Copper seeks other elements to develop compounds that possess unique color attributes. No other metal comes close to offering the variety of color that copper can develop. They actually remove pollutants from the air, albeit very slowly, by combining with sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide to form mineral compounds that effectively trap the pollutants.Ĭopper is a fascinating metal to use when considering color. On a molecular level they seek various compounds from the atmosphere and readily combine with them.
These relatively uniform corrosion products are difficult to artificially create.Īll copper and copper alloy surfaces exposed to the atmosphere undergo changes. The carbonate mineral forms are malachite and azurite. The minerals of copper undergo a very slow aging process, though the process is somewhat faster when near the sea. Another somewhat common mineral formation on copper alloys combines carbon dioxide and forms carbonates over the initial cuprous oxide layer. The color is reddish brown, but often exhibits a range of color from orange to yellow, even purples, as can be seen in the Dirty Penny copper material developed by Zahner. This oxide is essentially the mineral cuprite. The predominant oxide to develop on the surface of copper alloys exposed to the atmosphere is cuprous oxide, Cu2O. These localized changes are the product of natural pollutants and the further aging of the surface. For example, bronze statues, exposed to the weather for centuries, often develop a darkish “bloom” in the form of a spot or streak. Over time, this transformation will occur at a progressively slower rate as the copper surface reaches a chemical equilibrium. This happens more rapidly when exposed to moisture, sun, and pollutants. In the hands of the DLSS artisans, zinc, copper, brass, and steel are transformed into works of exquisite and timeless beauty.Copper alloys, whether they are prepatinated or not, will continue to transform as the surfaces age.
Copper cladding solutions can mimic the evolving life of the patina surface along the timeline from five to fifty years. DLSS partners with architects, manufacturers, fabricators, and installers to create visually stunning facade cladding utilizing a variety of natural metals. The specialty finish was applied to composite natural copper materials that were selected for their ease of panel fabrication.ĭLSS Manufacturing is a high end provider of architectural sheet metal finishes, primarily for institutional use. While factory finishes were initially considered, the end solution culminated from a close collaboration between the architects and DLSS Manufacturing, specialty metal surface finish artisans.
Copper was selected for its durability, distinctive beauty, variation, longevity, sustainability characteristics, and perhaps most importantly because it is an iconic material long associated in the Hamilton area with significant institutional buildings.īecause a patinated surface was required both inside and out, a custom, treated finish was preferred. The new David Braley Health Science Centre’s custom patinated copper panels are employed as the feature material for the buildings ‘dominant visual accents’. The McMaster University project in downtown Hamilton, Ontario earned DLSS Manufacturing a spot on the Copper Developement Associations North American Copper in Architecture Awards list.
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