DESIGN

DESIGN 

from IBSTOCK BRICK 

Autumn 2016 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 

In this issue: Cottrell Vermeulen at 

Brentwood School,Evans Vettori 

at Nottingham Trent,PRP, Studio 

Verve, Adrian James Architects, 

plus creating curved brickwork 

and Ibstock’s Birtley brickworks

Domino housing,London, by VerveArchitects (ph: Luke White)

DESIGN 

from IBSTOCK BRICK 

Ibstock Brick Ltd 

Leicester Road, Ibstock, 

Leicestershire, LE67 6HS 

t: 01530 261999 

f: 01530 257457 

e: enquiries@ibstock.co.uk 

www.ibstock.com 

Ibstock Sales Office: 

0844 800 4575 

Design &Technical Helpline: 

0844 800 4576 

Sample &Literature Hotline: 

0844 800 4578 

Special Shapes and Brickwork 

Components Sales Office: 

0844 736 0350 

©Ibstock Brick 2016 

Published by Ibstock Brick Ltd 

4Autumn 2016 –IbstockUpdate 

6The Pavilion and Teaching Building by Evans Vettori 

add ahearttoNottingham Trent University’scampus 

12 Brickwork enhances the fluid, dynamic curves of Incurvo, 

aprivate house in OxfordshirebyAdrian James Architects 

18 Blackbrickslend distinction to the Domino houses on a 

neglected backland site in north London by Studio Verve 

24 Cottrell Vermeulen’s Bean Learning Resource Centreat 

Brentwood School is ashowcase of inventivebrickwork 

32 PRP’sregeneration of London’s Myatts Field North estate 

exploits the potential of steel framing and brickfacades 

38 Creating curved brickwork 

42 High environmental standards in both production and in 

its products areahallmark of Ibstock’sBirtleyfactory 

46 BrickResponse: Simon Gould of Mitchell EleyGould

Ibstock 

Update 

NEW BRICKBLENDS 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

BIM OBJECTS READILY 

AVAILABLE 

Ibstock has launched arange of 

new Leicester Blends, alongside its 

Birtleyand bespoke blends, allof 

whichfeatureinanew brochure, 

available online. 

Factories specialising in blends 

include Swanage,Birtley,Leicester, 

Chailey and West Hoathly.Where 

Swanage produces stock bricks in 

unique colours, textures andsizes, 

plus handmade specials, Birtley 

buildsonacentury-old tradition of 

manufacturing authentic 

waterstruck bricks. Leicester makes 

the most extensive range of standard 

andcrease-texturedstock bricksin 

the UK, whileWest Hoathlyis 

amongthe country’s last remaining 

clamp-fired stock brick factories. 

Chailey also builds on its history, 

using clamp firing to set its products 

aside from modernclaybricksin 

both colour and texture. 

However,with Ibstock’stotal of 15 

manufacturing sites together 

producing morethan 300 brick 

types, the range of bespoke blends 

is almost unlimited. This offers 

specifiershuge freedom increating 

blends to harmonise with adjacent 

buildings, to match existing 

brickwork or to imbue anew 

project with aunique identity. 

Bespoke brick blends can be 

created withthe blending tool at 

www.ibstock.com/brick-blender. 

In addition, Ibstock can supply 

Blend-Builder boxes, featuring 30 

brick slips of achosen blend with 

whichtocreate abespoke mix. For 

samples or bespoke blend panels, 

please call0844 800 4578. 

Ibstock is delighted to announce that 

allits principal UK brands havefully 

embraced BIM, making many key 

products available through the RIBAsupported 

NationalBIM Library. 

Ibstock Brick, Supreme Concrete, 

Anderton and Forticrete recognise 

the benefits that BIM can bringto 

specifiers in efficient building design. 

The widest range of clay bricks and 

concrete products, including lintels, 

walling stone and masonryblocks, 

floor beamsand troughing products 

areavailable in all common formats 

atwww.nationalbimlibrary.com 

BRICK-EFFECT CHIMNEYS 

Above 

RexLambert, an architect 

at Anne Machin Architects, 

wins the £250 prizeinthe 

Ages of Brickcompetition. 

Left 

Bespokeblends at the Oval 

and WakehurstCivic Offices. 

The Faststack range of brick-effect 

chimneysfromIbstock Kevington 

offers atime-saving solutionto 

forming lightweight imitation 

chimneys. They aredelivered to site 

ready to point, crane,fix and dress. 

See www.ibstock.com/chimneys 

AGES OF BRICK WINNER 

AnswerstoIbstock Design’s Spring 

quiz, wonbyRex Lambert, are: 1 

Amsterdam, 2The Pantheon, 3Alvar 

Aalto, 4FritzHöger, 5Antoni Gaudi, 

6Louis Kahn, 7EdwinLutyens, 8 

Copenhagen, 9Albi, 10Rome. 

4•IBSTOCK DESIGN •AUTUMN 2016

IBSTOCK’S 

STRENGTH IN 

NUMBERSAT 

THE BRICK 

AWARDS 

Bricks from Ibstock feature 

in many of the shortlisted 

entries for this year’s Brick 

Awards.The winners will 

be announced at the 2016 

awards presentation, held 

by the Brick Development 

Association in London on 

10th November. 

Commercial Building 

•Foundry Digital Village, 

Salford, SixTwo Architects 

•Smithfield, StokeCivic 

Centre, Aedas Architects 

(above) 

Craftsmanship 

•Erdington Skills Centre, 

Birmingham, Bryant Priest 

Newman 

•Brick Relief Panels, Brick 

Kiln,Telford, GallifordTry 

(above) 

•Peel Campus 

accomodation, Salford 

University,Sheppard 

Robson Architects 

•Smithfield, StokeCivic 

Centre, Aedas Architects 

Education Building 

•Pavilion &Teaching 

Building,Nottingham 

Trent University,Evans 

Vettori(above) 

•Brentwood School 

Learning Resource Centre, 

Cottrell &Vermeulen 

•Merchant Taylors' School 

Design Centre, 

ArchitecturePLB 

•Crausaz Wordsworth 

Building,Robinson College 

Cambridge, RH Partnership 

Refurbishment 

•Student Services 

Building,ArtsUniversity 

Bournemouth, Design 

Engine Architects (above) 

•Brentwood School 

Learning Resource Centre, 


Large Housebuilder 

•Catalyst Housing Group, 

Mill Farm Estate, Higgins 

Construction 

•Catalyst Housing Group, 

Myatt's Field Phase 1, PRP 

Architects 

•Bovis Homes, Sirius Way, 

Cambridge 

•Bovis Homes, 

Addenbrookes Road, 

Cambridge 

•Linden Homes, Greyfriars 

Quarter WilsherePark, 

Gloucester,Stride 

Treglown (above) 

