Lume Corium Case Study

Located within the Honeysuckle foreshore development, this former industrial area is now a modern and vibrant arts and residential hub with prestige housing developments as part of an urban renewal project.

CORIUM was chosen for the pool area in Lume because it allows brick to be formed into the interesting shapes and curves demanded by the project’s architect, SJB.

At only one-third of the weight of full brick, CORIUM is ideal for multi-storey projects as it can be assembled more quickly and doesn’t have the same structural demands as a traditional brick wall. The CORIUM system comprises brick tiles specially manufactured to fix mechanically into CORIUM stainless steel backing rail sections.

Simon Nott, a consultant in the installation of brick, block and lightweight facade systems, worked on the Lume project and says the architectural brief offered challenges for the developers, Doma Group.

“It does push the boundaries of brick cladding for a few reasons,” he says. “One is that it’s fully suspended from a roof. And it’s also in a very aggressive environment because it’s on the coast. Those two particular factors made that job difficult.”

“Anyone in construction would understand that being on the coast requires quite specialised work in the background to make it work.”

“It’s a real feature,” says Simon Nott. “It’s over the pool and creates a whole atmosphere. If you are sitting in the pool, you can view the curved roof above you, and you can see the ocean. It's quite a nice spot.”

SJB designed the project to reflect the nearby ocean setting and complement the natural environment.

“The building form takes reference from the sweeping curves of the coastline to create a sculptural object that orientates views and references its context,” says the practice.

Honeysuckle is an ongoing urban transformation success story. Over 50 hectares of former industrial, maritime land is now a centre for entertainment, tourism, employment, and recreation on the edge of Newcastle Harbour.

The site celebrates and enhances heritage and is known as one of the most successful urban renewal programs in NSW.

The Lume building includes six residential floors above commercial and retail spaces – and the CORIUM-clad pool area is a big selling point to potential buyers.

Curves, angles and creative design solutions are all possible with CORIUM because of its lightweight properties.

“The benefit of CORIUM is that you can achieve the brick look without all of the supporting structure you might have needed in the past,” says Nott. “And then it extends a little bit further to do things you probably couldn’t even do in brick.”

Lume project with the use of CORIUM from PGH Bricks & Pavers to create a stunning pool area for a new prestige development in Newcastle, NSW

Indeed, investing in quality and clever design has paid off for the team behind Lume. Doma Group had great success when releasing it to the market, selling 154 units off the plan in five days for a total of approximately $150 million.

For information about CORIUM and its unique properties, contact PGH Bricks’ team on 1300 267 486.

Photographer: Ellie Quittenden.