Dezeen promotion: architectural cladding brand Cupa Pizarras has unveiled a rainscreen cladding system made from slate.

Cupaclad is an innovative cladding system that utilises the beauty of natural slate to provide a wide range of modern siding options.

According to Cupa Pizarras, slate cladding has "emerged as a modern architectural trend in Europe", and is "beginning to make its way over to the United States".

"Other than affording a beautiful aesthetic to any structure, natural slate has a number of properties that make it one of the most reliable siding materials available," said Cupa Pizarras.

The Cupaclad system is designed to help keep buildings temperate in the winter and cool in the summer, intended to reduce energy bills and prevent harmful CO2 emissions.

The rainscreen cladding can be customised to individual buildings and adapted to any surface.

As a cladding material, slate has "been used as a durable and long-lasting roofing material" and is "fireproof, water-resistant and boasts a lifetime of over 100 years", according to Cupa Pizarras.

The company's system is handcrafted, and no additional chemical treatments are used in its making. It requires no additional treatment, and retains its original and colour properties over the years.

The Cupaclad cladding system was recently used on a home in Spring Lake, New Jersey, which won the AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence COTE Award in 2020 for "the performance of the building for the health and wellness of the occupants and the environment where it is placed".

Another example of its use can be seen at Southern New Hampshire University's College of Engineering, Technology and Aeronautics.

The cladding system features different-sized slate pieces across the building's facade, resulting in its use not only as a roofing material but also a creative composition.

Visit the Cupa Pizarras website to find out more about Cupaclad and the brand's full offering of cladding and roofing.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Cupa Pizarras as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.