•Barratt Homes ,City 

Wharf 

•Barratt Homes, Hastings 

Park,Ashby 

•Taylor Wimpey, Churchill 

Place, Mill Hill,London, 

CMYK Architects 

•Taylor Wimpey, The 

Arboretum, Haverhill, 

•Bellway,Marconi 

Evolution, Chelmsford 

•Bellway,Maple Court, 

Birmingham 

•Redrow,Coppice Green 

Adobe,Telford 

•Redrow,The Orchards, 

Leicester 

LargeHousing 

Development 

•Sighthill Regeneration, 

Glasgow,Collective 

Architecture 

•AbbeyRoad Barking, 

Cartwright Pickard(above) 

•113 Upper Richmond 

Road, AHMM Architects 

•CobaltPlace, Battersea, 

London, AHMM Architects 

Small Housing 

Development 

•Elmwood Court, 

Battersea, London, CF 

Moller Architects 

•Domino Houses, Bounds 

Green, London, Studio 

Verve 

Urban Regeneration 

•Blocks A&CWapping 

Wharf,Alec French 

•Pavilion &Teaching 

Building,Nottingham 

Trent University,Evans 

Vettori 

•Sighthill Regeneration, 

CollectiveArchitecture 

(above) 

Individual Housing 

Development 

•The Ashes Folly, Kent, 

RichardHopkinson 

Architects 

•CourtyardHouse, 

London, Dallas Pierce 

Quintero 

•Incurvo, Oxon, Adrian 

James Architects (above) 

Innovative use of Brick 

and Clay Products 

•Nando's Hove,STAC 

Architecture(above) 

Specialist Brickwork 

Contractor 

•Phoenix Brickwork, 

Pavilion &Teaching 

Suite, Nottingham Trent 

University,EvansVettori 

Architects 

•Lee Marley, Woolwich 

Blocks C&D,Berkeley 

Homes 

IBSTOCK DESIGN •AUTUMN 2016 •5


Focal Point: 

Nottingham 

Trent 

University 

Brickwork lends scale and 

coherence to the new Pavilion 

and Teaching Building, 

designed by Evans Vettorito 

form the focus of Nottingham 

Trent University’scampus. 


Nottingham Trent University’s brief to architect 

Evans Vettori wastoreplace or modernise a 

number of worn-out 1960s teaching buildings on 

an unpromising site to provide state-of-the-art 

spaces. A‘front door’and student ‘heart’ to the 

campus wererequested, and the buildings wereto 

be highly sustainableand low-energy. 

The new socialcentre–the Pavilion –is 

augmented by anew teaching building, set at right 

angles. By relating these to an existing lecture 

theatrebuilding, on thehypotenuse, atriangular 

Plaza iscreated, forming afocal point to the 

campus and providing coherence to thesite. 

The Pavilion is raised on asheltered, south-facing 

plinth with viewsacross the plaza. Precast concrete 

roof vaults providethermal mass and asense of 

permanence, while the wallscomprise redand 

grey brick, reflecting the local context. The main 

north-south and east-west pedestrian routes are 

defined by colonnades. 

The 2,000-square-metrePavilion formsanew front 

doortothe campus, providing acentral building 

for students with large andsmallspaces for 

collaborative learning and social interaction. The 

colonnade concept was generated by the primary 

east-west pedestrianroute, and it shades thesouthfacing 

facade. The structureturns at the west end, 

formingacovered bridge which accesses the three 

new lecturetheatres and defines the ‘quad’, with a 

new entrance to the library. 

The groundfloor is mainlygivenover to the 

Forum–aflexible,high-quality,IT-rich space for 

meeting and working in arelaxing, social 

Above 

The Forumoccupies the 

maindouble-height space 

within the Pavilion. Brick 

study niches punctuate 

the main facade. 

Left 

Preliminary sketches 

showingthe Pavilion 

section concept and the 

Teaching Building fronted 

by the extended loggia. 

Right 

The Pavilion addresses 

the newcentral,triangular 

Plaza. Location planand 

ground-floorplan showing 

the twonew buildings 

aligning the Plaza. 


4 

15 


environment. The Forum is augmented by more 

enclosed learningspaces to the rear,while cosier 

alcove spaces areprovided inthe ‘pods’ along the 

front elevation. The mezzanine floor offers quieter, 

moreintimate areas for study and social 

interaction, including flexible teaching rooms. 

The 2,100-square-metreTeaching Building, which 

has replaced several demolished buildings, 

contains large, state-of-the-artclassroomsand 

lecturespaces. Aclear external route is provided 

through the building to link the Plazawith 

outlyingareas. The building plays asupporting 

role in the ensemble of new buildings around the 

Plaza, and its architectural language complements 

that of the Pavilion. 

The large lecturespaces areaccessed externally 

from the raised colonnade. The elevations express 

the steel-framed structuralgrid and make use of 

multi-coloured brickworktodefine openings. 

Textureand grainare provided by varyingthe 

brick coursing. 

The upper floor contains three large lecture 

spaces. The central space has tiered seating, while 

the two on either side areflat-floor, allowing 

flexible furniturearrangements for different 

teaching modes. The lower floor has 10 classroom 

spaces of varying sizes. It is possibletojoin threeof 

these to formalarge flat-floorspace for ‘scale-up’ 

teaching and other large-format configurations. 

The high-performance acoustic partitions are 

motorised and openupatthe touch of abutton. 

Left 

Staircase to podium level 

of the Teaching Building; 

nightview. The use of 

generous double-height 

brickcolumns allowedthe 

architects to suggest a 

grandscale to addressthe 

Plaza. Brickwork also 

enabled articulation of 

the surfaces to add 

textureand relief to what 

wouldotherwise have 

been relatively blank 

elevations. Hit-and-miss 

honeycombbond 

brickwork allows secure 

night-timeventilation 

whilegiving adappled 

diffused lightduring the 

day. Brickalsooffered a 

degreeofrobustness 

externallyand internally 

in this demanding 

environment,while also 

helping to bringurban 

consistencytothe variety 

of different buildings. 

Glazed bricks were usedto 

add acolour contrastto 

the elevation of the 

Pavilion. Facing bricks 

were alsoused internally 

in the lecturetheatres 

to incorporate optimal 

thermal mass andprovide 

afocalwall. 

