Project: AA Hooke Park Student Housing Unit
Design: AA Design and Make (MArch program)
Engineer: Arup
Material: SLATE. Slate is a finely grained foiliated metamorphic rock. Because it is foliated it can be split into thin sheets and used for cladding and roofing applications. Slate has a low water absorption rate which makes it an ideal material to be in contact with the elements – it is so water resistant it can even be used as a vapour barrier. Often it is sealed to increase longevity and improve its appearance.
Most slate in the UK is sourced from Wales and Cornwall – and it is a very traditional building material. The slate being used in this project has been reclaimed from nearby house that has been demolished. They drove a truck in the middle of the night to claim the tiles that were destined for the rubbish heap. The dimensions of the tiles being used is roughly 10″ x 20″ and in traditional terminology they would be referred to as “Narrow Countesses”. At Hooke Park the tiles are being used as a wall cladding on the exterior of sections of the building and are resting on a modern synthetic waterproof membrane manufactured by 3m. The beautiful purple coloration of this slate suggests that it originates from Wales.
(2nd Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slate_Size,_Narrow_Countesses.JPG)