20 COPPER BUILDING, BRISTOL
client, with a habit of transforming unloved buildings and places.” FMA were excited to tackle what was “a hugely interesting existing building, with the landscape and the lake,” despite the severely derelict nature of the site.
Another challenge faced by the project team was a delay before the Copper Building began construction (it had been intended it would start immediately following Phase 1’s completion). On the back of high demand, apartments in that initial phase became fully occupied, and the contractors had to deal with a tight site plus new residents in an adjacent building, and a live 24-hour car park.
Brief
The client’s brief to the architect was to create an “enjoyable and special place to live, rather than delivering a certain number of units,” and this freedom helped the designers to make something which matched their vision. FMA worked closely with the developers to hone the proposals over “a number of years,” including those for the Copper Building itself. It consists of a mix of one-bed, two-bed and duplex apartment types. With the project having to be split into
phases, after phase one was completed in 2012 the architects took the opportunity to revisit the brief for the new building. With the form already having been fixed by obtaining planning approval, the architects reordered the interior to ensure the maximum number of rooms would benefit from south facing views. The layout and elevations, including the fenestration arrangement, ended up completely different in the reconfigured version. The architect says an “innovative section at top floor level” creates a dual-aspect duplex in order to maximise the number of south facing rooms; all have open plan living spaces and views across the lake. South-facing balconies, each of which are full apartment width, allow residents to make the most of the views. The entire elevation has floor-to-ceiling sliding glazed doors so you can open the living space onto the balcony. And being enclosed on both sides means they can function as another ‘room’ that can be enjoyed all year round.
Photos © Ferguson Mann
Form & structure The “rigorous” 3.6 metre-wide structural grid that defined all elements of the Mies-inspired Phase 1 building was a “key driver” in the Copper Building’s design, says Brown. He adds that the designers “played
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF DECEMBER 2020
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