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1220

11IS

S03

Vision

Issue 3

The creativity of brick

ConTenTColoPHonVision is a publication of:

Wienerberger ltd

Editors

Michael Driver

Sarah Jackson

Debbie Garritty

Aparna Gondekar

Heather Butler

Photography

Ruud Pejinenburg, ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Andrew Smith, SG Photography

Tim Saw, Valency engine

Design

SpringDesign, ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Kingsford Imaging limited

3

eDIToR’S noTeWelcome to the latest edition of Wienerberger Vision, a magazine for architects and

designers from the world’s largest brick manufacturer. Within these pages you’ll find

a selection of case studies showcasing the creative and ingenious use of brick in

buildings and construction projects across the UK and further afield.

As one of the oldest building materials in existence, the ‘humble brick’ has a rich his-

tory dating back thousands of years. Despite its heritage, brick products still inspire

the world’s leading architects and designers to create exceptional, modern and

environmentally sound buildings which capture the imagination and leave a lasting

impression.

From bus shelters to retirement villages, the following case studies reflect the diverse

nature of brick in 21st Century architecture. With numerous textures, finishes, colours

and shapes, brick can offer architects limitless inspiration to fit any project in any

environment.

We hope this collection of works, reflecting Wienerberger’s diverse product portfolio

will inspire you to see beyond the ‘humble brick’ and explore its many possibilities.

The Women’s Organisation, LiverpoolA New Liverpool Icon 4

Market Bus Shelter, Uden, NetherlandsOn the Crest of a Wave 8

Birtle Brook Retirement Village, BuryIndustry and Innovation 10

Residential House, Haren, NetherlandsHousing Project Ahead of the Curve 14 CAFOD, LondonA Hub of Inspiration 16

5

The Women’s Organisation (formerly Train 2000)

was established on Merseyside in 1996. Since

then, it has helped thousands of women to create

and develop businesses across the North West.

In 2009, the organisation appointed architect Katy

Heath, Principal of Nightingale Associates’ Liverpool

office, to design a new building for the Women’s

International Centre for Economic Development

(WICED). The building is designed to be the hub for

international research on female entrepreneurship as

well as providing enterprise support, including space

for up to 80 business units to help women start their

own businesses.

The chosen site was a brownfield plot on the corner of

St. James Street and Watkinson Street in the middle of

the area that the City hopes will develop into its ‘creative

centre’. It is a rectangular site open on two sides, set in the

context of traditional brick-built warehouses six and seven

storeys high.

The client is on record as wanting an ‘iconic’ building

and the architect has delivered by producing a stunning

building that will always stand out as a ‘one-off’ because

of the way the elevations have been handled.

The plan is straightforward: a ground floor comprising

the entrance, an open office for the organisation and a

A New Liverpool Icon

THe WoMen’S oRGAnISATIon, lIVeRPool

coffee-shop. It has three identical floors above, each with

a kitchen and sitting area and a number of different sized

offices and meeting rooms. The entire top floor is occupied

by a large conference suite which can be sub-divided by

elegant partitions, as required. The top floor of the building

is deliberately set back to allow for a number of terraces

with views over the city to the Mersey or back up the slope

to the sandstone glory of the Anglican Cathedral that rises

above the site.

It is the elevations that set the building apart. The concept

is that the building is surrounded by a glass curtain which

is contained by vertical brick panels that run from ground

to third floor and sometimes billows out of the constraints

to enclose the staircase, a full height atrium and the less

formal spaces, such as the coffee shop and ‘hot desk’

areas above.

The vertical brick panels are a direct reference to the

brickwork of the City’s existing warehouses. The six-

storey wall of the traditionally styled warehouse is formed

as a number of vertical panels punctuated by the regular

rhythm of the recessed hoist ways. Historically, a cart

would pull up alongside the building and the cargo would

be hoisted up in the recessed area. Here, the recess in the

brick skin is formed by bull-nosed bricks which are also

used around the window and door openings.

7

The bull-nose theme is carried into the interior where,

instead of sharp corners to the brick panels, these return

to the glazed skin through a bull-nosed brick. The brick

selected is the Desimpel ‘Heritage Blend’ which has a

heavy texture to avoid hard smooth corners and both

the colour and the texture reinforce the reference to the

existing vernacular.