Right 

Brickwork paneldetails on 

the Teaching Building 

elevation. 

10 •IBSTOCK DESIGN •AUTUMN 2016

BUILDING 

Pavilion and Teaching Building, 

Nottingham Trent University 

BRICKS 

IbstockNevado Geel,Rood Gesinteld, 

Alu SpecialYellow,Dark Grey,Light Grey, 

SkyBlue, Green Glazed 

ARCHITECT 

Evan VettoriArchitects 

MAIN CoNTRACToR 

GF Tomlinson 

BRICK CoNTRACToR 

Phoenix Brick 

PHoToGRAPHY 

Martine Hamilton Knight 


Sweeping 

Impressions 

Stylish curved walls of brick 

envelop the free-flowing 

and flexible interior spaces 

in Adrian James Architects’ 

re-invention of the archetype 

‘villa in the landscape’. 



‘Incurvo is ameta-villa’, saysarchitect Adrian 

James. ‘Like aclassical villa it sits at the centreofa 

beautifulsculpted landscape. But unlike aclassical 

villa it does not sit four-squareonaxis, gazing 

haughtilydown on aformal landscape in stasis.’ 

‘Incurvo is all about movement. It is fluid; a 

dynamicsensuous formwhich beckons the visitor 

around its sweeping curves. This is abuilding that 

growsout of the organic curves and folds of its 

setting. The house is aviscousformpetrified; it is 

an English butte. The strong sense of movement 

embodied in the shape is frozen in time within its 

brick carapace. The localbrick has aluminous 

earthy orangehue, seeminglystill bright from the 

heat of the kiln; this house exploits both the 

extraordinary plasticity of the humble brick, and 

its rough, tough sense of rootedness.’ 

‘Inside, too,isall about curves and movement; 

aloftyentrance hall draws visitorinwardsand then 

left, right and up as the space opens and diverges 

in all directions. The destinations, the places to 

pause and rest, arethe foci of the majestic curved 

windows which offer breathtaking panoramicviews 

of the garden, water,trees and rolling Chilterns 

landscapebeyond.’ 

‘Incurvo is not just apretty face, however.Itisas 

close to being aPassivhaus as acurvy house can be. 

The radial windows preclude full compliance, but 

the house meets the most stringent benchmarks 

for insulation, thermal bridging, airtightness and 

thermal comfort. Passivhaus principles have been 

adhered to throughout, with aCertified Passivhaus 

tradesperson overseeing the entireconstruction. 

The end result is adwellingthat will have 

Left 

Ground and upper floorplan; site plan. 

Right 

Entrance elevation;living area; master 

bedroom suite. 

Adrian James writes: 

In 1973, the celebratedarchitect Louis 

Kahn wrote: ‘You saytobrick,“What do 

youwant, brick?”And bricksaystoyou, 

“I like an arch.”‘ 

Apresent-dayconversation might go: 

Yousay to brick,“What do youwant now, 

brick?”And bricksays:“Look,Istill love an 

arch,ofcourse! But Iappreciate that 

technology has movedon. Nowadays the 

loadbearing job is necessarilywithin an 

insulating envelope; whateverbearsthe 

weight has to be separated from the 

external finish to prevent cold bridging. 

Therewas atime –afew millennia in fact 

–when Icould be structureand finish 

simultaneously. But those days areover. 

Nowthereare other materials that can do 

the loadbearing and Iammorelikelytodo 

the external cladding alone.” 

“That is notaproblemthough!And 

certainlynot ademotion. Ihave qualities 

beyond compressivestrength,and,ifI’m 

notcarryingall that internal load,that 

frees me up to exploit them.For astart, 

Ihave extraordinary plasticity.Mysmall 

handyshape means thatangles,cranks, 

curves areadoddle–nospecial 

fabrication,just me doing what Idobest.” 

“Beingthe face of the building,freed 

from structuralduties, givesmescope 

to be supple and sinuous. Ican be like the 

skin of an athlete, ataut layerhugging 

andexpressing the musculature 

beneath.” 

“What do Iwant now? Iwanttowrap 

myselfsmoothand taut arounddynamic 

curvaceous forms. Iwanttobethe 

cheetah’s fur,the sculpture’scarapace.” 



exceptionallylow running costs and carbon 

dioxide emissions for its lifetime. The house has 

three energy generation systems: alarge arrayof 

photovoltaic panels on the roof, an array of solar 

thermal panels to heat domestic water,and afull 

mechanicalventilationsystem with heat recovery.’ 

‘Incurvo willbeextremely comfortabletooccupy. 

It has beendesigned as aLifetime Home, with 

space for alift,generous dimensions and internal 

flexibility.And it hasbeen builtusing extremely 

durable materialsrequiringminimal maintenance. 

This house is designed to last for many lifetimes 

with the lightest of touches on the planet.’ 

‘The structureisanenhanced ICF (Insulated 

Concrete Formwork)system, with aU-value of 

0.14. This constructionmethod combines 

continuous insulationwithstructural flexibility and 

airtightness in onerobustelement. In-situ concrete 

floors and roof (withevenbetter U-values of 0.l) 

create acontiguous thermal and airtight envelope 

and cope with the non-orthogonal formand large 

cantileversover the wide curved openings. This 

isahousewhich stretches the capabilities of the 

building systems to the limit. The long stretches of 

curved walls required awhole new approach and 

real craftmanship from theICF supplier to make 

the tied radial insulating formwork.’ 

‘Therehas beenunstinting attention to detail 

throughout the design and construction of 

Incurvo’, saysAdrian James. ‘But at no time has 

the pursuitofexcellence in sustainability or 

constructionbeen allowed to compromise the 

poetic idea of the house. Everything, everyone 

has worked together to make it real.’ 

Left 

The architect selected a 

SwanageHandmade Light 

RedMulti brick–arich 

orangecolourbrick with 

some variety. ‘It’sa 

favourite brickofoursand 

one we have specified 

before–and we usedit 

heretosuit the locality’, 

says Adrian James. 

‘WeusedaFlemish bond 

because it makes a 

complexand lovely 

rhythm and also because 

it goes roundthe tight 

curves without the need 

forspecials: we testedthis 

first with asample panel, 

and the bondcombined 

with the rough linesofthe 

handmadebricksworked 

well even down to atwometreradius.The 

natural 

mortar wasrecessedto 

createshadows andleave 

the brickarrises clear.’ 

