Building Bold: How Collaboration brought NINELINE™ to Life
NINELINE™ – a revolutionary wall cladding system that’s changing how architects think about depth, dimension, and design.
The Challenge That Started It All
Every great innovation begins with a problem worth solving. For Studio Nine Architects’ Andrew Steele, that problem emerged during work on a major sports and community project in South Australia. He was searching for unique, cost-effective materials that could bring meaningful articulation to large-scale façades – and coming up short.
“When you’re dealing with large volumes and expansive façades, there aren’t many cost-effective ways to achieve meaningful articulation,” Steele explained. “We turned our attention to how the cladding itself could do the heavy lifting – especially for highly visible upper sections of buildings.”
That’s where Stratco Architectural Solutions came in.
From Concept to Reality
When Andrew brought his vision to our research and development team, we saw an opportunity to create something genuinely different. The NINELINE™ range – featuring Flute, Pleat, Box and Batten profiles – transforms simple geometric shapes into distinctive architectural wall cladding that brings new dimension to any building. ”
Andrew came to us saying, ‘We believe there’s a market for these products – help us bring them to life,'” recalls Eric Lien, our National Architectural and Specifications Manager. “He was confident that architects would embrace these profiles in various applications. The success we’ve had proves that instinct right.”
Leaving the Flat Behind
What makes NINELINE™ special isn’t just its innovative profiles – it’s the philosophy behind them. We characterise the series as “leaving the flat behind,” embracing depth and shadow play to create more dynamic building surfaces that capture and reflect light throughout the day.
This approach reimagines standard cladding conventions, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with pre-finished materials. The result is a collection that delivers both visual impact and practical performance for projects of any scale.
Supporting Local Innovation
The overwhelming response to NINELINE™ has reinforced our commitment to developing products that give Australian architects alternatives to imported solutions. We’re seeing increasing demand for products that bring greater depth and dimension to building design – and we’re proud to meet that demand locally. “It’s our responsibility at a local level to continue developing products that give architects alternatives,” Lien emphasises.
The Power of Partnership
What excites us most about the NINELINE™ collaboration is what it represents: the power of genuine partnership between architects and manufacturers. When design vision meets manufacturing expertise, innovation happens naturally.
“Having a brand like Stratco come to the table and back our idea has been incredibly validating,” Steele notes. “Working with their research and development team on this kind of product development has been genuinely fulfilling.”
For us, it’s been equally rewarding. This collaboration demonstrates how local partnerships can drive innovation while addressing real market needs in the Australian built industry.
Looking Forward
The success of NINELINE™ has validated our approach to collaborative product development and reinforced our commitment to supporting Australian architects with locally-developed solutions. As we continue to explore new possibilities in façade design, we’re excited about what the future holds for architectural innovation.
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