holesum studio
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architecture
queen house
fern house
hills house
inland
sisters
habitat house
bloom house
perch
hollow house
main cabin
holesum studio
Material Transformations
James Coleman
Biofouling refers to the accumulation of calcareous sealife onto the hull of a ship, resulting in structural deterioration and increased drag. In the 18th century, copper sheathing’s slippery and ductile quality proved to be a practical solution, and its application would evolve into copper-based anti-fouling paints. The site is both the location of the first manufacturing plant of copper-based anti-fouling paint (1863) and the first contact between European explorers and Gloucester’s indigenous peoples (1623).Copper sheathing was hand-formed to the shape of the “gnomon” stone which marks the central observation point of a local ancient indigenous hilltop observatory. The formed vessel of copper sheathing was then inverted and hung via a scaffold at the site of first contact. The vessel’s relative height is determined by the tide: when the tide is low and the vessel hangs high, it retains the form of the rock. When the tide is high the vessel is lowered to the gravel below and loses its referential figure.