Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper and larch cladding together define the natural character of a contemporary home, nestling amongst the treetops on the Island of Hirvensalo, part of the Turku archipelago in Finland.
Locally-based Sigge Architects reconciled their client’s need for a permanent working home but enjoying the essential characteristics of a Finnish Summerhouse with its tradition of respect for nature. The three-storey building was designed as a deceptively simple modern structure with clean lines. A restrained palette of natural materials enables it to sit comfortably in its elevated location within a gently sloping forest.
The Upper Level is conceived as a distinct copper-framed ‘box’ mass, oversailing the recessed Entrance Level ‘pedestal’. Here, Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper was chosen, structured with vertical seams. Sigge Architects CEO Pekka Mäki explained: ‘The Nordic Brown will gradually age with dignity within the forest’. Nordic Brown provides the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment, with darker or lighter (Nordic Brown Light) shades of brown.
A growing series of ‘copper stories’ – building studies exemplifying the best in contemporary architecture – showcase the diversity of surfaces, forms and applications available with Nordic Copper today.