Cupaclad supplied to Costa Street in London

Located in the vibrant and trendy area of Peckham in London, a new and unusually shaped residential development on the corner of Costa Street, has been completed using CUPACLAD® slate cladding, by manufacturer CUPA PIZARRAS.

London based, WHAT_Architecture selected the 101 Logic as the ideal rainscreen cladding system to create the striking design on Costa Street's new residential block of four flats. Part of a wider scheme aimed at regenerating the area of Peckham, the new development intended to complement the surrounding urban landscape. A crucial requirement was to select a facade system that could be installed easily and provide a natural finish; making CUPACLAD® the perfect choice to meet the architect's design.

Constructed using a cross laminated timber (CLT) interior superstructure, the lower half of the building has been completed using contemporary grey/blue facing bricks. Designed to look as though it is falling, the upper half of the building forms a leaning mansard, with the roof angled towards the adjoining garden at a 72-degree angle. In order to achieve this design, the architects chose CUPACLAD® for it's lightweight but robust nature.

A natural material with imperfections and rough edges, CUPACLAD® also allowed the architect to achieve the desired aesthetic that complements the bricks used on the lower half, which helped to reinforce the idea of connecting the traditional with the contemporary. Due to weight restrictions, traditional brick could not be used on the leaning upper half of the project, with the brick components of the project weighing an estimated 150kg per square metre, in comparison to just 30kg per square metre for the slate cladding. By using the lightweight slate, the architects were able to achieve the desired, unique leaning effect which contrasts with the character of the surrounding, more traditional architecture.

CUPACLAD® is an incredibly eco-friendly construction material, manufactured by CUPA PIZZARAS, a carbon-neutral company, from their own quarry in northern Spain. Due to it being a natural material, the production process from quarry to installation is highly efficient, involving no chemical or heating processes during extraction therefore requiring minimal water and energy consumption. CUPACLAD® is complementary to external insulation systems which help to keep buildings cool during summer and temperate in winter, and works well as a long-term solution for maintaining energy efficiency.

The CUPACLAD® 101 logic system provides a single aluminium fixing system with secret self-drilling screws, ensuring that the backing system doesn't impact the finished design. Backed by full BBA certification, the system has been rigorously tested to ensure it can safely resist the impact of wind, fire and water penetration.

CUPACLAD® slate cladding is available is a number of different systems including both visible and invisible fixings, which can be used with various shapes and sizes of slates. With limitless style options, CUPACLAD® Design is perfect for architects looking to create cutting edge designs, with the ability to adapt to meet project design requirements.

Find out more about CUPACLAD® natural slate cladding by getting in touch with our experienced team who are on hand to advise and assist in sourcing the best solution for your project.