Ways to Use Fiber-Cement Panels

Wood-fiber cement panels by Koa Funen line the interior, and the criss-crossing laminated veneer lumber beams are from Key-Tec.

A tight construction budget informed the choices Sean Guess made as he designed a house for a couple in Austin, Texas. Budget-minded materials, like the James Hardie fiber-cement siding, helped hold construction costs to $130 per square foot. Sherwin-Williams’s Cyberspace hue colors the exterior and Parakeet coats the custom kitchen cabinets by Austin Wood Works. The planter is made from Cor-Ten steel.

The HardiePanel siding on the adjacent 100K and 120K houses is a dramatic break from East Kensington’s mostly brick facades. The simple, well insulated box and the absence of a third floor keep each house affordable, sustainable, and within the reach of young families.

The rear addition is clad in James Hardie’s Fiber Cement siding.

A series of levels gives the house a sense of separation between the main rooms.

To manage costs, Yarinsky and Bernheimer kept things simple. Fiber cement panels and corrugated aluminum, coated with a clear textured finish to prevent corrosion, were used for the exterior.

The kitchen addition is clad in James Hardie fiber-cement board.

Prefinished cement fiberboard panels cover the rear facade.

Architect Lorcan O’Herlihy created a remarkable residence for himself and his wife, Cornelia, just off Pacific Avenue in Venice, California. Photos by: Misha Gravenor