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Copper Adorns The New American Home "Smart House Loft"

January 19, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAS VEGAS – The Copper Development Association (CDA), is pleased to announce its participation in “The New American Home” annual showcase project, cosponsored by the National Council of the Housing Industry (NCHI) and Builder Magazine. The $1.3 million Smart House Loft, named for its spacious, multipurpose living areas, was built to coincide with the 2004 International Builders Show in Las Vegas.

This year’s project features copper as a key exterior design element, according to CDA’s national program manager for building construction, Andrew Kireta Jr.
“ We’re very excited to be involved in this house,” says Kireta. “It has some outstanding and unique architectural elements, such as a dramatic, six-foot-high all-copper railing that wraps around the home’s Master Suite verandas.”

Copper building materials were provided by CDA, including the entire roof structure – a standing seam surface with wide copper fascia and eaves, expansive copper soffits, and even a copper chimney surround. Hundreds of feet of copper plumbing tube were also installed throughout the home to ensure a lifetime of dependability.

“ The color and texture of copper fit perfectly with the building materials we used to create the home’s old-world exterior,” says Dale Beck of Merlin Construction, the home’s builder. “We envisioned a 17th or 18th Century European home with copper on top and a brick facade. Both elements suit the loft style – but with a decidedly European flair.”

The only rooms in the Smart House Loft designated for a specific purpose are the kitchen and master bedroom. The remaining living areas are flexible, open-plan spaces that can be used as the homeowner wishes, such as a home office or gym, art studio, digital photography studio, and more.

The project’s architects, Food for Buildings of Holland, thought of everything when designing the Smart House Loft. One addition well-suited to the Las Vegas desert environment is a copper tube sprinkler system installed on the roof. When temperatures rise, it emits an enveloping cloudlike mist that acts as an “outdoor air conditioner,” cooling the home’s verandas and patios as it evaporates.

The New American Home is a housing industry initiative held in conjunction with the International Builders Show. Each year, homes like the Smart House Loft are designed, built and opened for tours by attendees at this event to introduce new concepts in residential architecture, interior design and construction.

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The Copper Development Association is the information, education, market and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industries in the USA.

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