A laminate structure with a nanostructured Cu–10Zn layer sandwiched between two coarse-grained Cu layers was produced by high-pressure torsion, rolling and annealing. Sharp interlayer interfaces with sufficient bonding strength were developed. Mechanical incompatibility between different layers during tensile deformation produced high strain hardening, which led to a tensile ductility higher than prediction by the rule-of-mixture. These observations provide insights into the architectural design and deformation studies of materials with gradient and laminate structures.