Projects

The Balancing Barn stands on the edge of a tranquil nature reserve a few miles inland from the Suffolk coast, near the historic towns of Walberswick and Aldeburgh.

Clad in elegant silver tiles,  with walls and roof covered in 0.5mm thick Grade 1.4404, 316L Uginox Bright stainless steel by Aperam Stainless Steel Europe. Working in closely with UK based Mole Architects of Cambridge Aperam SSE provided assistance with samples to assist the design and planning approval procedure.

The Balancing Barn is a cantilevered holiday home for clients Living Architecture, a British organization devoted to making architecture an experience, who have a series of outstanding holiday homes in the UK. The building, which is 3O metres long, balances over a descending grassed slope at its midpoint leaving 50% projecting into free space, all made possible by the rigid structure. The beauty of the ever changing Suffolk skies and landscape are reflected in the Uginox Bright surface rejoicing in the season’s colours and moods. Roof and walls are covered using a traditional technique of interlocking stainless steel shingles which are individually secured using secret fixings providing robust and easy clean surface. Specialist contractor CEL from Peterborough undertook the project.

The building incorporates four double bedrooms, each with separate bathroom and WC. At the centre of the barn is a hidden staircase providing access to the garden beneath. At opposite ends are the kitchen and large living space. All rooms have full height sliding windows giving wonderful views.  

The advantages of stainless steel:

– Its bright surface finish reflects the evolving colour of the day and of the seasons

– A suitable aspect for this type of contemporary architecture

– An easy implementation of shingles providing robustness to the facade

– A smooth low roughness for easy maintenance

– A grade (316L) suitable for marine atmosphere

Stainless steel rises to 3,835m by helicopter.

In the valley, several months of studies have been necessary for the realisation of this structure, faceted and covered with care and precision, an essential requirement imposed by the extreme weather conditions. Matt and durable, the material of the envelope is a response to the climate and the environment.

With its summit at 4,810 metres, the Mont-Blanc becomes the holy grail of thousands of alpine mountaineers every year! Built at an altitude of 3,835m, the “refuge du Goûter” shelter constitutes the last stage of the normal – or royal – route before the final ascent., The shelter was built in 1962 and has been the object of intense usage but is now under menace from the advancing glacier. It is being replaced by a new audacious construction, in the form of an ovoid placed perpendicularly to the ridge over an advanced rockface. The shape and location are two radical options taken to minimise the amount of snowdrift buid-up and allowing the west wind to slip freely over the cliff. Identifiable by its thick folded stainless steel body, a snow melter tank with eight anti-stagnation devices completes the installation.

Aerodynamic faceted ellipsoid

The definition of the form is part of a dual approach of study of aerodynamic phenomena and descriptive geometry. From the proposed eliptic plan comes an ellipsoid of revolution which is divided into 2×16 segment planes and 32 facets per level, giving a total of 128 facets for this building composed of four levels; technical rooms on the ground level, a common room on the entrance level and dormitories on the last two levels. 

This decomposition of the volume into rectangular or trapezoidal storey-height facets has contributed to strengthening the construction elements and to keep them under the maximum weight that can be lifted with a helicopter. The structure of the construction isolated from the ground is a timber framework with dowelled assembly, chosen for its light weight. The whole frame rests on a platform linked to a metal structure forming pillars, which in turn are located by 69 steel stakes anchored to a depth of 8 metres into the rock. The installation has been designed to withstand winds of up to 260km/h and a load pressure of 400 kg/m2 and a vacuum pressure of 600 kg/m2 (studies conducted in the Cemagref wind-tunnel in Grenoble).

Shock-resistant matt cladding

With temperatures as low as – 40 ° C, the idea is to create an environment akin to a soup-tin with a capacity of 120 persons. Aside from the cocoon-like interior and the varied equipment designed to provide the required autonomy and of course, the extreme environment, specific research has been conducted in order to choose the exterior cladding. This had to be an evaluation of several types of metallic “skins”, in terms of their characteristics; deformation, resistance, visual aspect, fabrication, ease of installation and recyclability.

A 304L grade austenitic stainless steel siding proved ideal for the extreme conditions encountered in the pure mountain air and was compatible with the budget of the construction project. A four month study was necessary in order to define the details of the assembly and determine the profile of each facet to allow for easy assembly on-site. A novel assembly technique was devised, using a Z shaped profile of the steel bands on the upright and flat junctions, to insure constant flatness of the cladding, with hollow junctions of the same type of steel as the facets. Additional difficulties came from the windows and photo-voltaic panels which had been installed prior to the cladding.

Another imposed requirement in this protected and very popular site constantly over-flown by medical or surveillance helicopters, was to prevent unwanted shiny reflections that may dazzle pilots. The external cladding was made from 304 grade stainless steel with a Uginox top coating, 0.5mm thick for the covering and 0.8 and 1.2mm thicknesses for the sides. Each facet is “lit” by sunshine, just like the faces of the Mont-Blanc itself, as the sun runs its course through the day.

The roof of the Starnberg District Administration building has been successfully renovated.

The Starnberg District Administration building was built between May 1985 and July 1987. Due to its modern, open structure, it has a reputation for facilitating open communication with the district’s citizens, earning it the nickname “House of Citizens”.