Inside, the building is bright and welcoming. The floor-

to-floor height is generous and the entrance with the

atrium above gives the building a visual focus. There is no

doubt that the client is delighted with the building, which

manages to both draw on the past and set the standard

for the future.

The Desimpel bricks have been produced in

Belgium for nearly 200 years. They retain the unique

characteristics of hand-moulded bricks with a

creased texture, subtly irregular shape and warm

blended reds, yellows and brindles. Each brick is

moulded to create a subtle texture and the ability to

blend different bricks means that a bespoke solution

can be provided for each situation.

BRICK & TECHNOLOGY UnIqUe AnD SUBTle

Architectural office:

nightingale Associates

Architect:

Phil Vincent

Facing bricks:

Desimpel Heritage Blend

922

Bonnemayer, a local firm of architects, has recently

designed a new bus shelter for the Market Square

in Uden, the Netherlands. The building is part of a

comprehensive scheme to upgrade the Square which

includes new streetlights, benches, rubbish bins, and

telephone boxes.

The bus shelter is an important element of the scheme

and the brief suggested that it should be a neat, modern

design. The architect responded by designing a building

that consisted of a simple flat roof supported in part by a

solid elliptical block and in part by a set of columns.

This simple but multi-purpose building fulfils three functions.

The solid elliptical block contains a public lavatory designed

to allow access for the disabled and a transformer room

that will supply power to special events held in the Square,

such as a fun-fair or ‘Uden on Ice’. The covered area,

which is illuminated at night by multi-coloured leD lights,

provides shelter and seating for passengers waiting for

buses and taxis.

The elliptical block has been designed to minimise the

risk of graffiti and illegal bill-posting. The external skin is

formed from black ‘wave bricks’ from Wienerberger. These

undulating bricks have been laid vertically to accommodate

the tight radius of the ellipse. The vertical courses are

displaced from each other by half a brick, creating a

striking pattern, reminiscent of basket-weave or a reptile’s

skin that is difficult to deface with graffiti or posters. It is an

excellent example of how the creative use of a standard

product can result in something truly remarkable.

Architectural office:

Bonnemayer Architects, netherlands

Facing bricks:

Special shaped bricks, Wave bricks

On the Crest of a Wave

MARKeT BUS SHelTeR, UDen, neTHeRlAnDS

Industry and Innovation

THe BIRTle BRooK ReTIReMenT VIllAGe, BURy

11

In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, the

new mills used water power to drive machinery and

consequently they were sited in valleys adjacent to

rivers. One such example is Birtle Mill, originally built

for ‘bleaching and finishing’. It is located between

Bury and Rochdale towards the hamlet within a

conservation area which has a strict green belt

regulation. No longer used for its original purpose,

the site and its neglected buildings were purchased

by Pinnacle Living in 2005, with the express purpose

of creating a retirement village made up of properties

to rent for tenants aged fifty-five and over.

Brent Miller, Chairman of Pinnacle Living, was an

experienced hand in the contracting business and

he was confident he could create an outstanding

development on the site. He turned to Paul Clark of

C.J.Architects, a well-established Rochdale practice,

to help him in the process of rejuvenating the historic

site. Paul immediately saw the potential of the existing

buildings as a framework around which Brent’s vision for

the site could be delivered.

Over the years, the mill had expanded to include both

sides of the Birtle Road. To the west above the mill, the

best way to appreciate the scope of the site is to climb to

the top of the dam and look eastwards down the valley.

The regeneration of the site is impressive. In the space

between the dam and before the buildings there is now

a fishing lake, a crown bowling green and a pavilion

building which also houses the bistro that is open to all.

The new cottages face up the slope towards the dam

with their backs to the original wall of the mill that fronts

the road.

The development to the east of the road is nearing

completion. It is entered from a small forecourt and

a gateway in an existing building. Once through the

gateway, there is a large courtyard, surrounded on three

sides by cottages, some of which are single-aspect

buildings.

The cottages have been built from a mixture of brick

and stone. The stone was quarried locally and is used

for buildings that have been added to the plan whilst

brick is used on the buildings set on the original lines

of the mill.

