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Simonds Homes designer Bill Giannikos says in the recently published Smarter Construction Book that "brickwork on its own has been done to death as a look". He claims that what's "absolutely king" is being able to mix and match lightweight claddings and brickwork together.

Giannikos says that the key to making this work is good design. If that's been achieved, then he feels that once people see products like those in the Scyon™ range in the field, then "it's good night Irene".

The Smarter Construction Book is designed to help builders and designers builders build in smarter ways. It's the third in a series that includes the Smarter Green Book - about designing and building sustainably, and the Smarter Design Book - about creating distinctively Australian built form character.

One of the most common defects builders and rectifiers are called on to fix are "botched balconies". That's when the waterproofing might have failed for example, leading to swollen substrates, and tiles that crack, lift and pop. 

Now a new product, Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring, gives you a simple way to help protect tiled balconies against moisture damage.  Packing a protective punch, the advanced polymer coating and integrated reinforcing mesh add to the heavy-duty performance of the Scyon™ material to help your balcony's substrate remain structurally sound against nature's elements. 

Smarter construction. It's about easy and cost-effective building through the smart combination of products, systems and processes. It's a balancing act - and it can be achieved without sacrificing aesthetics or sustainability. The Smarter Construction Book gives builders and designers insights into the right approach for the job, and at the same time, questions a few "accepted" myths.

The Smarter Construction Book is the third in a series of books which includes the Smarter Design Book and the Smarter Green Book.

When Queensland-based builders Plantation Homes wanted to create a new look, they worked closely with James Hardie to create a product that combined the classic features of traditional design with a strong, contemporary feel. In a production environment, however, the key was achieving this cost competitively.

The result was Scyon™ Stria cladding. While Scyon™ Stria cladding may be the new kid on the block in the building industry, it is already making inroads with consumers as well as being cost effective, efficient construction for Plantation.

As General Manager Paul Roots points out, consumers are quick to recognise the appeal. While the rule of thumb is that 70% of what it sold is based on what consumers see on display, Scyon™ Stria cladding is already breaking that rule. "The results have been fantastic," Roots says. "People are asking specifically for that product on their homes regardless of whether it was displayed … or not." Find out more in this case study.