Bricks, in conjunction with innovative masonry support systems, are building on their appeal as architects increasingly specify them across a wide range of new buildings. IG Masonry Support’s Andy Sharlot explains
Modern brick slip products enable the creation of bespoke brickwork detailing around windows, doors and soffits, and intricate patterns that blend seamlessly throughout a facade, creating an aesthetic that is stand out, rather than staid. Brick has a timeless appeal as a go-to building cladding material, and here we highlight how its potential to fulfil the most far-reaching architectural ambition is only limited by a designer’s imagination.
There is a saying: ‘form is temporary, class is permanent.’ This implies that something of real stature will never lose its quality, and this is certainly the case with brick. One of our oldest, most traditional building materials is undergoing something of a renaissance, as designers become aware of its ability to provide great kerb appeal, as well as long-term structural integrity.
The return to more durable materials such as brick and stone comes at the expense of solutions such as render and cedar cladding. For a time, these more modern systems were viewed as a quick and effective method of creating an attractive looking facade but as property owners will testify, it only takes one or two wet, inclement UK winters to render them far less desirable. Thus brick’s recurring appeal, as seen in Britain since Roman times; its excellent weathering properties ensure buildings will look as natural and impressive many decades post-construction.
The additional remedial work and maintenance incurred to keep a non-brick facade looking attractive does not play well in terms of sustainability. It results in more energy usage, material wastage and cost. But it’s brick’s evolution as a conduit to buildings that inspire, as well as protect, that is finding increasing favour with designers. In the previous century, pragmatism took precedence in brickwork design, with large swathes of the UK’s housing stock bearing a homogenised look. While speed of delivery, rather than aesthetic quality was doubtless a priority when reconstructing towns and cities as part of the post-war housebuilding boom, Britain’s building supply chain was not availed of the technology and tools to veer far from a one-size-fits-all approach to larger scale projects.
Masonry support – constructing a new era of brickwork design
The development of masonry support has propelled brick to a new stratosphere in terms of design possibility. The advance of brick slip soffits for instance, means modern shadow and lighting techniques can be used to ingenious effect and create wonderful buildings with the material some may have once dubbed ‘boring old brick.’ Facades varying in colour, texture and incorporating complex patterns and designs, are now de rigeur for architects with a penchant for masonry’s evergreen appeal.
Keeping pace with regulatory changes has been crucial to masonry support facilitating the rise in brick’s popularity. For example, the ban on combustible materials for buildings over 18 metres has led to innovations in brick on soffit systems to enable their use in high-rise applications. A BBA-Certified Brick on Soffit System (B.O.S.S.) is available that’s developed to be a non-combustible specification solution for architects wanting to add depth and contemporary visual flair to a masonry facade. The system is a gift for creating stunning brick soffits, deep reveals and flying beams with a wide range of bond patterns.
Such prefabricated solutions, whereby brick slips are adhesively bonded and mechanically fixed to a cement particle board, have significantly reduced the time and effort it takes to deliver buildings that are exciting to the eye. Lighter than equivalent concrete units, support systems of this type can result in a smarter, faster installation process that negates the need for mechanical lifting.
Masonry support’s progression is helping reframe brick in the hearts and minds of architects. In doing so, it is aiding the creation of a more characterful environment, and one that is increasingly leaning on brick’s timeless qualities to produce projects that are a perfect commemoration of modern and traditional building styles. Such applications are reasserting brick as a classic building material; classics never go out of style.
Case study: easyHotel, Oxford
IG Masonry Support supplied a full layout of custom brick slip systems, lintels and ancillary masonry support for the redevelopment of an easyHotel in Oxford. The products were not only crucial as a means of structural support, they were integral to achieving the architect’s distinctive design for the refurbished building, which featured striking brick bond patterns and bay-type windows.
Selected by Brickwork Contractor, Acheson Construction, we supplied the support system enclosures and ancillary masonry products were supplied for this project. Each solution was prefabricated, thus ensuring their suitability for the building design’s most challenging aspect – an unusual corbelled outset pattern that needed to have an amount of variation.
The design services provided for this project not only ensured that the masonry support blended seamlessly with other suppliers’ products, but that the systems were delivered ready-made to simplify
and speed up the installation process. Lastly, the client saved costs by eliminating the need for masonry support at specific levels of the building.
Andy Sharlot is chief designer at IG Masonry Support