An innovatively designed new retirement complex in Winchester has become the latest state-of-the-art development to feature bronze rainscreen cladding from Proteus Façades.
Chesil Lodge is a £16 million Extra Care facility that provides contemporary style homes for local residents of Winchester aged 55 and over.
The development, commissioned by Winchester City and Hampshire County Council, features striking Proteus’ HR TECU Bronze rainscreen panels on the upper levels and traditional Winchester red brick on other elements.
During the design stages a series of workshops were held between Winchester Council and designers PDP Architecture in conjunction with local architect’s Design Engine, where it was envisaged that the building should be developed to be as sympathetic to its surroundings as possible.
Proteus HR TECU Bronze was specified because the material’s ochre, brown and red tones perfectly complement the brickwork colour to create an aesthetically pleasing yet unobtrusive façade.
Working alongside Main Contractor Galliford Try, Proteus Facades fabricated the panels, which have a lightweight aluminium honeycomb core structurally bonded between two thin gauges of metal, with the outer veneer in this case being the specified TECU Bronze material. This rainscreen system minimises weight loadings on the underlying structure whilst helping the panels achieve near perfect optical flatness, strength and rigidity. The cladding panels were installed by MK Facades.
The rich diversity of the TECU range of copper and copper-alloy materials such as bronze allow unparalleled variety and high-quality aesthetics for architecture especially as the material weathers and mellows over time. This subtly changes the façade’s appearance as it develops a tough, maintenance-free and beautiful patina, as will be the case at Chesil Lodge.
During the weathering process, the matt surface of the Proteus HR TECU Bronze rainscreen cladding panels develop an oxide layer that will provide additional protection from rain, frost, wind, UV rays and other external elements. This brings with it striking colour variations through an entire range of warm russet tones that change depending on the level of natural light and time of year.
The overall building design is based around a clever syncopation of two and three storey blocks that feature integral balconies, which, in combination with the Proteus HR Bronze rainscreen cladding and glazing elements, visually interrupt the skyline, avoiding what could otherwise have been a large, monolithic structure.
This massing of the development and the façade treatment are what sets this project apart, creating a development that is sympathetic with its location. PDP Architecture orientated the building so that it faced on to the rear of Chesil Street along Barfield Close, again, a measure to avoid imposing on existing buildings and the local area.
All factors which resulted in the development securing the Best Inclusive Building Award at the annual Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Awards 2019. In addition, Chesil Lodge has been shortlisted for the 2019 SPACES Civic Building of the Year award.
Proteus Facades offers one of the widest ranges of TECU copper and copper alloys in the UK. This includes TECU Brass, TECU Copper, TECU Bronze, TECU Gold, TECU Zinn, a tin-plated copper that offers all the advantages of copper but weathers from silver to subtle grey tones.
All the materials are available pre-patinated, which bypasses the gradual weathering process, so that the cladding panels take on the beautiful earth tones from the day the façade is installed. Proteus Facades also offers a range of other surface treatments that avoid, delay or accelerate the weathering process.
Chesil Lodge comprises of 52 self-contained Extra Care Units supported by a number of shared facilities including a reception area, cafe/restaurant facility, a lounge and activity rooms, as well as a Day Care Unit which allows families respite from care for the morning or afternoon.