FermenTasmania

The Challenge

FermenTasmania is a purpose-built facility in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley designed to bring together a wide range of fermentation-based food and beverage production, teaching, and sensory evaluation under one roof.

The building includes specialised spaces for distilling, dairy, laboratories, produce processing, teaching kitchens, sensory rooms, and cool rooms, making it a unique hub for both local and international producers.

During the design and construction of this complex facility, building contractors AJR Construct and architect Bree Architects faced several key challenges to meet FermenTasmania’s brief.

The multi-functional nature of the building, combining food production, teaching, and sensory testing (taste testing), demanded strict attention to compliance with fire safety, hygiene, and thermal performance standards.

The need to accommodate a variety of uses and specialised equipment within a single structure added further complexity to both the design and construction processes.

Another notable challenge was the integration of a curved window into the insulated panel system, designed to give the structure a distinctive appearance on its prominent corner site.

Bondor Metecno’s MetecnoInspire® and MetecnoPanel® PIR insulated were selected to ensure the building meet the strict requirements of a food and beverage facility, including fire compliance, insulation (R-value), and maintaining a clean, safe environment for food production and storage.

Photos: Adam Gibson

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The Solution

The groundbreaking FermenTasmania stands out as the only facility in the southern hemisphere that combines fermentation-based food and beverage production, teaching, and sensory evaluation all within a single, purpose-built space.

Spanning just under 2,000 square metres, the facility was constructed over approximately 14 months, from June 2024 to July/August 2025.

The completed centre of excellence features specialised areas for distilling, dairy processing, laboratories, produce spaces, teaching kitchens equipped with MasterChef-style benches, sensory testing rooms, and cool rooms.

Aesthetics were important. The building was designed to look attractive, not just functional, with MetecnoInspire® panels used extensively on the exterior to form the outside skin and provide both decorative and functional benefits. On two sides of the building, the panels were installed in two layers for added visual interest. The design included black panels and a distinctive white curved top section that acts as a decorative second skin, giving the building a unique architectural feature.

A curved window set into the curved MetecnoInspire® façade created a striking architectural feature to the building’s exterior. The window was created by draping cladding over the steel frame and sculpting the desired form, with the MetecnoInspire® panel used as the exposed face of the wall. The window required special consideration and planning to ensure it was properly flashed and finished for a seamless and weatherproof integration with the surrounding insulated panels.

For the interior, the design prioritised food safety, cleanliness, and pest and dust proofing.

There was a strong focus on hygienic construction, including sealed panels and careful detailing where floors meet walls to prevent contamination.

The building incorporated complex air handling systems to maintain proper differential pressures for various production areas.

MetecnoPanel® PIR 100mm panels were used for cool rooms for their excellent thermal performance, essential for maintaining temperature-controlled food storage areas. The panels also provided a cleanable, food-safe surface suitable for a food and beverage facility.

The result is a state-of-the-art building that supports both local and international producers, offering rental spaces and equipment for small-batch production and market testing.

As the only facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere, FermenTasmania is poised to become an innovation hub for creativity, learning, and industry growth, setting a new benchmark for multi-purpose food and beverage facilities.

Expressions of interest are now open for businesses looking to utilise the new Fermentation Hub.

Melbourne Factory Focus

The Challenge

The construction industry is under pressure to deliver buildings that are more energy efficient, faster to build, and cost‑effective, while meeting rising regulatory expectations and client demands.

Traditional cladding systems can introduce breaks in insulation, making it difficult to achieve a continuous, airtight thermal envelope. This can reduce thermal performance and contribute to condensation issues at the same time as the market is moving from a minimum six‑star requirement toward seven‑star buildings. Builders and designers are therefore looking for more effective ways to meet higher energy standards.

Speed is another key challenge. Conventional methods can make it harder to reach lock‑up quickly, particularly in single‑storey housing where additional time on site directly affects project cost and viability. The industry needs building systems that shorten construction timelines without compromising performance.

