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Matrix™ Cladding

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The Industrial-Grade Panel with Genuine Layout Flexibility

Some cladding products give you one look. Matrix™ Cladding gives you a system, a smooth, flat fibre cement panel with a 10mm express joint that can be laid out in square, vertical, horizontal or brick-pattern configurations, all using the same panel and the same fixing method. That flexibility is what makes Matrix™ the choice on projects where the facade needs a bold, architectural panelised look without locking the design into a single fixed pattern.

The result reads as a genuinely industrial aesthetic: clean lines, an expressed grid of joints, and a muted, matte surface that suits contemporary and warehouse-influenced architecture equally well. Matrix™ pairs particularly well with exposed beams, brushed concrete and reclaimed brick, and the cavity construction design behind the panel improves thermal properties and helps achieve higher R-values across the wall assembly.

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Technical Specifications

Installation guide

Material

Fibre cement — non-combustible

Thickness

8mm

Panel sizes

Various — including 2990mm × 1190mm and 1190mm × 1190mm square format

Joint system

10mm express joint — square, vertical, horizontal or brick-pattern layouts achievable

Construction type

Cavity construction — improves thermal performance and R-value of the wall assembly

Surface

Smooth finish — well suited to matte paint for a muted, statement aesthetic

Fire performance

Non-combustible — BAL29 rated · up to 60 minutes FRL when used with HardieSmart® Wall Systems

Durability

Resistant to warping, rot, cracking and termite damage

Fixing

Gun-nail to timber frames · screw to light-gauge steel frames

Applications

Exterior cladding — full building or feature wall · interior feature walls

Sustainability

Australian-made

Layout Flexibility - Same Panel, Different Statement

Square pattern

An even grid of square panels creates a consistent, modular rhythm across the facade, the most architecturally neutral of the Matrix™ layout options, and a strong base for a mixed-material composition where other cladding elements provide the visual accent.

Vertical layout

Panels oriented with the long dimension running vertically create a taller, more elongated facade read, useful on buildings where the design intent is to visually increase perceived height or emphasise verticality.

Horizontal layout

Panels running horizontally emphasise the building's width and create a grounded, settled facade quality, a common choice on single-storey and low-rise residential and light commercial applications.

Brick pattern

Panels offset in a running bond arrangement, similar to brick coursing, bring a familiar, textural rhythm to the expressed-joint system without the weight, cost or programme of actual masonry construction.

Where Matrix™ Cladding Works

Industrial and warehouse-style architecture

Matrix™’s bold, panelised expressed-joint aesthetic is a natural fit for warehouse conversions, industrial-style new builds and any project where the design language draws on exposed structure, raw materials and an unapologetically constructed appearance.

Light commercial and mixed-use facades

The panel format and layout flexibility make Matrix™ a practical choice for light commercial buildings and mixed-use developments where a clean, unfussy facade needs to read as considered and contemporary without the cost of a premium architectural facade system.

Feature walls - internal and external

Matrix™ is specifically suited to interior feature wall applications. James Hardie recommends painting the express joint a dark colour to accentuate the panel lines and shapes as a deliberate design detail, both internally and externally.

Mixed-material facade compositions

James Hardie explicitly recommends combining Matrix™ with Stria™ or Brushed Concrete Cladding to create a bespoke, mixed-materials look, using Matrix™’s flat panel as a canvas that contrasts with the shadow-line texture of the companion products.

Combining Matrix™ with Other Hardie™ Exteriors Products

Stria™

Matrix™'s flat expressed-joint plane alongside Stria™'s horizontal shadow-line texture is a bespoke mixed-materials look explicitly recommended by James Hardie for contrast and to accentuate design elements.

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Brushed Concrete

Two industrial-aesthetic products are used together: Matrix™'s smooth panel grid against Brushed Concrete's raw, textured surface for a genuinely material-honest facade composition.

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Axon™

Matrix™ as the base cladding with Axon™'s vertical groove panel as an accent element on entry features, garages or feature bays.

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Featured Projects with Matrix™ Cladding

Bacchus Marsh Grammar Woodlea Project

Mernda Ambulance Station Cladding Project

The Wickham Duplex Residential Project

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Matrix™ Cladding be installed in a brick pattern layout?
Yes. Matrix™ Cladding’s 10mm express joint system supports square, vertical, horizontal and brick pattern layouts, all using the same panel and fixing method. The brick pattern arrangement offsets panels in a running bond similar to brick coursing, giving the facade a familiar textural rhythm without the cost and programme of actual masonry. Panel layout is a specification decision made at the design stage; confirm your preferred layout with our team when ordering.
Matrix™ Cladding is non-combustible fibre cement and adheres to bushfire attack level (BAL) requirements up to BAL29. It achieves a fire resistance level of up to 60 minutes when used as part of a HardieSmart® Fire & Acoustic Wall System. This is a lower BAL rating than some other Hardie™ Exteriors products (Axon™ and Brushed Concrete Cladding are rated to BAL40). Confirm the required BAL rating for your project against the current Matrix™ technical documentation before specifying.
Matrix™’s cavity construction design creates an air gap between the cladding panel and the building’s weather barrier, which improves the thermal performance of the wall assembly and helps achieve higher R-values compared to a direct-fixed system. The cavity also assists with moisture management, allowing any incidental water that gets behind the cladding to drain and evaporate rather than being trapped against the structure.
Yes, James Hardie specifically recommends this. Matrix™ combines well with Stria™ Cladding and Hardie™ Brushed Concrete Cladding for contrast and to accentuate design elements, creating a bespoke, mixed-materials architectural look. The shared fixing systems across the Hardie™ Exteriors range make combining products on one facade straightforward from an installation standpoint.