Home Builder to Attend Australian Design Week Compliments of James Hardie

MISSION VIEJO, CA, January 30, 2006 - Matt Mattone, architectural designer for The Fischer Group in Crestview Hills, KY, won a trip for two to Australia during Australian Design Week to be held August, 2006. The Fischer Group is one of America's top 100 homebuilders. He will hear Sarah Susanka, noted author of the "Not So Big House," present her philosophy on home design.

Mattone's name was drawn from more than 200 people who attended a James Hardie-sponsored workshop at the International Builders Show in Orlando in January. The "Creating Better Places to Live" workshop featured leading experts who spoke about building better homes and neighborhoods.

"I'm absolutely thrilled, excited and pleased to have won this prize," said Mattone. "What a bonus over and above the seminar, which was informative and enjoyable."

The workshop featured:

• Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, who was elected to the AIA College of Fellows for pioneering green building. Pfeiffer's Zero Energy Home won the 2006 gold EnergyValue Housing Award in the custom home, hot-climate category. Pfeiffer discussed some of the key considerations in building energy-efficient homes, including the use of James Hardie siding.


• Roger Wood, town architect for Each Beach community, Norfolk, VA. East Beach is an award-winning community built on the principles of New Urbanism. Wood explained how to add value to a community by employing good architectural design practices.


• Leslie Harrington, a color consultant with 16 years of experience with LH Color, Pottery Barn, Crayola, Avon and Benjamin Moore Paint. Harrington, who is a consultant to James Hardie on its new siding products with ColorPlus technology, explained how color planning can help in developing a neighborhood.

"This is the most informative lunch-and-learn program I've ever participated in," Mattone said. "I came away both with an appreciation of the speakers and their understanding and use of James Hardie products."

James Hardie Building Products, based in Mission Viejo, Calif., has been manufacturing cement-based building products for more than 100 years. Its current fiber-cement formulation was developed 20 years ago and has been performing in the world's most severe climates. Now installed on more than three million homes in the U.S., it provides a durable, low-maintenance, non-combustible alternative to wood and vinyl siding.