Illumination AWP Restores Integrity and Aesthetics

Less than 10 miles from Boston, Quincy, Massachusetts is a historic, densely populated area that boasts stunning views along the Boston Harbor. Along that waterfront sits Marina Bay, a mixed-use development known for its scenic residential complexes, office spaces, restaurants, breweries, and boardwalk.

Meriel Marina Bay features more than 350 apartment units across a North and a South building, with upscale amenities and scenic views of Massachusetts Bay and the Boston skyline. The luxury residences were substantially completed in 2018. Tenants moved in and looked forward to tranquil water views and high-end amenities. But all did not go according to plan.

Alarming Water Infiltration

The winter following the opening of the property, tenants began noticing signs of water damage throughout the buildings. Though mother nature is often a formidable foe in New England, even strong nor’easters and ocean storms should not have created such damage so quickly.

After crews made unsuccessful repairs to the original siding, the building owners conceded and replaced the cladding with the same brand of fiber cement siding, albeit new material.

The problems persisted. Water damage continued to create a challenge for occupants and the building owner. Tenants chronicled an onslaught of interior leaks in various spots throughout the North and South buildings in the spring of 2019. Tenants and their families became concerned about the health impact of mold and water damage.

Building owners went back to the drawing board again, seeking new solutions to protect their occupants and keep the moisture out. At this critical stage, Nichiha entered the picture as a more resilient fiber cement cladding option for the building envelope after the installer, Classic Exterior Inc., had used them on a previous project. Their Nichiha recommendation would provide an exterior cladding that was more resistant to harsh weather, impact, and wear—all necessities for this third attempt.

The subsequent assessment revealed the extent of the issues with the previous siding installations.

“The water penetrated behind some of the previous sheathing, so some of the product had to be pulled all the way back to the studs and insulation,” said Wendell Parrish, Nichiha territory sales manager. “The lack of exposed fasteners means it could be expanding and contracting around the screw holes, allowing a place for water to seep in.”

Trusted Performance, Proven Aesthetics

The switch to Nichiha proved to be a wise decision for the coastal property. Nichiha’s fiber cement cladding provides enduring beauty and resilience as a rainscreen system, helping structures small and large stand strong against snow, wind, rain, and hail. With unparalleled design freedom, the Nichiha cladding roster ensures reliable performance and premier looks in any climate.

The architect for the renovation decided upon Nichiha’s Illumination Architectural Wall Panels (AWP), which not only provided unmatched durability, but also aesthetics that would reinvigorate curb appeal for the luxury residences.

As opposed to other fiber cement options, AWP is itself a rainscreen cladding system. Any water that penetrates behind the cladding drains to the base of the wall and back to the exterior of the building, ensuring a dry cladding environment. Whereas competitor options are often thin, and face fastened, Nichiha panels clock in at thicknesses between 16mm and 21mm and attach via the brand’s Ultimate Clip System, a robust method of panel retention that installs easily and affords a resilient exterior. This complete, seamless facade is the ideal cladding for a waterfront property in a volatile ocean climate like Meriel Marina Bay.

In terms of color, Illumination hit a sweet spot for the property. This AWP product is one of four within Nichiha's Color Xpressions system, available with matching trim pieces and a 15-year limited factory-applied finish warranty. All of this came without additional cost or minimum order requirements. Just like that, planners selected Marina Bay Grey and Navajo Beige for the façade’s rejuvenation.

The installation itself was seamless, because Nichiha AWP is installed simply with the brand’s robust Ultimate Clip System. No longer would occupants and owners need to be concerned that the cladding would be a weak point in the building envelope. In fact, Nichiha AWP is approved as a cladding product for use in Florida’s Miami-Dade County checklist for High Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ), the nationwide gold standard for hurricane resilience.

“Having the option to custom select the siding colors is an added bonus for the team,” added Parrish. “We were able to still provide the aesthetic appeal the design team was looking to deliver, while guaranteeing the performance of the system.”

A New Beginning

With Nichiha’s solution boasting a simple and efficient installation, the siding replacement at Meriel Marina Bay was completed in Fall 2024.