March 1, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From the Roof to the Plumbing, Copper will be Showcased on Upcoming PBS Series
A new energy-efficient home construction project being featured on the PBS HOMETIME show later this month will highlight the use of copper in the interior and exterior design of the house.
Starting February 27, the HOMETIME crew will unveil the Stone Cottage project, a 3,100 sq. ft. architectural wonder built in Orono, Minnesota, over the course of a year and a half.
With this 18 week series, HOMETIME is showcasing the trend toward energy efficiency and resource conservation through smart design. The episodes follow the project from groundbreaking to interior furnishing.
All the copper used for the project was supplied by the Copper Development Association (CDA), the market development, engineering and information services arm of the copper industry.
"When CDA was asked to get involved with this project, we leapt at the opportunity," said Andy Kireta, Jr., CDA's vice president of building construction. "This house provides an excellent illustration of how the use of copper can set one house apart from the rest, both in terms of environmental footprint and aesthetics. In addition to being an attractive design element, copper and copper alloys, like brass and bronze, are high in recycled content, energy efficient, durable and reliable - all lending to sustainable use with long service life and low required maintenance. In addition, they are all fully recyclable at the end of life."
The exterior of the building is stone veneer with a copper roof and additional copper elements, including the cricket, flashing, window and column drip caps, the gutter apron, and the roof work connecting the house to the porch. Sitting atop the roof is a decorative element that the HOMETIME crew has dubbed the "copper dunce cap with a copper ball."
In addition to the copper roof and roof features, there are recessed dormer windows with copper roof pans and, in the spring, HOMETIME will be building a copper-lined window box in the front of the house, with copper gutters also getting installed.
HOMETIME has also chosen to use copper piping for the plumbing for its proven reliability and Romex cable, using copper wire for the electric runs. The home is wired with thousands of feet of Cat 5 and Cat 6 component video and speaker wire that will provide incredibly sharp sound distribution and a state-of-the-art home entertainment environment.
The Stone Cottage series epitomizes state-of-the-art construction, with copper playing an integral role.
The show will run through spring and summer and will wrap during the fall of 2010. You can see a preview of Stone Cottage on the HOMETIME website.
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