Summerfield House

Designer Oxford Architects specified the ‘homogonous’ copper rainscreen cladding – including pre-formed corner panels, window reveals, heads, sills and rooflines – to create a clean modern look. It is envisaged that this innovative approach will both contrast and complement the historical character of the original Victorian-built Newton Lodge and other buildings dotted throughout the school grounds.

Proteus HR is an integrated modular rainscreen panel system featuring an aluminium honeycomb core, structurally bonded between two thin gauges of lightweight metal skin. This creates a lightweight, strong and versatile cladding system, whilst the sheer, smooth aesthetic of the optically flat panels achieves pure architectural sightlines. The honeycomb core also helps optimise the gauge of copper skin, contributing to budget expectations, and creating a rigid, slimline cladding panel.

Inclusion of the Proteus HR slimline panels at Summer Fields contributed to overall energy efficiency by allowing incorporation of high levels of insulation within the underlying structure, whilst still maintaining the rear ventilated cavity. The copper cladding also provides Summer Fields with outstanding mechanical abrasion and weather and corrosion resistance properties as well as being maintenance free.

Proteus Facades fabricated the entire copper façade at its advanced manufacturing facility in Lancashire, including the copper pre-formed corner panels for installation on the window head and sills.