A gleaming standing seam roof surrounded by copper soffits and eaves looms above a second-story deck encircled by custom copper rails. The design by Food for Buildings architect, Lex van Straten, is a simple and elegant use of traditional copper in the most contemporary of residential applications.
The early stages of installation give a glimpse of the copper covering that will grace the roof, soffits and eaves of TNAH 2004. The posts will serve as mounts for the copper railings to come.The New American Home 2004 takes copper inside, too. The showcase project of NAHB's National Council of the Housing Industry is plumbed throughout with copper tube, taking advantage of copper's 75-year track record of delivering clean, fresh water. And, it capitalizes on copper's 125-year history of conducting electricity and communications in the home as well.
The quality of TNAH 2004 extends deep into the walls, using copper plumbing throughout to deliver clean, fresh water.Ken Geremia, spokesman for the Copper Development Association, a sponsor of the home, says, "To paraphrase and old saying, 'If it's the best thing going, don't try anything else.' Copper has performed reliably for thousands of years. It's the benchmark for conductors - for both electricity and water. And it's been the metal of choice for maintenance-free roofing and flashing for centuries. We're pleased that TNAH 2004 relies on copper quality as a foundation for its many future-proof features."
Custom-crafted copper railings will encircle the wraparound balcony of TNAH 2004. Each TIG-welded seam will be ground and polished to provide a seamless span 2"x8" span.The strong vertical lines of the standing seam roof, installed by Prestige Roofing, Las Vegas, complements the horizontal strength of the balcony railings and makes a fitting wrap to the rectangular lines of the overall structure. The use of copper pans under the expansive eaves allows the external beauty of the roof to flow to the living space so that, outdoors or in, you can appreciate the metal. All the copper weather to a sultry nut-brown finish in the Vegas climate and artfully frame the neutral stucco wall surfaces. These popular earth tones will also be prominent on the wrap-around balcony of 2"x8" copper railings. Designed and fabricated by Lamar Noorda of Pomegranate Metals, Las Vegas, the railings are constructed of 48-ounce copper, bent to their squared-off shape, TIG-welded and polished to a seamless, hollow-core form. They are arranged horizontally between posts around the deck and separated vertically with 5-inch square copper spacers. According to Noorda, there was no need to wrap the copper over any other material. "In this form," he says, "copper has incredible tensile strength." " I love to work with copper. It's been a mainstay of our operation for decades." Noorda says. "It's got a unique beauty that exudes warmth and luxury, while at the same time performing for the ages."
Bruce Abbott of Abbot Plumbing echoes those comments, citing copper's longtime recognition as the quality standard of the industry. The home will be on display during the 2004 International Builders Show in Las Vegas, January 19-23. See details in Nation's Building News. CDA's IBS booth is N2829.
View of the completed home with copper roof and railings.
View from the street of the completed home.For additional information on this and other recent developments, please visit CDA's Press Room.