - Custom Colour
  • Case Study 8 - Blue Heron
  • Case Study 7 - Turn Point Lodge
  • Case Study 6 - Sylvia Park
  • Case Study 5 - Commercial Custom Colour
• Brochures
• Re-Roofing Brochure
• Roofing & Cladding Guide Brochure
• Warranty Inquiry
• Warranty Terms
• For Further Info
• PCC Online Login

ColorCote® Case Study 11 - When architect Uche Isichei took his first look at the location for this new house in Wellington’s Breaker Bay, he knew it would be a challenge.

The cliff-top site lies directly in the path of some of the fiercest winds in New Zealand, which regularly lash this part of the coast with driving rain and salt-laden spray scooped up directly off Cook Strait -- strong enough to blow off any roof that isn’t manufactured tough and securely fastened to the rest of the structure.

But for the owners, the stunning panorama from the decks of the recently completed Hunn House, the views across the Wellington Harbour entrance, to Pencarrow Head and the Rimutaka range beyond, more than make up for the wind.

Uche’s design ensures that the Hunn House maximises the light and warmth derived from the rear of the building, which faces north, without taking anything away from those amazing views to the south, by adopting an open-plan aspect with large windows on both sides.

The architect decided to leave nothing to chance and specified the toughest roof he could find and instructed the builder and roofer to increase the number of fixings.
“This is an extremely corrosive zone, with high salt spray, as well as very strong winds and you can’t use normal materials, so we went for an aluminium-based product,” says Uche.

The ultimate choice came down to ColorCote® ARX™, the toughest metal roofing material available, constructed from marine-grade aluminium alloy substrate and coated with polyester primer and durable polyester/PVF2 top coats. ColorCote® ARX™ has been specifically designed to stand up to the very severe marine environments encountered around New Zealand coasts. Perfect for the Breaker Bay home.

Damage to roofs from high winds is mostly caused by pressure from uplift, rather than the wind speed itself – the roofing material and fixing system is designed to cope with an uplift of 60 metres per second, which is among the highest likely to be encountered in New Zealand.

As a result the screws were fixed at 600mm centres, rather than the standard 700mm.
As well as being durable, the new roof on the Hunn House had to look good, too, because it can be viewed from a number of angles. And it does. Uche says the style and colour of the roof fits in with the ‘palette’ and he believes the building as a whole is very sympathetic to its unique location.

The owners are also delighted with the result and very happy in the knowledge that their new home is ready to take anything the elements throw at it.

Breaker Bay, Wellington Photo Gallery