‘The deep reveals were 

critical to thelook of the 

building; the walls are 

very thickbecause of the 

exceptionallevels of 

insulation and this means 

the brickcarapace from 

whichthe bodyofthe 

house emergeshas the 

necessary solidity to read 

as astructureofits own, 

avessel rather thanjust 

askin.’ 

Right 

Constructionsection 

through door headand 

floorslab. 


BUILDING 

Incurvo, Oxfordshire 

BRICKS 

IbstockSwanageHandmade RedMulti 

MORTAR 

CPI MortarsM4Natural 

ARCHITECT 

Adrian James Architects 

CONTRACTOR 

DLP Associates 

VSG 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Fisher Studios 


Domino 

Dances 

Sombredark brickwork is 

tempered by the playful 

curved rooflines and informal 

planning of the Domino 

housing development on a 

constrained railway-side site in 

north London by Studio Verve. 



Locatedonaneglected backland site inBounds 

Green, north London, Domino is adevelopment 

of eight houses planned around acentralareaof 

woodland.The plotruns north to south along 

the curve of the adjacent railway line, tucked 

behind acouncilestate on Corbett Grove,and 

accessed from Imperial Avenue to the south. The 

house types areamix of linked,terraced and 

standalone dwellings, all set within sensitively 

landscaped surroundings. 

On entryfromthe south, bright yellow gates 

open onto aslopingcobbledroad whichis 

marked by amature tree –successfully retained 

throughout the construction process –and 

providing an appropriate welcome. Carparking 

and vehicular roads arefinished with the same 

uneven stone, lending an informal character to 

the development and encouraging communal 

use of the spaces. The houses areconceivedas 

monolithicblocksofblack brick with curved 

green roofsand ‘domino’porthole windows 

dotting the facades. The dominant black brick 

andundulating facades lend asculptural quality 

to the development, suggesting aNordic quality 

to the loomingforms, says architect VerveStudio. 

Left 

Site plan; typical dwelling 

plans (a third-levelattic 

spaceextendsacross the 

whole footprint). 

Right 

Staggeredterrace of three 

houses.The dwellings were 

builtusingacombination 

of steel and timber frames 

with traditionalcavity 

brickand block wall 

construction.The rapid 

completion of the 

structuralsteelframes on 

site provided the backbone 

on whichthe rest of the 

envelope followedon. 



Glazed patiodoors openonto private gardens 

with views ontothe woodlands or green buffers 

of the railway tracks. The north and south sites 

areseparated by aretained area of woodland, 

intowhich new shared facilities have been 

introduced, including park benches and tables 

and aPetanque bowlingpitch which is proving 

popularwiththe residents. 

The houses weredesigned to level four of the 

Code for Sustainable Homes. Each has 

photovoltaic panelsatanoptimumpitch of 30 

degrees, together with asedum roof.Alarge part 

of the maturewoodlandwas retained, helping to 

shade the houses in summer months. Bounds 

Green underground stationisafive-minute walk 

away,helping reduce potential car use, while the 

expansiveloftspaces beneath the curved roofs 

canprovide home-offices. The development is 

designed to promote neighbourliness, security 

and sharing of resources. Fruit trees havebeen 

planted in the private garden of each dwelling. 


BUILDING 

Domino Housing 

BRICKS 

IbstockHimleyEbonyBlack 

Left/right 

The choice of brickcavitywall 

construction arose 

from thewish of the 

contractor-developer to 

utiliseits teamof 

traditional bricklayers. 

The team had to learn 

newskills,however, as the 

brickconstruction was 

madetowork harder, 

withanincreased cavity 

to achieve the required 

U-value,and alsoto 

negotiate the curvedroof 

parapets, special corner 

detailsand hidden gutters 

and internal downpipes. 

Extensive meetingswere 

held with Ibstock’s 

technical representatives 

and the builders, and 

three-dimensional 

modelling wasemployed 

to resolvethe detailingof 

special corners. 

ARCHITECT 

Studio Verve 

MAIN CONTRACTOR 

Stephen Alexander Morris 

BRICK SUBCONTRACTOR 

Joseph Pickering 

Standard-sized bricks 

were used as faras 

possible,with the rare 

exceptions of the curved 

corners.The construction 

timetablewas tightasthe 

developer wantedto 

complete on sitewithin 

12 months, so many 

detailswereresolvedwith 

the developer and builder 

on site. Full-sizemock-ups 

of featurebricksand 

specialcorners were also 

made on site. 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Luke White 


Speaking 

Volumes 

Cottrell &Vermeulen’s latest 

project at Brentwood School – 

the Bean Learning Resource 

Centreand Cunliffe Building – 

employs brickfacades to 

harmonise with the existing 

buildings while establishing a 

distinctivenew identity. 



Left 

The newdevelopment is 

clad entirely in Ibstock 

HeritageRed blend, the 

samebrick used in Cottrell 

&Vermeulen’sprevious 

projects at Brentwood 

School.The large brick 

arches createadistinctive 

character and reference 

thoseelsewhereonthe 

school campus,notably at 

the chapel gate. 

Right 

Ground floor plan:1Stage 

Lawn,2arcade,3hall, 

4/5/6/16/18/19/21/22 

toilets, 7archive, 8office, 

9seminarstair,10LRC 

lobby,11cloakroom, 

12 ICT office, 13 ICT 

classroom, 14 plant, 

15 servers, 17 cleaner, 

20 waiting, 23 exam room, 

24 ward,25isolation 

ward. 

Right bottom 

Cottrell &Vermeulen’s 

earlier Sixth Form Centre 

and 420-seat assembly 

hall at Brentwood School 

(2011). The design of the 

building representeda 

reinterpretation of the 

nineteenth-century 

buildingsonthe site, and 

explored the potential of 

bricktocreate aforwardlooking 

statement forthe 

school. 


1 

2 

3 

The BeanLearningResource Centreatthe 

independent Brentwood School, Essex, provides 

the anew two-storeyextension to the existing 

library,transforminghow thebuilding is used and 

in tune with the demands of the twenty-first 

centurytechnological landscape. The project also 

incorporatesthe redevelopment of an adjoining 

1960s teaching block –the Cunliffe Building – 

increasing learningspace and creating asense of 

coherence between the buildings. 

8 

4 

5 

6 

7 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 17 

18 

19 

20 21 

24 

22 

23 25 

The design responds to the existing grainofthe 

schoolsite, whichischaracterised by aseries of 

courtyards and quadrangles. The two new 

interventions –the Bean LRC and the Cunliffe 

Building –emphasise this approach, physically 

connecting the school’s central gardens through a 

new arcade. This arcade takes its cue from anearby 

cloister and informsthe rest of the elevation, 

creating an arrayofarchesthat formapicturesque 

backdrop to themuch-used ‘stage lawn’. 

