coppertalk

T-shirts and sandals, long country weekends, walks on the beach – we wait all year for the lazy, hazy days of summer. We aren’t the only ones. Microbes, including many that can make us sick, grow and multiply more readily in a warm, moist environment.

For these microscopic critters, nothing could be more inviting than the heating and air conditioning (HVAC) units found in many buildings. Without careful maintenance, an HVAC system can become a breeding ground for harmful, odor-causing bacteria, mildew, and mold. These unsavory colonies are not only bad for our health, they eventually compromise the efficiency of the machinery they inhabit, costing us money.

Thanks to the antimicrobial properties of copper, HVAC systems may one day be the last place a microbe will want to live. Read our news release on how New Research Is a Breath of Fresh Air for Heating and Air Conditioning Units and follow the research on antimicrobial copper http://copperairquality.org/index.html, which is being underwritten by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

This month in…

Copper in the Arts
Monthly Online Newsletter of the Copper Development Association

It must be gratifying to be able to breathe new life into some of America’s most beloved edifices; to know that because of you, the Statue of Liberty, the Plaza Hotel, Carnegie Hall, and many other historic structures will be around for a very long time.

Schtiller & Plevy, an historic restoration and architectural sheet metal shop in Newark, New Jersey, has worked on these famous landmarks, and is one of only a few accredited Historic Restoration Contractors in the country. Larry Plevy, the company’s president and a man who can gauge the thickness of a sheet of copper by touch, describes his work in industrial terms, but what one sees is the hand of an artist.

The Schtiller & Plevy story begins with Larry Plevy’s great, great grandfather, who installed the “skins” of the onion dome churches in Czarist Russia, and continues down to the recent $2 million restoration of the American Museum of Natural History.

Schtiller & Plevy: A Commitment to Restoring History tells the fascinating story.

Also in the current edition:
●    Gregory Nangle: Outcast Studios
●    The Movement of Bronze: Andrew DeVries
●    Capturing the Wild West through Bronze
●    A listing of upcoming events

Copper FAQs, Resources, and Upcoming Events

“…Then, there’s copper, which is the only pipe I use. It costs money. It costs money because it saves money.” – Cosmo Castorini, Moonstruck

If you’re not already working on a project that includes copper, chances are you soon will be. Copper is back in a big way and for good reason: it’s beautiful, durable, 100% recyclable – and it saves money.

The Copper Development Association has an informative page, Architectural Copper Products FAQs, to get you started. Learn about copper finishes, corrosion and stain prevention, environmental impact, and proven design techniques for working with copper and its alloys.

Our industry experts can help in a variety of ways, from in-house seminars to project design assistance, document and specifications review, and contractor recommendation. You can download our free design handbook, check on upcoming industry events, and learn about our educational and support programs. (more)

Copper in Architecture Awards

The North American Copper in Architecture Awards recognizes North American building projects that demonstrate an outstanding use of architectural copper and copper alloys. Sponsored by the Copper Development Association (CDA) and the Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association (CCBDA), the annual program awards excellence in craftsmanship, attention to detail, and architectural vision.

In a few short weeks, the 2009 NACAA winners will be announced. We’re looking forward to sharing them with you!

The bar is pretty high. The 2008 winning projects were exemplary for their use of copper in dramatically new ways. Some will remain as we see them today; others will change in color and texture as the copper ages and acquires a patina. The “aliveness” of copper is part of what makes it such an exciting material to work with—and to behold.

There’s a slide show and project description for each of the 2008 winners.

Meanwhile, the call for entries for the 2010 North American Copper in Architecture Awards is now open. Submissions will be accepted through January 31, 2010.