Adopting new construction systems can also slow progress. When builders first encounter insulated panels, there is often hesitation about using an unfamiliar product and uncertainty around planning, final measurement, and on‑site installation. This can delay the shift toward more efficient building methods.

At a broader market level, demand is growing for modular and factory‑built housing as a cost‑effective way of delivering homes at scale.

Achieving high volumes, consistent quality and strong energy performance through factory‑based construction and partial off‑site assembly requires manufacturers to produce precise, custom‑formed panels quickly and reliably.

Bondor’s insulated walling and roofing panels are now a trusted choice across domestic construction, modular housing, cold storage, food processing facilities, entertainment centres and sports stadiums, putting the company at the centre of these evolving requirements.

The Solution

Bondor addresses these challenges through a factory‑built insulated panel system that improves energy performance, accelerates construction, and supports the broader shift to modular and panelised building in both commercial and residential markets.

Its insulated wall and roofing panels, long established in cold‑store and food processing applications, are now widely used in entertainment centres, sports stadiums, as well as domestic and modular buildings. 

A core part of the solution is the quality of the building envelope. The panels form a continuous layer of insulation that, when installed correctly, helps improve airtightness, minimise thermal breaks and reduce the risk of condensation in walls and roofing, while supporting higher energy ratings than many conventional cladding options.

The factory production process is structured for speed and predictability, with wall and roofing panels manufactured to order rather than assembled from multiple components on site.

Panels are produced to the required length, and Bondor can supply custom‑formed elements such as corner panels, bulkheads and columns.

This reduces on‑site cutting and adjustment, simplifies installation, and helps projects move to lock‑up significantly faster than with traditional cladding systems, with fewer trades and less on‑site complexity.

Bondor also invests in supporting builders who are new to insulated panels. The team assists with planning and layout, helps with final measures, and provides on‑site guidance during early projects so that the transition to this construction method is smoother and more reliable.

This hands‑on approach often turns first‑time users into ongoing advocates for panelised construction, who continue to specify insulated panels and position them as a more efficient way of building, including for modular housing.

By combining factory‑manufactured, customisable panels with practical support for builders, Bondor enables modular and factory‑built approaches that deliver quality and volume more efficiently.

This aligns with trends in markets such as Europe, where factory‑based assembly is widely used to achieve higher throughput, more predictable programmes and energy‑efficient building shells that deliver long‑term performance benefits.

Warehouse 3 – Somerville Road Estate

The Challenge

In creating the vision for Warehouse 3 of the Somerville Road Estate, Alrio Group, on behalf of the Aliro Group Industrial Vehicle (AGIV), teamed up with Texco Construction to design a large-scale transport and logistics cold store facility to accommodate major supermarket chains or logistics companies.

Aliro Group speculatively developed the 22,163m2 state-of-the-art facility to address market demand for high-quality, flexible cold storage and logistics facilities. Unlike traditional builds tailored for a specific tenant, this project was designed to high specifications and with flexible features to attract a wide range of potential tenants.

The team was committed to delivering a highly energy-efficient and environmentally friendly facility, with a 5 Star Green Star sustainability rating a key priority. This required careful planning and execution, adding complexity to the design and construction phases.

Fire safety was also another major consideration for this project.

Aliro Group selected Bondor Metecno’s MetecnoPanel® PIR insulated wall panels for the internal cold rooms, the staging area, the negative 24-degree cold storage area, and most of the exterior walls of the facility.

The Solution

Warehouse 3 marks completion of Stage 2 of the Alrio Group’s Somerville Road Estate and the successful realisation of a premium industrial precinct in Melbourne’s inner west.

Designed for flexibility and capable of being configured into two tenancies, the project features four independent temperature-controlled chambers. Each chamber is fully fitted with premium, Australian-made double-deep racking, offering 33,563 pallet spaces and ensuring the facility is ready for immediate high-capacity operations.

This state-of-the-art freezer facility includes a 500kW rooftop solar system to reduce electricity costs and targets a 5 Star Green Star – Design & As Built v1.3 rating, reinforcing Aliro Group’s commitment to sustainable, high-performance industrial spaces.

