A Roof with a View
It hasn’t been a great time to be installing a roof with non-stop rain for the last few weeks. But, on a rare day of sunshine yesterday, we ventured up to the roof to see how things are going.
Opening up; seeing the double height space for the first time
It felt like quite a wow moment.
All trussed up
The wooden trusses are going up at Copper Bottom, giving a sense of the angles the folded copper sheets will make when hung off them.
Shape matters
Copper Bottom is undoubtably an unusual shape. Architectural whimsy? No, says Adrian, the shape derives from the uses it serves, particularly environmental concerns.
Climate and carbon: concrete benefits of timber
Why would someone who “blooming loves concrete” choose a timber frame for his latest house? As Adrian explains, it’s all about climate and carbon.
The house starts to appear
Last week a (very big) crane arrived and started dropping in panels.
Meanwhile at the timber frame factory…
In our last blog we mentioned that we are using a timber frame at Copper Bottom. In the first house Adrian designed and built for our family, he used a cold-formed steel frame, cutting edge technology a quarter of a century ago. But times have changed, and this time round Adrian has chosen to use a timber frame – he will explain why in a blog post to come (expect lots about sustainability!).
Our first house on the River Thames in Oxford was built a quarter of a century ago using a cold-formed steel frame.
The View from the Site Hut
Anyone who has been involved in a building project will know that having a good site foreman is key. We are lucky at Copper Bottom to have the absolute best in the form of Mick Bond. I visited site today to have a chat with him about his career and our project.
A love letter to copper
Our new house, Copper Bottom, will be fully clad in pre-patinated copper. Why? I asked Adrian to explain and he wrote this, pretty much a love letter to copper.
Action stations
The first actual construction work has happened; Copper Bottom has its foundations.
Who doesn’t love a photo opportunity with a digger?
Our contractor, GC Interiors, have been clearing and levelling the site.
Location, location, location
This one is a real Goldilocks site: within comfortable walking/cycling distance of Oxford’s city centre, and yet feeling as if it is deep in the countryside.
Green is for Go. Our sustainable, genuinely green, sculpted house will break ground in May.
Copper Bottom is the new green vision from Adrian James, Director at Adrian James Architects.
This is a big project for the practice, and for us personally – we have just sold the house which Adrian designed and which was our family home for the last quarter of a century to make Copper Bottom possible.
