The roofs of each of the three sections of the home are constructed of zinc and are insulated for added protection.

The studio is located in the natural context of the Scottish coast, with the island of Jura in the distance. A significant design challenge, according to Blake, was “building something quite refined in an extreme and remote environment.” To overcome this logistical obstacle, much of the material was prefabricated offsite and transported to the building location. At the facade, elemental zinc is elevated from raw material to art piece by the unique cladding pattern. The custom embossed standing seam zinc system was designed in collaboration with VM Zinc, and fitted by HLMetals.

A tall gray wall, made of acid-washed zinc metal, marks the entryway and visually grounds the roof planes. It also separates the living and bedroom volumes.

European baroque architecture, especially the Gesù Nuovo in Naples, is closely referenced in the diamond cladding pattern of the zinc. This connection plays into Blake’s interest in “how buildings become vessels for cultural meaning.” Although the theme of continental influence on Scottish architecture punctuates the design, Blake emphasizes the pure and joyous nature of the structure. “In some ways it’s a serious building about architecture, but it is also just meant to look pretty, glisten in the sunlight, talk to the water, and just feel right.”

Liebherr refrigerator was customized with an integrated zinc front to match the cabinetry.

The double-sided fireplace is wrapped in a custom surround made fron Cor-Ten steel. The rocker is vintage and the artwork is from the Lost Art Salon.

Located on an infill lot, the house is clad with Anthra Zinc panels by VMZinc.

"The most challenging aspect of the project was the client’s directive to 'design an art gallery we can live in,'" says architect Jeff Dolezal of local firm Tack Architects. Though the house is quite large—over 10,000 square feet—it was constructed with green design principals in mind. It features low-VOC paints and interior finishes, locally sourced materials, blown in soy-based spray foam exterior insulation, skylights and solatubes for natural daylighting, and FSC certified lumber, and LED light fixtures. The exterior is clad in zinc and cedar.

A small bar off the cafe pairs dark oak details with denim-upholstered bar stools. Photo by Nikolas Koenig.

Gates and Hillman Centers at Carnegie Mellon University "One of the more interesting new buildings in the city," according to Moss, the Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future Generation Technologies on Carnegie Mellon's campus, completed in 2009 by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, is a striking, LEED Gold-certified feat. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

36-inch Majestic range by ILVE in zinc yellow, $8,670 With ILVE’s custom color program, the Italian brand’s hoods and ranges—including this model with griddle and rotisserie—are available in a palette of 200 hues.

“We like old stuff, and we like reusing the same materials over and over again,” says Middendorp, who built the kitchen pantry from the home’s old wooden flooring and zinc from their former countertop. Leen commissioned a local ironsmith to create the 11-foot-long kitchen island, as well as the staircase that connects her ground-floor workshop with the family’s living space upstairs.

Lightweight corrugated zinc roof sheeting clads the exterior.

In one bastion of traditional architecture—the Hamptons—this home stands out. Sitting atop a hill, it faces the ocean on one side and the beach on the other. Gorlin gave each elevation a distinct facade. Seen here is the ocean-facing side, with a zinc-clad cantilever shading a sprawling outdoor patio.

The Plus House—named for the perpendicular trajectories of light and air that pass through on the top and bottom floors—is one in a series of architect-designed homes commissioned by Arkitekthus, a development company founded five years ago with a pledge to improve the quality of prefab architecture. The spruce panels that coat the second-floor exterior will fade in tandem with the zinc-coated steel that rims the glazed windows and doors. "They will go gray like we do," says architect Claesson Koivisto Rune.

The long standing-seam zinc roof extends over the pool to provide shade to the outdoor lounge.

FENIX-NTM in Zinc Doha by Arpa Industrials

A house in Suffolk County with concrete foundational walls, charred siding siding and VMZinc zinc roof.

Winged light bulbs, part of an Ingo Maurer fixture, bring levity to Hill's bathroom. The space features a zinc wall by Houston metalworker George Sacaris, who also did the bathroom and kitchen cabinets.

The shingled, zinc-roofed boathouse was envisioned as a simple port of call, where “the only luxury was the landscape,” says Guillermo.

The architect chose granite for the house’s base, zinc for its roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding—all materials that complement the nearby gray stone building.

“Many of Los Angeles’s iconic modern houses float above the city like tethered spaceships on stilts,” says Clive. “I had always yearned for the opportunity to design my own floating home.” Custom black zinc panels and sandblasted concrete form the exterior.

"The materiality and the look of the house had to have the identity of Chiloé," says Sánchez. Corrugated zinc panels clad the home’s exterior, zinc being the chosen material which "covers 90% of the houses in Southern Chile."

Amid the motley of architectural styles, from nautically inspired to shingled country cabin, Herbie Schlaepfer and Barbara Haeusermann's newly built, 2,894-square-foot home is like a palate cleanser for the eyes. One zinc cube cantilevers off the other, with great walls of glass that slide open and disappear.

The cabin's curved zinc shell exudes a rugged, industrial look.

The existing space's concrete floors and zinc windows were restored.

The kitchen features marble and zinc counters, a Waterworks faucet, and cabinetry from Jerry Short.

“Durability drove the selection of metal panels,” Schaer says of the home’s industrial exterior. Manufactured by AEP SPAN from corrugated cladding, it looks like zinc but costs significantly less. It also contrasts nicely with the natural siding and trim. “All of the wood inside and out is Douglas Fir, the predominant wood species in the northwest,” Schaer explains.

Located in Aarhus, Denmark, Villa R is a minimalist, serene structure clad in zinc panels. "The objective was to create a house that brings the forest inside through large glass panels—and create an ever-changing seasonal backdrop for the interior living spaces," stated the architecture firm, C.F. Møller, of the 3,200-square-foot abode.

The custom zinc cabinets and quartzite countertops of Mark Berryman’s Tribeca apartment reflect the sun as it sets over Manhattan. Workstead designer Robert Highsmith kept the apartment’s original fir beams and painted its existing pipes Onyx by Benjamin Moore. The counter stools are by Sawkille, and the floors are white oak from LV Wood. The range is by Viking.

The Chilmark House exterior is clad in shou sugi ban siding and roofed with zinc.

This set of glass serving pieces by Kaii Tu is on view at Zinc Details until Sunday, June 17th.

Vertical planks of western red cedar provide a warm contrast against horizontal zinc siding panels.

A new anthracite zinc roof sits within the walls, and protrudes upward to create extra interior height.

Contemporary materials like zinc and glass contrast with a cast iron facade and slate roofs.