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 floor all contribute to the area’s unique and year-round sunshine and warmth.
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Many houses are erected on the opposite sides of each other on the foothills of Palm Desert’s mountains. Because of this, “Depending on where you are, you could have some invasive reflections 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 Roofing award for new construction winner, he and the project’s architect Kristi Hanson, Kristi Hanson Architects, Palm Desert, kept this in mind.
McGrath says reflectivity was very significant 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 reflectivity 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, field-applied prepatina finish 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.
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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 exterior 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 composition.” 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 timelessness to the project,” Hanson says.
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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.firestonebpco.com,
and KME, Florence, Italy, www.kme.com/en
