Vision The creativity of brick
Wienerberger Ltd Wienerberger House, Brooks Drive Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle Cheshire SK8 3SA T 0161 491 8200 | F 0161 491 6529 architects@wienerberger.co.uk | www.brick.co.uk
072012ISS04
Issue 4
colophon
Editor’s note
Vision is a publication of:
Welcome to the fourth edition of Wienerberger Vision.
Wienerberger Ltd We hope these five unique projects will delight and inspire the designers and Editors
architects among you. Once again we have chosen schemes from across the UK,
Michael Driver
featuring a variety of bricks and clay facings, giving you just a flavour of the vase
Sarah Jackson
hundreds of products in the Wienerberger portfolio.
Aparna Gondekar Heather Butler
Anyone with an appreciation of heritage buildings will be interested in the Duchy of Cornwall’s Poundbury development, with its mix of architectural styles and materials
Photography
and ethos of sustainable living. Opinions may differ but one element that demands
Andrew Smith, SG Photography
agreement from most is that quality and craftsmanship have been a constant.
Design
For modernists we offer the geometric conformity of the Glenthorne High School
Kingsford
project, or the contemporary simplicity demonstrated by the residential Latitude
SpringDesign, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
complex. Then new meets old with the striking new Bloc Hotel in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, while anyone with an eye for gleaming luxury should
Content The Savoy Hotel, London The Pinnacle of Luxury
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The Bloc Hotel, Birmingham Chic and Stylish
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Latitude Mixed Development, Manchester Bold and Confident
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Housing Poundbury, Dorset A Rousing Reaction
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Glenthorne High School, Sutton A Unique Identity
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be satisfied by this look at the stunning Savoy Hotel restoration. As ever, there is something for everyone, enjoy!
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savoy hotel, london
The Pinnacle of Luxury London’s Savoy Hotel has recently undergone a
He is widely thought to have achieved his ambition and
multi-million pound refurbishment. Wienerberger
set a standard that has since been maintained because
supplied the White Glazed Imperial Brick which was
the management has not been afraid to engage in major
a key element in the restoration of the façades of the
restoration and refurbishment work.
building. In the 1920s the hotel was refitted to include airPierre Yves Rochon (Interiors), Reardon Smith (Architects)
conditioning, steam heating and upgraded services
Pierre Yves Rochon (Interiors), ReardonSmith (Architects)
(including a telephone in every bathroom). Then, 84 years
and Buro Happold (Structural Engineers) were the lead
later it was time for another major upgrade for this iconic
consultants for the project which started on site in January
but aging Edwardian building.
2008 and was completed by October 2010. The original design had featured white glazed terracotta The Savoy Hotel was originally the brain-child of Richard
blocks on the major elevations and, in order to maintain
D’Oyly Carte who built it with profits from the Gilbert and
the white glazed theme but reduce costs, Thomas Colcutt
Sullivan Operas. He had already built the Savoy Theatre,
had specified white –glazed bricks on the side elevations.
designed by C.J.Phipps and decorated by Collinson and
While Victorian architects used white-glazed bricks to
Lock which was opened in 1881 on the site of the Savoy
improve the quality of light in light-wells and other narrow
Palace in the Stand. The theatre was the first public
spaces, it was unusual to use the material as a component
building in the world to be lit by incandescent electric
of the external elevations of the building.
lights and the hotel, which was built on an adjacent site, also contained ground-breaking ideas. Thomas E. Colcutt
When the 2008 restoration started, all the external
designed the hotel which was opened in August 1889, with
elevations were scaffolded so the architects and structural
modern features that we would today take for granted,
engineers were able to carry out a meticulous inspection
such as electric lights, electric lifts (then called ‘ascending
of all the components. Jim Ryan of ReardonSmith notes
rooms’) and en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold running
that the original bricks, for which a match was required,
water. Richard D’Oyly Carte’s ambition was to create a
varied in glaze and base colour depending on the area of
luxury hotel that would rank with the best in the world.
the building.
