INSPIRE: What to use, where and when with UniCote

Specification often begins with an idea: a material quality, a finish, a tone, or a relationship to place. But as a project develops, that first idea has to meet the realities of the site: exposure, installation, maintenance, availability, budget and long-term performance. 

For architects, these moments do not always mean abandoning the original design intent. With the right guidance, they can become opportunities to refine the material choice and arrive at a solution that better suits the project. 

That balance between design intent, environmental performance and practicalities shaped the material decisions behind Horizon House by Neil Architecture.

Located in a small dairy farming town in Gippsland, Victoria, the home is set in the contrasting landscape of Fish Creek: the ocean in one direction and vast, rolling hills in the other. 

Overlooking Corner Inlet and the distant horizon of Wilson Promontory, Horizon House was designed in response to this rugged landscape where panoramic views meet the need for protection from strong winds and weather. It’s the type of environment that influences every material decision, and for David Neil, Director of Neil Architecture, there was an instinct to reach for something raw, something to complement the landscape’s palette and weather over time.

Corten steel initially came to mind, but there were constraints. “It would have weathered beautifully, but there are practical issues with using that material in terms of ease of installation and so on,” says Neil. 

That is where INSPIRE’s role becomes important. As architectural consultants and metal roofing and cladding specialists, INSPIRE works with architects to navigate these decisions, helping them understand what UniCote solution to use, where it should be used, and when it becomes the right fit. 

“We came across this UniCote product, which, for all intents and purposes, gives a very similar look. And the beauty of it is just amazing, the texture and patterning to the surface... From day one it has a really lovely weathered patina. Two years down the track, there’s no sign of fading or anything like that, it still looks the same,” says David.

In the harsh environment, INSPIRE’s UniCote LUX Corten Red captures that same warmth as the natural material, but it removes the unpredictability that tends to come with it. It eliminates the risks while preserving the character of the original design intent. 

“Our role is to understand what the architect is trying to achieve, then help match that intent to the right metal roofing or cladding solution,” says Jason Voglis, National Sales Manager for INSPIRE. “Sometimes that means confirming the original specification, and sometimes it means recommending an alternative that better suits the site, budget, performance requirements or installation method.” 

INSPIRE recommended UniCote LUX Corten Red (from their Signature range) as a way to retain the warmth and patina of the original material intent while providing greater consistency, control and long-term certainty. 

“As each season goes by, the garden gets more established and all the beautiful natural hues in the plantings around the house just tie in so beautifully with the cladding,” shares David. “It just reinforces the fact that this UniCote cladding was just the right choice for this building. It suits the architectural form, but it also sits so beautifully and quietly into the environment, just reflecting the landscape and doing everything that we wanted it to do.”

For Neil, the final selection preserved the character the project needed. The project demonstrates how re-specification can protect design intent rather than dilute it. In this case, the material shifted, but the architectural ambition remained intact.

Supported by INSPIRE’s specification guidance, UniCote steel gives architects a clearer way to determine what to use, where and when. Re-specification does not have to mean stepping away from the original idea. With the right advice, it can become the point where a project finds the material it needed all along. 

“The strength of UniCote is that it gives us options,” says Jason. “We can guide architects through UniCote Select, Coastal, Extreme and LUX depending on the environmental conditions, application and budget. Once the right product system is identified, we can then help refine the finish, from classic colours and matt or satin surfaces through to the expanded Tasman palette and textured LUX Signature finishes.” 

The UniCote product portfolio

More than a single product, UniCote is a system: one that shifts depending on the building’s location, the surrounding environment and the architectural brief. 

In more protected environments, UniCote Select is a stable, reliable option that supports standard applications. Closer to the coast, where salt air, persistent moisture and the effects of corrosion must be considered, UniCote Coastal presents a more robust system. It has 30 per cent thicker protective coating, designed with added magnesium to actively resist deterioration and even has the ability to self-heal minor surface damage and cut edges before it becomes a more serious issue. 

In more exposed locations where buildings sit right beside the ocean or in consistently aggressive weather conditions, UniCote Extreme’s structure replaces steel with aluminium to remove the risk of rust altogether while maintaining the flexibility in available finishes. 

UniCote LUX brings a more expressive design language to the UniCote portfolio. Its Signature range includes finishes inspired by corten, timber, zinc and copper, offering texture, visual depth and tonal variation with a consistent, finished appearance from day one. 

Beyond supply

Finding the right product and colour is an ongoing journey in any project. Budgets change, ideas shift and site conditions can make themselves known as time goes on. Rather than stepping in as a supplier at the final stage, INSPIRE is involved from the outset, often working alongside architects early when material choice is yet to be determined. Other times, it’s stepping in when timelines change or other choices are de-specified, changing minds about what’s possible. 

For architects, UniCote means possibility. Rather than a matter of selecting a single product, there are a range of options depending on performance needs, desired finish and cost. With an option for every building and every environment, it isn’t just a material option: it’s a different way of thinking about specification.

UniCote® is a registered trademark.