As more and more departments and tasks were allocated to the Administration, staffing needs grew. In fact, in 2014 alone, the District Administration added 375 new staff members – an increase of  39%. To accommodate this significant growth, external office space was rented. Entire departments, such as the Youth Welfare Office, have been housed in portable containers for several years now. 

For this reason, the building’s original architects, Auer + Weber from Munich, were commissioned to design a much needed extension. Not only did the extension need to be able to accommodate at least 120 employees, it also had to harmoniously blend in with the existing building.

Secure roof construction

One of the key elements of achieving this cohesiveness was the addition of a stainless steel roof. After almost 30 years, the original roof was obsolete. Following detailed examination and consultation, it was decided that the new roof should utilise Aperam’s Uginox Patina K41 stainless steel (material number 1.4509). The 0.5 mm thick, electrolytically tinned stainless steel features a breathable separating layer on 24 mm planking and 670 mm cutting width. The tin, electrolytically applied to the stainless steel base material, transforms into a homogeneous matt grey surface, giving it its desired patina – an aesthetic that in no way affects corrosion resistance. 

A ventilated roof, also known as a cold roof, was chosen for construction. This is the most technically sound solution when using a metal covering. It allows any collected moisture to be safely discharged to the outside at any time via the rear ventilation level. Furthermore, during the warmer summer months, rear ventilation also improves the thermal insulation of the rooms inside.

The individual roof panels were put together using roofing technology with sealing procedures from Poschinger GmbH from Thyrnau. The stainless material was supplied by Aperam distributor Südmetall Otto Leonhard GmbH, located in Munich.

The District Administration doesn’t just shine because of its stainless steel roof

Under its new, cohesive, flat roof umbrella, the District Administration building graceful opens up to the surrounding landscape. Although not located directly on the banks of Lake Starnberg, water reaches the building via artificial canals and basins. These natural elements of earth, water and air are reflected in the building’s materials, its design and in its colours. These characteristics also place the building within the tradition of European modernism, with a hint of the eastern architectural  classics of ancient Japan.

The continuation of the cantilevered roof shade with metal covering helps protect the facade from the elements, which significantly reduces maintenance requirements. In fact, to this day, the facade has not had to undergo any renovation work.  

In summary: For the existing construction of the District Administration in Starnberg, as well as for the recently planned extension, the key is the use of excellent planners, excellent craftsmen and excellent materials.

Terne Coated Stainless Steel, Uginox Patina K44 made Aperam, was utilized on a one-of-a-kind of residential project in La Jolla, California designed by Wallace E. Cunningham, Inc. A firm well known for creating unique architecture since 1979.

What made this metal roof system a challenge was not only its design but also the geographical location. The project sits on cliff facing the ocean exposed daily to wind driven silica which is attacking the building materials on a daily basis, causing almost all metals known to the building industry to corrode in a relative short period of time. Uginox Patina K44 terne coated stainless steel was the perfect choice not only for its beautiful natural appearance but also for its superb corrosion resistance in the marine environment. The project is covered by Aperam’s 20 year warranty that requires no maintenance.

Daniel Schmidt, owner of CSI Architectural Metal Inc who provided design-assist and fabricated the system, said another technical challenge was that all the metal roof sections had to follow a radial design. All panels had to be tapered, varying from 2″ to 24″ in width on a length of up to 90′. Stainless steel’s low expansion and contraction allowed CSI Architectural Metal Inc to fabricate the standing seam panels in full lengths. Uginox Patina K44 was also used to clad walls, fascia, garage doors, and the barbeque area. The sheet metal installation was done by master craftsman Vi Tang.

Ben Wyvis Primary is a new school with 10 classrooms, and community and sports facilities designed to replace ageing provision in the adjoining villages of Maryburgh and Conon Bridge, 12 miles north of Inverness.

The preferred approach was to provide the whole school on a single level, which has resulted in a spread out plan, and to have outward facing classrooms that open on to external patios. 

The school is laid out in a simple steading arrangement with two teaching wings off the main spine. These form an open courtyard orientated to provide maximum sun penetration and wind protection. Construction efficiency and economy was achieved in subtle ways: use of a three-metre planning grid laterally and a common cross-section to allow the use of domestic-scale timber frame construction; and by minimising the external openings to reduce labour costs. The stainless steel cladding in 304L Uginox Top will give a 60-year life; cheaper than many common alternatives. The cladding harks to the agricultural heritage of the area, while still delivering a civic presence. At the end of its life, the material can be recycled.

The design evolved following detailed stakeholder consultation with the Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Service as client, the school, local community and interest groups. As this was two schools coming together into one, it was important that the consultation was meaningful and the views of the stakeholders were heard. The locals knew better than the design team how the school would tie into networks on the ground and what would best suit community needs.

The layout was therefore developed so that the nursery allowed easy access, and community facilities were sited alongside dining/kitchen area and the main hall. This maximised the opportunity for community use while ensuring it was remote enough from locations where noise could be an issue.

Pupils advised the team on what they liked to do in the playground, what they would do in a learning garden, and how the school grounds should be developed in a way that would be good for the environment. Their fantastic drawings influenced the site layout and formed part of our planning submission.

The school opened as planned after the mid-term holiday (2013), with pupils marched in from the old schools by a piper. Feedback so far has been very good, though it is early. However, we have been gathering performance data from recent schools, which demonstrates that the whole-life approach to design is working, and that these buildings will cost less in the long-term, and serve better.