In seeking to respond to the existing built context, 

both buildings areclad in redbrick and composed 

in similar proportionstothe neighbours. Asubtle 

brick patterning (English Bond)used on the 

Cunliffe Building adds visualinterest to the facade. 

The existing two-storeyBean Library, completed 

in 1929 and named after EdwinBean (headmaster 

from 1891-1913), encompassed two floors at the 

centre of the campus, but it was unable to 

accommodate the present-day needs of the 

school’s 1,200 pupils. The oldlibraryhas been 

retained on thefirst floor,preserving the character 

and integrityofthe building and contrasting with 

the contemporary spaces. 


As well as creatinganew education hub, the 

ground floor of the libraryincorporates a 

dedicated social area. An entrance portico links 

the study and socialareas withatransition space 

that can be used for talksand lectures. With large 

classroom spaces, alecturetheatre, cafe and places 

for individual andcollaborativestudy,itprovidesa 

state-of-the-art, resource-rich environment 

intended to help students develop independent 

learningskills. The libraryfeatures improved 

access to books and electronic resources and 

includes adigital learninghub wherestudent 

‘digital leaders’ areonhand to help other students 

and staffdevelop their digital literacy. 

The new assemblyspace and lecturetheatreevoke 

auniversity-stylelearning environment with 

seminarand workshop areas. It is flanked by anew 

arcadethat provides external social space and acts 

as averanda to the ShakespeareGarden. 

The adjacent Cunliffe Building, previously 

containing classrooms for classics, learning 

supportand first-form tutor groups, now contains 

eight classrooms equipped with cutting edge 

technology,including computer suites, interactive 

whiteboards, giant projectorscreens, and Apple 

TV systems which can connect multiple iPads to a 

largescreen. In addition, the building includes the 

relocated sanatorium, now better positioned at the 

centreofthe campus. 

The new buildings incorporate highly-insulated 

envelopes, heat-recoveryunits, an air-source heat 

pump and photovoltaic panels. 

Below 

With its pitched roof and 

gabledwindows, the 

CunliffeBuildingpresents 

ainterpretationofthe 

neighbouring BeanLibrary. 

The redbrick anchorsthe 

building to its context, 

while arelief patternand 

glazedbrick infill panels 

addvisualinterest. 

. 

Right 

Agabled wing to 

theexistingCunliffe 

Building wasreplaced by a 

newfull-lengthbrick 

extension.The retained 

shell wasoverclad with 

matchinginsulatedbrick 

slips, using Ibstock’s 

BrickShield, increasing 

thermal efficiencywhile 

blending it with the new 

extension.Together the 

twobuildings define an 

edgetothe librarysquare. 

1Terracotta capping, 

2claytile, 3/4 Heritage 

Redblend brick, 5glazed 

brick, 6grey ppc windows, 

7awning,8grey ppc cill. 


2 

1 

1 1 

2 2 

3 

8 

7 

3 

1 

7 

4 

1 

3 

7 

8 


Below 

North elevation and 

section through 

colonnade: 1terracotta 

capping,2sedum roof, 

3IbstockHeritageRed 

blend brick, 4steel-framed 

rooflight,5larch softwood 

frames, 6IbstockHeritage 

Redblend brickarch, 

7grey ppc windows and 

doors, 8slate roof,9grey 

ppc aluminium mullions. 

8 

1 

1 

3 

6 

1 

4 

5 

6 

7 


BUILDING 

Bean Learning Resource Centreand 

Cunliffe Building,Brentwood School, 

Essex 

BRICKS 

IbstockHeritageRed Blend 

IbstockBevern Dark Multi 

IbstockBrown Glazed Bricks 

ARCHITECT 


CONTRACTOR 

Hutton Construction 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

AnthonyColeman 


Fields of 

Dreams 

Avariety of bricktypes and 

tones contributes to asense 

of urbanity and continuity 

in PRP’sregeneration of the 

Myatts Field North estate in 

south London, now reborn as 

partofthe Oval Quarter 

‘urban village’. 



PRP’s masterplanfor Oval Quarter,south of the 

celebrated cricket groundinthe London 

Borough of Lambeth, envisages an ‘urban 

village’ with 800 new homes, 170 refurbished 

properties, acommunity centreproviding ahall, 

cafe andcrèche, as wellasanew park. 

As partofthe consortium for one of the last 

housing-led PFI projects in the UK, PRP’s 

approach to the regeneration of the former 

Myatts Field North estate was to create a 

neighbourhood-focused, street-based masterplan, 

intended to transformthe formerlyisolated, 

inward looking estate into awell-connected, 

sustainableneighbourhood with adistinctive 

sense of place and identity.The masterplan 

incorporates aseries of ‘character areas’ which 

not only provide asense of variety anddistinction 

to each street and public space, but also connect 

them with their immediate context, as well as the 

conservation areas that surround the estate. 

Arangeofaccommodation and dwelling types 

have beenprovidedacross the masterplan, from 

single-storeywheelchair bungalows to two-storey 

wheelchairhouses;three-storey three-, four-and 

five-bedroomfamily houses;three-bedroom 

stacked maisonettes witheither aprivategarden 

at ground level,oraprivate roof terrace; andup 

to four-, five- and six-storey apartment buildings, 

many of which featuredirectviews ontothe 

publicpark or the new residentialsquares.The 

perimeter blocks that formthe majority of the 

phase-one accommodation, provide many of 

these typologies withinasinglebuilding. 

Undercroft parking is accessed from each 

building end, with four-storey stacked 


Left 

Site plan andBlockG 

ground- and first-floor 

plans.The Oval Quarter 

consists of amix of twoand 

three-storey houses, 

four-tosix-storey 

apartments, andfourstorey 

maisonettes. It will 

include 820 housing units, 

of which491 units arein 

phase one, where27per 

cent areprivately sold,23 

per cent part-buy partrent,36per 

cent social 

rented and the rest in 

other rented tenures. 

Mostapartments aretwo 

bedroom and 80 square 

metres,with some threeandfour-bedroomunits. 

All have some private 

space, either as balconies, 

roof or ground-floor 

gardens. 

The targetU-valuewas 

0.19for externalwalls and 

0.15for the roof,with an 

air permeability targetof 

4m 3 /m 2 /hrat50pa. 