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Matching brick means not only matching the bricks but
When the restoration was complete, hotel critics from all
also matching the pointing and this requires close control
over the world were unanimous in their praise. Jim Ryan
of the dimensions of the new material. Strict planning
concluded: “Reopening the hotel and seeing people’s
restrictions on the Grade II-listed building meant that all
reaction to its updated look was superb. Both the exterior
materials had to match the existing and adjoining buildings,
and the interior of the building have been completely
with original building practices replicated throughout.
renewed and restored, enhancing the elegance and
Jim Ryan, from ReardonSmith said: “The Savoy hotel
glamour of the hotel and ensuring its longevity into the
is something of a national treasure and one of the most
21st Century.”
well-known hotels in the world. The restoration and refurbishment of such a landmark needed meticulous
Architectural office:
attention to detail and all building materials had to pass a
ReardonSmith Architects
number of stringent requirements. The original brickwork was also a specialist size and needed to be replicated.
Facing bricks:
Wienerberger demonstrated it was flexible and adaptive
Terca - Imperial White Glazed
enough to cope with these challenges and supplied a product which met performance, regulatory and aesthetic requirements.”
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Bloc Hotel, Birmingham
Chic and Stylish The Bloc Hotel, developed and owned by Boxbuild is
system lead to an order for the supply of ‘two room’
on Caroline Street, St Paul’s Square in the heart of
modules, delivered to site by lorry and craned into
Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, a location that was
position within a steel framework. The corridors arrived
to influence the appearance of the building designed
as pre-fabricated cassettes which were also lifted into
by architects Larry Priest & Garry Orton.
position and fixed between the room modules. It took 24 weeks to complete the building working through the
To anyone familiar with ocean cruises, the question ‘Do
winter of 2010-2011.
you want an ‘outside’ or an ‘inside’ cabin?’ is understood to mean a cabin with a port-hole or one without. Perhaps
Architects Priest & Orton Norman were faced with a
it is surprising to be asked the same question when
number of architectural problems arising from the site
booking a hotel in landlocked Birmingham, but the Bloc
and its context, not least its most recent use as a petrol
hotel is built on the assumption that a view from your
station and location within a conservation area. The
room is not an essential pre-requisite of staying in a
planners were determined that any new building should
city-centre hotel.
comply with the planning guidelines for the Jewellery Quarter. Brick was seen as the preferred material for the
Boxbuild’s design philosophy is based on the idea that a
façades, and although cladding a number of identical
hotel should concentrate on fulfilling all the requirements
pre-fabricated units would seem to suggest a regular
of a short-term visitor, good-sized comfortable beds,
pattern of fenestration, nevertheless the planners
power showers, high quality flat screen TV and fast
suggested that the size and proportions of the openings
Wi-Fi, and ignoring many of the additional extras which
and the spaces between them should change from floor
add expense and are relatively little used. Boxbuild
to floor to reflect the pattern established by surrounding
brought the same determination and clarity of thought
buildings. The windows are a standard size but by
to the construction process. The belief that it was
recessing them into the elevation and by introducing a
possible to achieve a high standard of specification and
trim between the window and the brickwork opening,
workmanship through the use of their own pre-fabricated
it was possible to create a variety of dimensions on
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the façade. At ground level the trim panel is below the
suggested Wienerberger’s ‘Hectic Black’. It was an
windowsill, while at first and second floor it is above the
inspired choice, supported by the planners, because
window head. The third floor windows have no panel so
what is predominantly a dark, textured brick has paler
that the impression of diminishing dimensions as the eye
highlights that give it a liveliness that is absent from
travels up the building is achieved.
traditional engineering bricks. It forms a good contrast to the smooth golden surface of the trim panels and gives
Obviously brick, with its inherent flexibility of dimensions,
the building the distinctive appearance that the originality
was a sound choice to use for the external elevations.
of its design deserves.
The selection of the brick was as radical as the rest of the design. It would have been easy to opt for a
Architectural office:
conventional red-buff brick secure in the knowledge
Bryant Priest Newman
that it would fit easily into its surroundings. However the architects noted that blue-black engineering brick
Facing bricks:
had also been used in the Jewellery Quarter so they
Terca - Hectic Black
The contemporary look Hectic Black is a recent addition to the Wienerberger range. It is a deep blue-grey colour with a heavily textured surface. The brick is treated in a postmanufacturing process which involves soaking the bricks in petrol and setting them alight. This treatment produces the distortions of the face which give the brick its unique character.
