Located on a steeply sloped site in the central Texas hill country, visitors to the Cascading Creek House cannot help but notice the home's unique water-collection. One of its key components is zinc roofing crafted from material by RHEINZINK America Inc., Woburn, MA.

The residence's paired zinc roofs are on full display while descending the steps at the property’s entry. The northern roof collects rainwater from the sudden downpours that are characteristic of the area and deposits it into a central trough concealed by a line of solar thermal assemblies. The trough culminates in a giant scupper that feeds rainwater into an open cistern before being stored in a 30,000 gallon tank buried beside the house. The scupper can be run artificially as a fountain. The storage tank also collects runoff from the hardscape on the sloped lot. The stored water ties into an extensive climate conditioning system which utilizes water source heat pumps and radiant loops to supply both the heating and cooling for the residence.

Design for the project and its innovative technological features was by Bercy Chen Studio, Austin. Principal Thomas Bercy selected RHEINZINK PrePATINA blue-grey Double Lock Standing Seam Panels to clad the 3,200 sq. ft. roof area. “We used the zinc for aesthetic purpose as well as durability,“ Bercy said. “We were looking for a natural color palette that would work with the other materials on the house. The grey of the RHEINZINK worked perfectly with the grey tones of the Lueder limestone.  And I’ve always loved the patina that aged zinc presents.“

The RHEINZINK distributor on the project was MetalTech—USA, Peachtree City, GA.