72 | T T Sue Russell Forging a reputation of respect The home is a holiday retreat with a grandstand view north to Mt Ruapehu. The Japanese developed charring timber cladding as a way of improving the strength and performance of timber homes. Barry Copeland leads an approachable, boutique architectural practice based in Auckland, which over many years has forged a reputation of respect from peers in the sector. The practice engages in a wide range of design forms, including education, civic, community, commercial, health and residential. This variety and the very colleagial way in which the practice operates creates a vibrant and engaging work place for Barry and the team of three designers – Marco Duthie, Franklin Mwanza and Tuheina Bhaumik - who are all registered architects. It was great to have the opportunity to talk with Barry again after a period of nearly five years. He shared about a recent project, an amenity building in Taihape , for client Rangitikei District Council. “The brief was a collaboration between Council and the Taihape community. Positioned in Taihape Memorial Park, the amenities building, named the Ngā Awa Block has given the town modern facilities for both sports clubs and the public to enjoy,” Barry says. Then in Ohakune another project, a private residence out in the country, is using a building methodology Barry has a lot of time for. “I have long been drawn to applying an industrialised prefabricated systems approach and see many benefits stemming from this approach. Especially when considering how efficient the building process is, with building forms constructed in a factory situation off-site then assembled together. It makes for closing in the structure to weather-proof state a much faster process than conventional building from scratch on site.” The home is a holiday retreat with a grandstand view north to Mt Ruapehu, surrounded by forests and Department of Conservation land, the dwelling is almost entirely built from timber. Barry says special attention was given to the appropriate integration of the home into its natural setting using a Yakisugi finish for the timber-clad exterior. Yakisugi is an ancient Japanese method of preserving timber by fire conditioning, giving the timber a black charred finish which is extremely long-lasting and requires minimum maintenance. The Japanese developed charring timber cladding as a way of improving the strength and performance of timber homes. The process of charring timber case-hardens the outer cell layers, creating both a stronger and more stable material. Inside, the house in contrast has a light natural timber interior with exposed timber beams, reflecting a Scandinavian feel. The house has been assembled from panels prefabricated in the factory by the builder, Bairdbuilt of Mangaweka, near Taihape. “The builder has produced an outstanding quality of work throughout this build and we have enjoyed considerable collaboration with him.” In a period of just three weeks, floor, walls Copeland Associates Architects ARCHITECTURE Proudly Supporting Copeland Associates Architects Experienced Builders Specializing in prefabricated architectural buildings 021 744 937 kyle@bairdbuilt.co.nz and roof panels were all assembled on site during February this year. “We expect internal finishing and fitting out to take a further couple of months.” Another benefit of assembling the timber component inside is that the laminated timber, which forms the home’s structure is kept in a dry environment. Barry says he’s looking forward to two further house projects, one a conversion of an existing house and the other brand new as well as the likely design of another early childhood centre. “There can often be a long lead-in time with our projects so I’m always interested in being given the opportunity take on more work into the future.”
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