The Longhouse: Precision Craft Meets Parametric Innovation
Nestled within a verdant landscape, The Longhouse showcases an intricate hard-metal panel system that marries advanced computational design with traditional craftsmanship. Commissioned by Kingsley Hard‑metals, one of the industry’s few specialists in complex metal façades, this project demanded both technical rigour and an intuitive understanding of material behaviour.
At its heart lies a robust parametric model, calibrated against real‑world constraints: coil width limitations, material tolerances, handling requirements and site installation parameters. By encoding these variables into the design algorithm, the team generated flat, welted copper panels (KME Copper Tecu Iron) that achieve a seamless, snake‑skin effect across two opposing, double‑curvature roof volumes.
Key to the system’s success was the mirrored pattern strategy. Establishing a central spine at the roof apex—where the tangent of the radius transitions from wall to roof—enabled a uniform distribution of panel joints. Here, the maximum coil width could be exploited, simplifying fabrication and reducing waste. From this datum, smaller panels at drips and hips graduated into longer spans, ensuring each panel remained within 6 mm of its designed curvature tolerance and avoiding the unsightly “orange peel” effect.
In the double‑curvature zones, horizontal joints were precisely placed—using four equal divisions—to optimize panel flow and minimise fabrication stress. To maintain visual continuity, the verge façades mirrored the roof’s jointing logic, and soffits were returned neatly into glazed gable frames.
A bespoke gutter and valley detail at the building’s front further illustrates the project’s technical depth. This custom solution accommodates the full length of the curved valley without compromising hydraulic performance or geometric integrity. Achieved through close collaboration between on‑site teams and the parametric modeller, this detail underscores the marriage of algorithmic precision and hands‑on expertise.
In The Longhouse, warm copper tones and poetic curves belie the exacting calculations that underpin every joint, every curve and every bespoke detail—an elegant testament to what happens when craftsmanship and computation converge.
Nestled within a verdant landscape, The Longhouse showcases an intricate hard-metal panel system that marries advanced computational design with traditional craftsmanship. Commissioned by Kingsley Hard‑metals, one of the industry’s few specialists in complex metal façades, this project demanded both technical rigour and an intuitive understanding of material behaviour.
At its heart lies a robust parametric model, calibrated against real‑world constraints: coil width limitations, material tolerances, handling requirements and site installation parameters. By encoding these variables into the design algorithm, the team generated flat, welted copper panels (KME Copper Tecu Iron) that achieve a seamless, snake‑skin effect across two opposing, double‑curvature roof volumes.
Key to the system’s success was the mirrored pattern strategy. Establishing a central spine at the roof apex—where the tangent of the radius transitions from wall to roof—enabled a uniform distribution of panel joints. Here, the maximum coil width could be exploited, simplifying fabrication and reducing waste. From this datum, smaller panels at drips and hips graduated into longer spans, ensuring each panel remained within 6 mm of its designed curvature tolerance and avoiding the unsightly “orange peel” effect.
In the double‑curvature zones, horizontal joints were precisely placed—using four equal divisions—to optimize panel flow and minimise fabrication stress. To maintain visual continuity, the verge façades mirrored the roof’s jointing logic, and soffits were returned neatly into glazed gable frames.
A bespoke gutter and valley detail at the building’s front further illustrates the project’s technical depth. This custom solution accommodates the full length of the curved valley without compromising hydraulic performance or geometric integrity. Achieved through close collaboration between on‑site teams and the parametric modeller, this detail underscores the marriage of algorithmic precision and hands‑on expertise.
In The Longhouse, warm copper tones and poetic curves belie the exacting calculations that underpin every joint, every curve and every bespoke detail—an elegant testament to what happens when craftsmanship and computation converge.
