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The new facade material TECU® Bond is the first composite material to combine the durability and unique aesthetic appeal of a copper surface with the high strength of a PE core. The main advantages in use are that it is quick and easy to work with and install, and provides even surfaces with a high-quality visual appearance and excellent mechanical stability. An accomplished example of the use of TECU® Bond has now been created in Simmelsdorf, Germany, a community to the north-east of Nuremberg, as part of the conversion of a private residence. The minimal time and effort needed for the substructure along with the material’s outstanding sound insulation were deciding factors in the choice of TECU® Bond.  In 1981 the young architect Hans Peter Haid moved from a Research and Planning Company in Munich to Nuremberg, to carry out his first independent projects at Mayer & Haid. In Simmelsdorf, at the gateway to the area known as Swiss Franconia, he and his family found a suitable plot of land for their own home. The excellent transport connections to the Nuremberg office and the beautiful location among the romantic and densely wooded ”Three Valleys” area, surrounded by numerous historic monuments and cultural treasures, offered the ideal conditions for their future home. This is how the first residential house in this region designed to modern, environmentally compatible principles came to be built right at the edge of the locality, on a hillside with unspoilt views over the valley. Only natural materials were used in a modern combination: the vertical columns of the wooden supporting structure divide the façade of ochre-coloured clay bricks into a grid that picks up on a smaller scale the traditional timber-framed house design typical of the region. A fully glazed vestibule provides an entrance area and connects the house with the garage that is also built from clay brick just like the house façade and the wall separating the property from the road. Large glassed areas in the roof and slanted road-facing windows on the ground floor maximise the amount of daylight into the living and working areas. The interior of the house continued the design features of wood, glass and exposed brickwork. After 25 years of use, the original design criteria had become outdated. On the one hand, the household was reduced to two persons after the children had left home, so that the interior now lent itself to conversion to a more open-plan structure. On the other hand, in recent years the increased traffic flow past the house located on the outskirts of town was causing a few problems. The inadequate sound-proofing properties of glass could no longer cope with this level of noise. The main problem here was to find a suitable material to replace the full glazing in the entrance vestibule. Initially, copper had not even been considered, but an advertising reference to the brand new TECU® Bond composite material set off a train of decisive thought: due to its high rigidity, the material can be used to clad large areas of façade without necessitating a lot of work on the substructure. And that allows extremely cost-effective use of the visually striking copper surface material which, of course, changes its appearance naturally over time due to the formation of a protective oxide layer – from copper red through dark-brown-anthracite and then to a green patina. In all phases of this development, the surface material would be the perfect harmonious complement to the building itself. Moreover, the structure of the material offered ideal sound-proofing properties: the application of copper sheets to both sides of a robust PE core provides an ideal level of noise-proofing even at the fabrication stage. After checking the material data it was decided to clad the two-storey vestibule on all sides, leaving just a strip of glass between it and the house itself to let in daylight. To create a concept that was harmonious throughout the property, the movable shutters on the ground floor and both garage doors were also covered with TECU® Bond. The external appearance of the house has thus been successfully upgraded while achieving a new level of peace and quiet in the converted interior. Haid + Partner Architects & Engineers were founded over 25 years ago as the Mayer + Haid Architectural Partnership. The company is active in the design and execution of projects in many fields, particularly in the medical, rehabilitation, economic and administrative sectors. Major projects recently completed include the central medical facilities of the Rostock University Hospital and the Kaulbachplatz underground station in Nuremberg. Now that he has successfully used TECU® Bond on his own house, Hans Peter Haid is also thinking of using it on a large scale in a forthcoming project. Project information: Project: Private residence in Simmelsdorf near Nuremberg (conversion) Completion date: 2006 Architects: Haid + Partner Architects + Engineers, Nuremberg Copper contractor: Schlosserei Spenglerei Straßl, (Metalworks) Arnstorf Building copper: KM Europa Metal AG, Osnabrück Cladding: TECU® Bond     |
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