An exemplar for a new, progressive era of public housing design in London utilises high-quality materials – including Nordic Brown Light copper cladding – as part of its tenure-blind strategy.
Branch Place provides the first replacement homes in the second phase of the Colville Estate Masterplan designed by Karakusevic Carson Architects, part of Hackney Council’s innovative housebuilding programme, delivering hundreds of much-needed Council homes for local people through a pioneering model of financial cross-subsidy. The project provides 116 mixed-tenure homes alongside new public routes, play spaces and landscaping.
The two buildings of Branch Place are crafted from a considered palette of high-quality tenure-blind materials including brickwork, timber and Nordic Brown Light pre-oxidised copper. A copper mansard roof, installed by Full Metal Jacket, to the building next to Regent’s Canal reflects the roofscape of neighbouring historic warehouse buildings and marks an entrance to Branch Place and the new Colville neighbourhood.
Nordic Brown Light is part of an extensive range of architectural copper surfaces and alloys from Aurubis with an unrivalled lifespan counted in hundreds of years, no maintenance and full recyclability. With a melting point of 1083˚C and ‘A1 (non-combustible material)’ fire classification to EN 13501-1, copper is suitable for cladding tall buildings, using appropriate constructions. Low thermal movement makes it appropriate for any locations and it is non-toxic and safe to handle and work. Its inherent antimicrobial qualities make it ideal for touch surfaces internally as well.
The Aurubis architectural range includes Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ and Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper, with lighter or darker shades of brown. The extensive Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and Nordic Turquoise ranges have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world, and offer various ‘Living’ surfaces. Copper alloys include Nordic Bronze, Nordic Brass and the innovative Nordic Royal with a rich golden through-colour.
More information: www.nordiccopper.com