Beautiful Brickwork

There’s an old joke somewhere about Quantity Surveyors counting bricks … but jokes aside, we really just wanted to highlight the strength of the UK’s brick industry. With so many alternative choices available, why do architects and designers specify bricks time and time again? The Brick Development Association (BDA) sums it up in 4 words:
Certain supply. Certain quality.

According to to the BDA, 80% of the 2.5bn bricks deployed in the UK’s built environment, are made in the UK, ensuring a strong domestic supply chain, and consistently excellent quality. Forterra is just one of those leading UK manufacturers. They manufacture a variety of essential clay and concrete building products. The majority of their raw ingredients are sourced from their own quarries, which lie adjacent to their 17 factories across the UK - areas where they also supply their local community with trade and employment opportunities.

Wienerberger UK is another manufacturer who have a strong base in the UK. Founded in 1819 in Vienna, Wienerberger has gone on to become the world’s largest producer of bricks and clay blocks. Wienerberger has 197 international production sites in total, with 15 of them located here in the UK. They employ over 1500 colleagues in the UK, with factory sites across Manchester, Co. Durham, Worcestershire, North Warwickshire, West Midlands, North Kent, Surrey and West Sussex.

A mix of products from both of these suppliers was specified for a project we recently worked on - the Hoxton Hotel in Shepherds Bush. The project’s lead architect Adam Jones, Associate Director for EPR Architects, kindly shared the exact recipe for brickwork success on this project.

THE FRONT FAÇADE

“The front façade addresses the Green with a strong verticality to the central section with grounded brick piers that extend upwards to form a central crown to the building, culminating in glazed brick fins that catch the sunlight. Here, a blend of three different red brick types was used - Autumn Glow, Chertsey Antique Blend, and Westcroft Red Multi - all made in the UK by Forterra PLC, composed on the elevations using a Flemish bond pattern with stepped soldier course banding at key locations, complemented by a carefully considered natural colour sand/cement mortar, reinforcing the building’s elevational grid.”

THE GROUND FLOOR
“The ground floor contrasts with the floors above using dark grey bricks (itself a blend of two Wienerberger types - Cinder Coal White and Forum Smoked Cromo, with a dark grey mortar), giving richness to the base of the building where it is most visible.  Above the cornice line, a light grey brick is used - Wienerberger Forum Smoked Light Grey - with a light grey mortar, laid in a 20mm stepped vertical coursing profile which adds shadow lines across the top of the building giving a horizontal accent without the need to resort to additional masonry support.”

THE ELEVATIONS

“Across the elevations, specific emphasis was put on the symmetry of brick detailing of piers to the front and between windows to the rear, using queen closers and specials. Movement joints were cleverly developed as slip planes behind piers to reduce their visual impact across the façade. The rear elevation is naturally subservient to the front, with the same brick types laid in a Flemish Garden Wall Bond, with smaller windows, establishing a logical hierarchy to the elevations inspired by the neighbouring buildings and theatre vernacular. False window reveals were used on the larger expanses of brick to maintain the rhythm of the openings adding depth and interest. “

With the Hoxton Hotel in Shepherds Bush now shortlisted in the Commercial section for the 2023 Brick Awards, we don’t mind admitting that yes, as a bunch of Quantity Surveyors, we really are quite partial to a good brick.

For more information on this product or the project, please contact James Denby or Daniel Reid at Greenway Associates.