Acousticinsulation 

requirements were 3dB 

betterthan Building 

Regulations(2010) for 

both airborne andimpact 

sound.The project 

satisfied the Code for 

Sustainable HomesLevel 

3atthe time of the design 

and later phaseswill 

satisfy level4. 


maisonettes to the north side of the block 

stepping down in scale to the three-storey houses 

on the south side, allowing additionaldaylightto 

reach into theprivate gardens. Anew combined 

heat and power plant and neighbourhood 

district heating system will significantly reduce 

carbon emissions across the estate. All new 

homes have been designed to achieve level three 

under the Code for Sustainable Homes. 

Constructed using Metek’s light-gauge steel 

frame system and avariety of brick types and 

tones,all providedbyIbstock, the OvalQuarter 

development creates an exemplarynew 

neighbourhoodwithinterlinked streets and 

open spaces fronted by buildings that provide a 

moderninterpretation of the traditional brick 

and stone detailing found throughout London. 

Left/right 

The brickfacades are 

supportedonalight-steel 

framing system by Metek 

with loadbearing walls and 

250mm C-sections that 

spanupto6.5m. Acoustic 

insulation is providedbya 

21mm screed boardabove 

the joists and twolayersof 

15mm fire-resistant 

plasterboard, aservice 

zone, and afurther layerof 

plasterboardceiling below 

the joists. 

Generally, the brickworkis 

ground supportedupto 

14m high and laterally 

supported by the lightsteel 

structure.Brick slips 

were used forthe upper 

levels and fixed via the 

insulation to the structure. 

On some blocks, however, 

whereweight restrictions 

inhibitedthe use of 

traditional construction, 

Ibstock’sKevington 

Fastwall wasused to clad 

the top storey. 


Ext 

30 

102.5 102.5 102.5 

215 

215 

Ext 

158.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

30 

129 

Ext 

158.5 

102.5 

158.5 

102.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

215 

20 

215 

20 

30 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

215 

122.5 

158.5 102.5 215 

102.5 

158.5 102.5 215 

102.5 

215 

215 

Ext 

Ext 

215 

Ext 

Ext 

215 

Ext 

215 

Ext 

Ext 

215 

Ext 

158.5 

102.5 

158.5 

102.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

215 

20 

215 

30 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

215 

215 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

215 

158.5 102.5 215 215 

102.5 

158.5 102.5 215 215 

102.5 

Ext 

Ext 

215 215 

Ext 

Ext 

215 215 

Ext 

Ext 

Ext 

Ext 

Ext 

Ext 

BUILDING 

Oval Quarter,London 

Flemish bond 

Stretcher bond 

Flemish bond 


A 

CONTINUES TO DETAIL 2.84 

external corner 

stone cill 

2.81 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - BLOCK 21C ELEVATION B 

ELEVATION 

s.o.p 

window 

opening. 

see GA 

elevations 

for types 

window 

window 

return brick slip 

Flemish bond Stretcher bond 

C 

return brick slip: last full 

stretcher will require 

closer (shown hatched) 

back to recessed 

Flemish header 

view C of return 

brick slip 

2.82 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - 3 HEADER BRICK SLIP PANEL 

- 

20 

Flemish bond stretcher bond 

window 

window 

return brick slip 

Flemish bond 


2.83 - 

FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - 4 HEADER BRICK SLIP PANEL 

BRICKS 

IbstockAlpine White,Bradgate Medium 

Grey,Bradgate Multi Cream, Brunswick 

Tryfan Grey,CapitalBrown Multi, Holbrook 

Smooth Red, Leicester Multi Cream, 

Staffordshire Slate Blue Smoothand Blue 

BrindleSmooth,ThrockleySmooth Buff 

window 

Flemish bond panels 

window 

lintols adjacent Flemish bond panels to be 

extended to provide full bearing on stretcher 

brick. Str Eng. to confirm details. 

lintols adjacent Flemish bond panels to be 

extended to provide full bearing on stretcher 

brick. Str Eng. to confirm details. 

ARCHITECT 

PRP 

window 

opening. 

see GA 

elevations 

for types 

A 

B 

detail 2.84 detail 2.81 

external corner 

CONTINUES TO DETAIL 2.81 

B 

window 

opening. 

see GA 

elevations 

for types 

window 

opening. 

see GA 

elevations 

for types 

CONTRACTOR 

Higgins Construction 

s.o.p 

s.o.p 

stone cill stone cill stone cill 

s.o.p 

2.84 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - BLOCK 21C ELEVATION A 

ELEVATION 

2.85 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - TYPICAL 3 HEADER PANEL ELEVATION 

2.86 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - TYPICAL 4 HEADER PANEL 

ELEVATION 

158.5 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

102.5 

COURSE A COURSE B COURSES A+B 

102.5 

102.5 

215 215 

215 

215 

B 

102.5 

215 

window 

window 

102.5 

215 

102.5 

215 

window 

window 

215 

window 

window 

window 

brick special D 





Flemish bond 


Flemish bond 


brick special C 

brick special C 


window 

129 

window 

102.5 

window 

A 

2.87 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - BLOCK 21C EXT CORNER 

PLAN 

2.88 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - TYPICAL 3 HEADER PANEL PLAN 

2.89 FLEMISH BOND DETAIL - TYPICAL 4 HEADER PANEL 

PLAN 

brick special A (flipped) 

2.74 

plinth header-type B 

2.74 

215 

215 

102.5 102.5 215 


type A 

type A (flipped) 

type A 


102.5 

50 

102.5 

65 

plinth header 

type B 

50 


brick special A 

varies, refer to GA elevations 

repeats 

brick type A 

215 

102.5 

102.5 

215 

2.74 

2.72 2.72 


type A 


type A 


stone banding where noted. 

see elevations AA1173C/4.1/2200 series 

2.74 

23 

60 

102.5 

65 

plinth header 

type B 

brick type B 

50 

50 

plinth header 

type B 

stone banding 

see AA1173C/4.1/2200 

series for locations 

2.73 2.73 

2.72 FEATURE BRICK SLOT DETAIL PLAN 

2.73 FEATURE BRICK SLOT DETAIL ELEVATION 

2.74 FEATURE BRICK SLOT DETAIL - HEAD AND BASE 

SECTION 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

RichardChivers 


Technical: 

Radial 

Brickwork 

Radialbrickwork cansignificantly 

enhance the appearance of a 

building, by adding adesign 

featurethat can engage withthe 

context, express the internal 

activities, or suggest streamlined 

glamour.Wetend to think that 

radial brickworkmeans using 

moreexpensivespecial bricks. 