The design of the brick elevations is interesting. A terrace

of cottages is expressed as a number of openings within

a large brick wall. The openings are contained within a

stone surround, but they are subservient to the brick

wall which, notionally, is the original wall of the mill.

The head of the wall finishes as a parapet, the strong

horizontal coping emphasising the primary importance

of the brickwork. This theme is consistent throughout

the development and provides the project with much of

its continuity.

BRICK & TECHNOLOGY MIx AnD MATCH

13

In order to translate the design concept into a sustainable

physical reality, it was important to select a brick that

was a close match to the historic original. The architect’s

choice was the ‘Oakwood Multi’ a robust brick, available

in both metric and imperial sizes. A great deal of care

was also taken with the choice of mortar and finishes to

create an authentic and aesthetically pleasing end result.

Wherever a mill has been built, there are associated

workers’ cottages and it is this existing housing that

gives a context to Birtle Brook. This is not an isolated

moorland development but a much-loved addition to the

landscape with its own sense of space and a spectacular

countryside setting.

Architectural office:

CJ Partnership Architects

Architect:

Paul Allison

Facing bricks:

Terca oakwood Multi (73 mm)

There are over one thousand bricks available in the

UK, so there is plenty of scope to make a successful

match. In a brick wall, brick makes 82% of the

surface and mortar 18%. Mortar will moderate the

appearance of a brick, so matching the mortar to

colour and finish is important.

You should match a brick first for size, then texture and

finally colour. Weathering will always change the colour

of a brick so specifiers have to decide at what point the

match is to be made. Size and texture are given, colour

is variable and if a precise seamless match is required

then consider brick-tinting.

1522

‘A round house with the garden on all sides’ was the

simple brief given to GDA Architects, commissioned

to build a new family house in the Mikkelhorst district

of Haren. The house was to be designed on one of

ten plots released by the local council, who imposed

ambitious sustainable construction targets which had

to be met by the developers. After close consultation

with the client, the architects have produced a striking

house that stands proudly looking out over the

landscape from a newly created residential district.

The ten plots are on the edge of the Mikkelhorst district.

They are all long and narrow and the plot assigned to

GDA Architects is orientated along a precise north-south

axis. In the Urban Development Plan produced by Rob

Hendriks, the plots form the transition from the residential

area to the landscape. The Urban Development Plan and

the local council imposed stringent conditions on any

development, specifying the position of the house within

the plot and requiring a permanent demarcation of the plots

with mesh gabions and trees. Architect Doeke van Wieren

believes that the high sustainability targets set by the Council

may have scared away a number of developers: ‘The

Council was very strict. A plan with insufficient sustainability

features would not be granted a plot. Ambitions were high

and included measures like solar photovoltaic panels,

sustainable materials, a grey water circuit and a heat pump.’

Exciting profile

on the GDA plot, the building was sited close to the street,

which presented its own problems as Van Wieren explains:

‘Because the plots are so narrow, there is the danger of

the building cutting the garden in two. This is partly what

prompted the oval shape – it makes the front garden flow

naturally into the back garden. The house has a continuous

wall with no clearly defined front, side or back garden.’

The oval floor plan is accentuated by a difference in building

height. on the north side - where the majority of the garden

is located- the building is three storeys high. This makes the

building point towards the landscape like the prow of a ship.

‘The layout of the building is also orientated to the north side’

says Van Wieren. ‘The south side is actually a large car-port.

The axis of the house aligns with the axis of the oval. The

unusual profile of the house is created by the small plan area

on the first floor, with only bedrooms and bathrooms and the

modest attic is used as storage space.’

Chunks out of the skin

The brickwork wall ‘hangs around the house like a coat’,

explains the architect. ’The intention was to create a wall

with a variety of shades rather than a single even colour.

