Copper creates an aesthetically authentic roof
Palm Desert, Calif., is a popular retreat for snowbirds from colder climates that swell its population by an estimated 31,000 each winter. High mountain ranges on three sides and a south-sloping valley fl oor all contribute to the area’s unique and year-round sunshine and warmth. Many houses are erected on the opposite
sides of each other on the foothills of Palm Des- ert’s mountains. Because of this, “Depending on where you are, you could have some invasive refl ections from other homeowners with a bright shiny new copper roof,” says Mike McGrath, president, MG McGrath Inc., Maplewood, Minn. As metal installers of a private residence, the 2013 Metal Construction News Metal Roofi ng award for new construction winner, he and the project’s architect Kristi Hanson, Kristi Hanson Architects, Palm Desert, kept this in mind. McGrath says refl ectivity was very signifi cant
to the development of the residence, so the roof wouldn’t “throw a lot of sun on other neighbors’ houses.” “That was important in selecting TECU OXID copper from Florence, Italy-based KME,” he adds. “It was selected for its very rich look, low refl ectivity and workability for low-slope roofs. There are several low-slope details which required soldering. Copper is a great choice for that; it’s a good alternative. Also, it is less expensive to do a coil-patina material like TECU OXID copper than it would be to do a custom, fi eld-applied pre- patina fi nish on natural copper material.” Anoka, Minn.-based Firestone Building Products Inc. also
supplied metal panels to the house, and Rancho Mirage, Calif.-based Ludington Construction, served as general contractor. Copper was chosen for this one-of-a-kind
house because of the aesthetically authentic look copper provides. “The natural color of copper and how it burnishes to a dark brown/bronze was the primary reason for choosing the material, in addition to it being a natural organic material,” says Hanson. “The ability for the TECU OXID copper to be formed into a pattern also aided us in providing texture and interest on the sweeping walls and roofs.” MG McGrath fabricated and installed 90,000
square feet of copper MG S-Slip panels to the exte- rior of the house. On the garden wall and exercise/ pool house, panels were changed to a diamond pattern and wrapped all the way around the exterior and the roof for what Hanson calls “the best com- position.” MG McGrath custom fabricated each of the panels to a special width and shape to keep the seam lines straight over the curves of the roof. With all the different geometries involved in
the layout, precise fabrication of each individual piece was critical. “We modeled everything when we unfolded it and made everything custom with our CNC,” McGrath says. The Palm Desert Residence has attained the
very rich look its owners desired and the sleek roof has created a huge impact in the design element. “The texture added interest to the project, yet with the color combination of the metals, stones and plasters, there is softness and a sense of timeless- ness to the project,” Hanson says.
Private Residence, Palm Desert, Calif.
Completed: January 2013 Total square footage: 90,000 square feet General contractor: Ludington Construction, Rancho Mirage, Calif. Architect: Kristi Hanson Architects, Palm Desert, Calif. Metal installer: MG McGrath Inc., Maplewood, Minn. Metal panel suppliers: Firestone Building Products Inc., Anoka, Minn.,
www.fi restonebpco.com, and KME, Florence, Italy,
www.kme.com/en
www.metalconstructionnews.com
December 2013
METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68