Dekton Aeris brings life to the façade of this Dublin building

A discussion with a former employee of McNamara Construction and with the company itself led to the conclusion that “a good, easy-to-apply façade material was needed to meet the requirements of this new housing development in Dublin”. The former employee suggested Cosentino and the result is a beautiful façade in Dekton Aeris.

McNamara explained the structure of the building: a concrete structure with partitions between floors, followed by external wall insulation. They used a 15 mm fibre cement board, external rock wool mineral insulation and a reinforced cladding, all of which needed to be complemented by a surface that would meet the requirements of an exposed façade, addressing key concerns such as weather resistance and maintenance. As a result, “Dekton was considered as a direct fixing option alongside decorative bricks and finishing cladding”. The main external materials are therefore cladding, decorative bricks and Dekton, which forms the outer skin of the building.

As Reddy Architecture, the studio in charge of the project, explains, the tests were carried out primarily to regulate the weight: “A regulation for the Baumit external thermal insulation systems sets a weight limit of 35 kg/m²”. An 8 mm Dekton weighs 21kg/m², which is within these parameters. A 12 mm Dekton would have reached the limit, so we chose 8 mm to ensure technical feasibility”.

With a thickness of 8 mm and no back mesh, Dekton can be applied over the outer layer of the insulation system using cement-based adhesives, making it a highly effective option for maintaining the technical and aesthetic performance of the Dekton finish in both new build and refurbishment projects. Its low porosity and water absorption make it easy to clean and maintain, even with graffiti, while its high hardness, low linear expansion and frost resistance provide the ideal finish to ensure good durability of the façade. Dekton comes with a 25-year warranty for use in façades and it is a carbon neutral product.

Dekton Aeris stood out as a perfect fit, with its UV resistance and low heat absorption making it ideal for this project. Dekton Aeris is a colour that boasts light tones with cream-coloured details inspired by white limestone. A neutral and subtle shade that allows a great variety of combinations for different environments and architectural styles.

The building is 20 metres high, with the Dekton façade extending from the ground floor to the top in certain areas. While not present on every façade, most feature horizontal bands of Dekton between floors and vertical profiles.