We were also searching for a warm brick and saw just what

we wanted on a project in Groningen. It was a rough brick

with a deep texture which we thought was appropriate

for this project.’ Formers were used in order to enable the

bricklayers to lay to an oval shape, however the texture

of the brick made it impossible to lay directly against the

formers and it was necessary to introduce 20mm perpends

to make it work. Van Wieren thinks the result is ‘pretty

neat’ and likes the contrast of the brickwork with the light,

wooden frames. ‘The brickwork connects the house firmly

to the ground,’ he concludes. ‘The windows and doors are

like chunks torn out of the skin revealing the ‘flesh of the

fruit’ inside. This, combined with its shape, gives the house

the form of a bow sitting in the landscape.’

Architectural office:

Bauke Tuinstra van Wieren Architects

Architect:

Doeke Van Wieren

Facing bricks:

Terca Hectic Red

Housing Project Ahead of the Curve

ReSIDenTIAl HoUSe, HARen, neTHeRlAnDS

17

The CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas

Development) is an international charity running

projects in 40 countries. Designed by Black

Architecture, the new headquarters for the CAFOD

is sited on the Westminster Bridge Road adjacent

to Pugin’s St George’s Cathedral. It is a difficult

triangular site but Black Architecture has risen to the

challenge and produced a building that succeeds on

many levels.

It is generally recognised that a successful building is the

result of a creative dialogue between the client and the

design team. In this case, the firm - which describes itself

as a small but feisty architectural practice specialising

in designing buildings with sustainability at their core -

worked with a charity keen to commission a building that

demonstrated the ‘live simply’ philosophy at the heart of

their work.

The building has three major components. A set of open

office floors that run into the apex of the triangular site

which are linked to a set of ancillary spaces across an

atrium that extends through the height of the building.

The ancillary spaces are kitchens, rest rooms and meeting

rooms and they are located at the half-level between floors.

Thus, the atrium becomes the focal point of the building,

providing opportunities for people from different floors to

meet in shared facilities.

A Hub of Inspiration

CAFoD, lonDon

The atrium is a spectacular top-lit space. The solid

balustrades at the half level are set back at an angle above

each other, giving the whole volume a dynamic upward

movement. It is a space to be enjoyed as well as used,

especially as the highest balcony opens out onto a roof

terrace which is available to all staff.

Considerations of sustainability were uppermost in the

minds of both client and architect. In common with other

BReeAM excellent buildings, much of the building’s

technology is hidden away. There is a ground source

heating and cooling system that operates through pipes

cast in the concrete floor slabs. The thermal mass of the

concrete is used to store thermal energy from the ground

source system at night, thereby offsetting the heating

and cooling loads the following day. The building also

incorporates a mixed mode ventilation system. There

is natural ventilation through opening windows and a

displacement ventilation system that ensures indoor air

quality during winter and summer peaks. Photovoltaic and

solar thermal arrays, set amongst the green and brown

roofs, provide on-site renewable energy, whilst lavatories

are flushed with rainwater from the roof.

The building incorporates a rich variety of materials but

the predominant feature of the office façade is brick. It is

immediately clear from the elevations that this is a framed

building clad in brick. The brick panels are designed to

brick dimensions whilst depth in the façade is provided by

19

metal linings to the openings. The brick used is the Smeed

Dean Belgrave yellow stock, set off by a recessed dark

mortar. This is an excellent match for the yellow london

stock bricks traditionally used in the surrounding area. The

ancillary volumes are clad in an interlocking metal finish,

which provides a continuous surface in contrast to the

regularity of the brick panels.

The longer the client uses the building, the more it is

appreciated. It is economical to run and the choice

of materials has ensured long-term sustainability. Most

importantly, perhaps, it has provided the staff with an

enjoyable and inspirational place to work.

Architectural office:

Black Architecture ltd.

Architect:

Desmond o’dwen

Facing bricks:

Terca Smeed Dean Belgrave yellow

BRICK & TECHNOLOGY A RICH HeRITAGe

Smeed Dean Belgrave Yellow Stock is one of a

number of London stock bricks still made at the

Smeed Dean works in Sittingbourne. The works has

been in operation since the 1840s making traditional

London stock bricks. In the 19th century, the bricks

were transported to London by barge and the ballast

for the return journey was made up of ash from the

City’s fireplaces. This ‘town ash’, stockpiled on site,

is still used as an important raw material constituent

of the brick which gives it its characteristic ‘iron-

spotting’ appearance.