The architectural clarity of a new teaching facility at Gresham’s School in Norfolk – incorporating panels of Nordic Brown Light pre-oxidised copper alongside full-height glazing – typifies an innovative approach to education.
Enabled by Sir James Dyson, a former pupil at the school, the centre for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education is a state-of-the-art structure at the heart of the School campus. WilkinsonEyre’s design develops and refines the evolving STEAM building typology, and follows a modern aesthetic integrating industrial components with landscaping and low energy systems.
Opaque & Perforated Panels
The two-storey exposed steel frame envelopes a mixture of large panels: some glass and others Nordic Brown Light pre-oxidised copper – either opaque or with square perforations adding transparency whilst screening glazing behind. Some of the panels are set back within the structure, introducing landscaped open areas which can be used for outside teaching. Integrated planting blurs the boundaries between outside and in.
The thoroughly modern building remains sympathetic to its historic context and its scale reflects that of the 1916 school chapel across the lawn. Meanwhile, the patterns in the Nordic Brown Light copper panels mirror decorative flint details on the chapel elevation.
Building as a Teaching Tool
Yasmin Al-Ani Spence, Director at WilkinsonEyre, said: “This building will provide contemporary teaching spaces for the investigation of the sciences and the arts simultaneously, enhancing critical thinking and promoting innovation. The building itself – through the clarity and honesty of design and construction – becomes a teaching tool in its own right.”
With an area totalling 4000m², teaching spaces are generous and filled with light. They include classrooms, laboratories, workshops, an auditorium and open-plan common spaces able to host a variety of teaching and learning uses. An inviting and interactive internal courtyard, doubling up as circulation, features an arts hub, seating area, and IT point and facilities, further reinforcing the integration of art, design, and science.
The building is equipped with the latest technology to ensure the highest levels of teaching, from robotics and Artificial Intelligence to programming and machine learning. The building will also provide greatly improved opportunities for the outreach programme which Gresham’s runs with local schools.
Performance & Appearance Naturally
Nordic Brown copper provides the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. The thickness of the oxide layer determines the colour of the surface finish with dark or the lighter ‘Nordic Brown Light’ shades of brown.
Nordic Brown is part of an extensive range of architectural copper surfaces and alloys with an unrivalled lifespan, no maintenance and full recyclability. With a melting point of 1083˚C and ‘A1 (non-combustible material)’ fire classification to EN 13501-1, copper is suitable for cladding tall buildings, using appropriate constructions.
Living Copper Surfaces
Apart from Nordic Brown, and also Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ copper, Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and Nordic Turquoise pre-patinated surfaces have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world. As well as the solid patina colours, ‘Living’ surfaces are available for each colour with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material.
Copper alloys are growing in popularity as well, including Nordic Bronze and Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied pre-weathered. The innovative Nordic Royal is an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc, giving it a rich golden through-colour and making it very stable. A wide choice of Nordic Decor mechanically applied surface treatments is also available for various surfaces and alloys, particularly suited to interior applications.
A growing series of on-line ‘copper stories’ exemplify the best in contemporary architecture and showcase the diversity of surfaces, forms and applications available with Nordic Copper today. For more information visit: www.nordiccopper.com or email: NordicCopper@aurubis.com