This may be true for the glazed 

radialssuch as those, for 

example, on the featurestair 

towersatKillorglinAreaCentre 

in County Kerry,Ireland (Murray 

O’LaoireArchitects ), wherethe 

radius of 1650mm justifies their 

use, but it’s not alwaysthe case. 

At the Sixth Form College 

building in Worcester,byQuattro 

Design Architects, it was possible 

to use standard bricksinacurved 

featurethat was justwithin the 

minimum radius of thefour 

metres Ibstock would normally 

recommend. With their highly 

reflectivesurfaces, glazed bricks 

can be the least forgiving when set 

out on aradius, but even with the 

sun shining on them the 

cylindrical tower at Worcester 

looks veryeffective. The architect’s 

careful consideration of the brick 

modularsizing forthe window 

openings and piers between them 

has done much to enhance the 

appearance. 

Itispossible to achieveeven 

tighter radiiwith standard bricks 

and avoid an overly facetted 

appearance. This does however 

require theuse of aHeader Bond 

to exploitthe narrower102mm 

face. Herethe consideration 

concerns not so much the faceting 

of thebricks but rather getting 

sufficient mortar between them on 

the inner intrados of the radius 

whilst not having the joints too 

wideonthe extrados. 

The drawings for the curved 

brickwork of Page\Park’s Bluebell 

Left 

The Local Area Centre at 

Killorglin, County Kerry, 

wasdesigned as a 

landmark building that 

formsafocal pointona 

newcivicsquarewhen 

viewedfromthe town’s 

mainroad.The different 

functionswithin the 

building areexpressed 

externally.The public 

areas, library and primary 

circulation aremade 

permeable with large areas 

of glazing.Vertical 

circulation routes are 

pulled out of the body 

of the building and 

highlighted in an electric 

blue glazed brickwhich 

wasspecificallymade 

to pre-determined radii 

in order to achieve a 

monolithic finish.The 

Council Chamberorpublic 

meeting room is awedge 

shapedvolume clad in blue 

glazed brickwhichprojects 

above the roof line of the 

adjacent offices. 

The use of Ibstock’s 

glazed brickonthe curved 

stair towerand recessed 

Council Chamber is 

an important design 

element,lendingboth 

colourand animation to 

the facade addressing 

the square.The effect of 

wrapping the irregular 

forms in the blue glazed 

brickexpresses them as 

aseeminglyseparate 

element flows through 

the building.The sheen 

of the glazedbrick 

emphasises the sculptural 

irregularity of the forms. 


Right 

WorcesterSixth Form 

College’s£2.6m science 

centre, by Quattro Design, 

provides four state-ofthe-artscience 

laboratories as well as 

study and IT spaces.The 

building,whichopened 

lastyear,helpsthe college 

copewith the increased 

demandfor students 

wishingtostudySTEM 

subjects.The scheme was 

supported by a£1.5m 

grant from the 

Government’sBuilding 

Condition Improvement 

Fund.The curved bayhas a 

radius of lessthan four 

metres, whichallowedthe 

use of standardblueglazed 

bricks rather than 

curved specials. 


View student residences at 

Warwick University show two 

setting-out alternatives. Option A 

shows the external perpend 

joints at 11mm and the inner at 

3mm, which would have been 

more difficult to build due tothe 

mortar not compressing easily 

down to 3mm, leaving the 

possibility of only part ofthe 

joint being filled with mortar. 

Option Bhas 6mm internal 

joints, which can be more readily 

built, and 15mm joints on the 

outside, a4mm increase that 

generally goes unnoticed. 

Glasgow City CouncilArchitects’ 

CastlemilkPool gives evidence that 

thereisatleast one other way of 

building 215mmstretcher face 

bricks aroundatightradius. For 

this buildingthe edges of the bricks 

wererebated to allow them to nest 

into each other aroundthe 1.8- 

metreexternal radius.Aswithall 

stack-bonded brickwork,this 

required stainless steel bed joint 

reinforcement, manufactured to 

suit the radius,inevery course. 

Adrian James Architects’ Incurvo 

house (p12-16), shows that Flemish 

Bond can be used to achieve a2m 

radius using standard bricks. 

The combination of headers and 

stretchers, together with astack 

brick with its rounded arrises and 

arecessed mortar jointing, will 

gently facet the bricks around a 

fairly tight radius. Extruded 

bricks built with aflush orbucket 

handle joint may not be quite as 

forgiving at this radius. Like 

Adrian James Architects at 

Incurvo, therefore, we would 

advise specifiers toconsider 

having asmall sample panel built 

to provide reassurance that the 

radiused brickwork meets with 

the aesthetic expectations. 

Below 

The £4.5mremodelling 

and refurbishment of the 

1960s’Castlemilk Pool, 

Glasgow,byGlasgow City 

Council,included the 

additionofanew stair 

towerclad in blue glazed 

bricks.The existing 

facadesofthe pool 

building were removed, 

and the concrete 

structuralframe retained, 

Newglazed and brick 

elevationswereadded, 

withnew office areas, 

auditoriumsand afitness 

studio incorporated. 


Right 

Page\Park’sBluebell View 

residencesare locatedon 

asensitivesite at the edge 

of the University of 

Warwickcampus.They 

provide 500 bedrooms in 

four blocks, builtto 

BREEAMexcellent 

standard. Each block has 

four flats per level, split 

into twowings, and linked 

by aglazed bridge.Shared 

living spaces at the ends 

of the wings enjoyfine 

views.The design is 

characterised by gently 

curvingfacades whichhelp 

the project harmonise 

withthe landscaped 

setting.The external wall 

finish is IbstockHimley 

Ash Grey bricks,produced 

using local clay. 

OptionA 

OptionB 


Profile: 

Ibstock’s 

Birtley 

Brickworks 

Ibstock’s Birtley factory–hometo 

three brickworks over aperiodof 

morethan 100 years –today 

employs45people at its County 

Durham site. 

Until 1972, Birtleyproduced 

handmade and extruded type 

bricks but with the installation of 

itsfirst Petersen machine, and two 

yearslaterasecond, the Birtley 

factorybegan instead to produce 

authentic waterstruck bricks. 

Today it is thought to be one of 

only two factories countrywide to 

do so. Rather than using sand or 

oilstorelease the pressed clay 

from the moulds, water is used, 

helping to create the highly 

prized and uniquelytextured 

appearanceofthe bricks. 

The use of the high quality 

Petersen machines means that the 

bricks aretruly sustainable, and as 

they arekept operating seven days 

aweek, Birtleyiswell equipped to 

meet the demand for its products. 