MetecnoPanel® PIR insulated wall panels were used extensively throughout the facility and were integral to achieving the facility’s high standards for energy efficiency, fire safety and functionality.

The panels were installed internally for all the cold rooms, forming the primary lining for these temperature-controlled spaces. The panels were also used in the staging area, which is maintained at four degrees, as well as in the negative 24-degree cold storage area, ensuring optimal thermal performance across different zones.

The panels help to reduce overall energy consumption, supporting the project’s goal of achieving a 5 Star Green Star and contributing to lower operating costs for tenants

The panels’ PIR fire-resistant core also provided a higher level of fire resistance, especially important with cold storage facilities facing high insurance premiums due to the risks associated with less fire-resistant panels. By choosing high-quality, fire-resistant MetecnoPanel® panelling, Aliro Group aimed to reduce both energy and insurance costs, making the facility more attractive to potential tenants.

MetecnoPanel® was also used extensively for the exterior walls, providing both insulation and structural integrity, which was augmented on the loading dock side where steel and aluminium sheeting was used for added weather protection.

The result is a high-specification, energy-efficient cold storage facility designed for flexibility and ready to accommodate a range of tenants seeking modern, energy-efficient cold storage solutions.

MetecnoPanel® PIR insulated wall panels with a PIR fire-resistant core are manufactured in Australia exclusively with BlueScope® steel to suit Australia’s harsh conditions. MetecnoPanel® is GreenRate certified and FM approved to FM 4880 & 4881 – No Height Restriction and is suitable for all insulated panel applications, from cold storage to exterior warehouse walling. 

Scone Historical Society

The Challenge

The Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society needed to upgrade their archive shed to better preserve their valuable historical collection.  

Established in 1956, the historical society maintains a comprehensive archive of the area’s rich local heritage. The archive includes a wide range of documents such as photographs, books, and various written records spanning from the early settlement period of 1825 onwards. 

 The existing old fibro shed was in poor condition with malfunctioning roller doors and a possum inhabiting the space, making for unsanitary storage conditions for their venerable collection. 

A new shed was needed to address multiple preservation needs, from temperature and humidity control, to protecting against dust and pests. It also needed to meet the Development Authority’s requirements for storing heritage items.  

The project involved obtaining a grant, working with Great Value Garages, and navigating complex State Government planning portal requirements to create a suitable storage solution for their collection.  

Bondor’s InsulRoof® panels provided the specialised insulation and fire rating requirements needed to protect and maintain the historical society’s collection.

The Solution

For Great Value Garages, this project pushed the boundaries of the company’s traditional shed-building expertise. Unlike their standard builds using corrugated iron or weatherboard-style sheeting, this project marked their first complete shed using insulated panels for both walls and roof. 

The archive storage facility required highly specialised technical specifications, including a precise R5 insulation rating and specific fire protection standards.  

These unique requirements demanded significant engineering adjustments and a completely new approach to shed design, moving well beyond their usual construction methods. 

Having previously used Bondor products in carports, the company was familiar with the brand and knew they could provide the right panelling. After consulting with Bondor, they confirmed InsulRoof® panels would meet the critical protection requirements for storing historical documents. 

The completed archive shed is a 6x9m structure, standing 2.4m high with a 30-degree roof pitch, a waterproof concrete floor, properly closing roller doors, and improved structural design that prevents pest entry. 

It houses a unique collection of historical items such as glass negatives from early photographer Joseph Docker, portraits of early settlers, and some Aboriginal artifacts. The new shed will also house small pieces of historical furniture and other museum collection items that are not currently on display in the historical society’s main museum space. 

By constructing the new, specially insulated shed, the Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society have ensured the area’s valuable historical records and artifacts are safeguarded for future generations. 

The insulating properties of the Expanded Polystyrene with fire-retardant (EPS-FR) core, together with an airtight joint, makes InsulRoof® panels an ideal solution for preserving the story of Scone and the Upper Hunter.