Copper Bottom

: Oxford

Copper Bottom sits on an idyllic hilltop site overlooking a wildflower meadow and with panoramic views of the spires of Oxford. As a holistically sustainable exemplar, it is better than net zero, a low-maintenance, lifetime home in a rural yet sustainable location. And the dramatic, dynamic and innovative form of the house itself contributes to its sustainability.

The building’s defining characteristic is its origami-esque copper-clad carapace; an essential element in the sustainability strategy, it is sculpted to perform as an integral brise-soleil. The peaks and facets of the form are shaped to carefully modulate sunlight. They protect the generous glazing from summer sun but welcome low sun for solar gain in the winter. What would normally be considered a constraint on design has been turned into an opportunity for architectural expression. The form is richly modelled and resonant with a sense of spirit, but it is not whimsy. It derives from the uses it serves; form follows function. Copper Bottom performs as a habitable power station, generating more renewable energy than its minimal demands through a huge array of photo-voltaic panels. The slope of the roof and parapet mean the panels cannot be seen by passersby, creating an invisible solar farm in the sky. The copper cladding combines beauty with strong sustainability credentials. It is less than 1mm thick but tough and long lasting, as well as being 100% recycled and recyclable. Here the prepatination has been tailored to a specific verdigris which sits happily in its verdant setting.