This factoryalone achievesan 

output of around25million 

bricks per year,withamixtureof 

both65mm and 73mm bricks. 

Even though Birtley’s main focus 

is the waterstruck brick, it also 

specialises in rumbled bricks and 

non-standard linear bricks up to 

440mm in length. Additionally, 

Birtley produces unique blends and 

colour combinations to meet 

individualrequirements. These are 

made using afull palette –from 

reds through to greys –which 

means truly unique colour 

combinations can be producedfor 

use whereatraditional brickisnot 

appropriate for aparticular project 

or where the client wants to create a 

distinctive façade. 

Significantly,Birtleyhas worked 

with thecelebrated designer Stella 

McCartney to produce special 

bricks and the factoryiscurrently 

working on aprojectwithsculptor 

Sir Antony Gormley on an 

innovative artwork that seeks to 

explore the special characteristics of 

the Birtleyclay.Gormley’s ‘Angel of 

the North’ (1998) is located to the 

north of Birtley,and its profile 

features in the brickmaker’s logo. 

The factory’s products have come 

to be used in many major projects, 

and this has beenrecognised 

through its success in the BDA’s 

Brick Awards over anumber of 

years. It has also been commended 

for sourcing responsibly to BES 

6001, for being environmentally 

accredited to ISO 14001 and being 

the first brick factory to achieve ISO 

50001 for energy management. 


Left 

Foundry Lane Apartments, 

Ouseburn, Newcastle, are 

the first new-build homes 

completed in area for 

morethan 50 years. 

Designed by Anthony 

Keith Architects, the 

development straddles 

partofHadrian's Wall. 

Below 

Petersen machine at the 

Birtleyfactory; 1935 

commemorativebrick. 

Right 

Faulkner Browns’ Freeman’s 

ReachPhase 1, Durham, 

features Birtley’sBespoke 

HawkleyBlend bricks. 


Left 

Gottstein Architects’ 

HavenHostel,Killarney, 

employs BirtleyOlde 

English and BirtleyOlde 

Linear bricks; the house at 

Mount Anville, Dublin, by 

AugheyO’Flaherty 

Architects, uses Birtley 

Olde English Buff(ph: 

Marie-Louise Halpenny); 

the Michael Baker 

Boathouse at The King's 

School,Worcester,by 

Associated Architects, 

employs aBirtleyOlde 

English linear blend. 

Right 

The Foundry,Salford, by 

SixtwoArchitects, 

features BirtleyNorthern 

Buffbricks. 

Left top 

Beamish Blend, Birtley 

Brownwaterstruck, Birtley 

Olde English Buff. 

Right top 

BirtleyOlde English, 

Borrowdale Blend, 

Commercial Red, 

Cumberland Blend. 

Left bottom 

Millhouse Blend, Northern 

Buff, Northumbrian Cottage. 

Right bottom 

BirtleyOlde English Grey, 

Otterburn Antique, 

Townhouse Blend, 

WarwickshireOlde English. 



Brick 

Response: 

Simon Gould 

What factors tend to lead you to 

use bricksinaproject? 

The quality and richness of the 

finished product that we andthe 

client aspiretoo; the project 

location and built context; and 

the budget. Ipersonally love using 

bricks to make places because 

they bringsomuch playful 

opportunity to aproject. It is 

quite extraordinarythat aproduct 

with astandardmodule of 215x65 

x102.5mm can be used to give 

formtosuch avarietyofbuildings 

and places. 

What can bricks offer in termsof 

creativity? 

My early memories of massive 

industrial structures and civic 

buildings in the West Midlands 

have informed my view that brick 

has limitless opportunities. From 

heavy,moody volumes to delicate, 

refined structures, one can use 

brick to create allmanner of 

different surfaces, walls, floors and 

roofs. Bricks arenot justred – 

from their raw claystate through 

the firing process to the finished 

article thereare many 

opportunities for them to be 

made into atotally different type 

of product. Also, bricks can be 

stacked and bondedina 

multitude of ways, and one mustn’t 

forget the all-important mortar that 

completes the palette. 

Which brick projects by Mitchell 

Eley Gouldhave pleasedyou most? 

King’s College library –wewere 

asked by the Taunton schoolto 

build alibraryasanextension to a 

grade-twolistedbuilding of locally 

quarriedstone. We were facedwith 

the challenge of complementing 

and enhancing the built setting, 

but thequarry had long since 

closed. We thereforedecided to use 

amix of five different bricks, one of 

which was aklinkerbrick that had 

beenstamped on and distorted 

beforebeing fired. Afat,flush 

mortar joint made the individual 

elements read as acohesivewhole. 

Initially therewas some doubt as to 

whether theproposed blend of 

materials would work, but five years 

on thebuilding is full of character 

and charms its users. 

Kingswood Classroom Buildingis 

located in Bath conservationarea, 

and theplanning officer requested 

that Bath stone be used. We argued 

that another prominent materialin 

the city was slate, andthat long 

slate-coloured blocks would be 

appropriate for the walls.They 

agreed, and we identified black 

Fireborn bricks for the purpose, 

with anarrow5mm mortar jointto 

create amorerefined surface. The 

end product is adark, engineered 

facade that plays in acompelling 

manner offthe neighbouring soft 

Bath stone. 

Which projects by other architects 

have impressed or influenced? 

SigurdLewerentz and AlvarAalto 

createdverydifferent buildings 

but both made brick structures of 

character and charm, along with 

raw spatialqualities that inspire. 

Is brick amaterial of thefuture? 

Of course.Bricks have beenused 

for hundreds of years to create the 

places that we inhabit andIbelieve 

we will continuetouse bricks for 

many moreyears to come 

Simon Gould 

Director at architect 

Mitchell EleyGould, which 

he joinedin2007 after 

studying at the universities 

of Bath and Cambridge,and 

working withMJP and FCB 

Studios. MuchofGould’s 

work is in education, 

placemaking andhousing, 

andcurrentprojects 

include an animal welfare 

centre in Gloucester.Heis 

atutorand teachingfellow 

at Bathand an external 

examiner at theUniversity 

of the West of England. 

Above 

Mitchell Eley Gould’s 

library at King’sCollege, 

Taunton (2011);Sigurd 

Lewerentz’s St Peter’s 

Church,Klippan (1966). 


Oval Quarter/Myatts Fields housing by PRP Architects (photo: RichardChivers) 

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The Pavilion, Nottingham Trent University,byEvans Vettori (photo: Martine Hamilton Knight) 

Incurvo, Oxfordshire, by Adrian James Architects (photo: Fisher Studios)

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