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Latitude Mixed Development, birmingham
Bold and Confident Jane Jacobs in her book ‘The Death and Life of Great
creates a podium around which many of the apartments
American Cities’ (1961) argued for complexity in city
are grouped. There is mix of studio, one and two bedroom
life, applauding the way in which a mix of uses drove
units over seven floors.
activity in the streets at different times of the day. ‘A city is a lattice not a grid’ she wrote, suggesting
The architects were faced with the problem of designing
that the overlapping of functions which she observed
a city centre building yet at the same time creating an
in vibrant cities was one of the reasons for their
identifiable place to live. The site runs east/west and the
success.
main frontage is to Bromsgrove Street on the north side, but it extends down Hurst Street in the west and Pershore
Bromsgrove Street is within the rapidly emerging Chinese
Street in the east. Since the street pattern would remain
Quarter of Birmingham, five minutes’ walk from the Bull
unchanged it was decided to locate the building to the
Ring retail development and New Street Station. Until
‘back of flag’, that is right on the edge of the existing
recently it was an area considered unsuitable for housing,
pavement to all three streets. Not only does this allow the
but a change of heart with city planners has allowed
retail units maximum floor area but it also maintains the
residential development in this part of the city centre.
city pattern of shops flanking the pavement. Access to the
Together with adjacent housing schemes, these new
housing is provided by three lifts and stair towers which
homes will all play their part in invigorating the centre of
are entered from the pavement.
Birmingham. The design of the elevations was always going to be ‘Latitude’, developed as a joint venture between Taylor
challenging. Adjacent housing schemes have taken the
Woodrow and Balli Real Estate (BALI) and designed by
‘warehouse’ model of solid brick walls built to the ‘back
architects Powell Dobson, comprises 189 apartments, 10
of flag’ with windows punched in the brickwork at regular
ground floor retail units and two levels of car parking that
intervals. Further up Hurst Street there was no requirement
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for retail space and the site was deeper so it was possible
The decision to use a brick grid has been justified by the
to push the development to the edge of the site and open
choice of brick. The Cranbrook Red from Wienerberger’s
up a central court. However, at Latitude the retail space
Sandown works is one of the range of Terca bricks. It has a
creates voids at street level while above there is a mixture of
strong red hue with a dragwire textured surface which gives
different sized units. Powell Dobson solved the dilemma by
the building a bold confident presence.
creating a brick clad, city scaled grid which hovers above the retail units. The vertical columns are seven bricks wide
Architectural office:
with horizontal bands five courses high defining the floor
Powell Dobson
levels. Within the grid there are polyester powder-coated window modules with insulated intermediate panels. The
Facing bricks:
powder coating is toned to match the glazing which
Cranbrook Red
reinforces the visual strength of the brick grid.
Extruded/Wirecut Bricks The majority of bricks manufactured in the U.K. are made by the extrusion process. The clay is compressed and then released through an extrusion die, like toothpaste from a tube. The continuous column of clay is then cut into sections about 800mm long which are then cut by wires into bricksized units, hence the alternative name of ‘wire-cut’ for bricks made by this process
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Housing Poundbury, dorset
A Rousing Reaction Poundbury, an urban extension to the historic town of
The shops and offices along the Bridport Road/High
Dorchester in Dorset, is architectural Marmite, many
Street have a strong urban character. The upper floors
love it, many hate it and few are undecided. This
have generous floor to floor heights and external brick
polarisation of opinion makes it an interesting place to
walls in which the openings are subservient to the wall
visit, particularly if you accept that you are still viewing
surface. However at the ground floor the wide shop
‘work in progress’. The town lies within the lands
fronts are so generous that any illusion of this being a
of the Duchy of Cornwall, administered on behalf of
masonry load-bearing building is dispelled. Nevertheless
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
the construction of the buildings has been carried out with care and precision. The formation of the window openings
The buildings by C.G. Fry & Son which contain shops with
and archways is proof of C.G. Fry & Sons claim that the
offices and apartments above are situated on the B 3150, the
company specialises in traditional craftsmanship with the
Bridport Road that passes through the middle of Poundbury
best of contemporary building techniques.
westwards from Dorchester. Housing is developed to the north and south of the B 3150 and eventually this area will
The bricks which are used throughout this particular element
be Poundbury’s High Street hence the buildings are scaled
of the scheme are Wienerberger’s classic St Johns Red
to acknowledge the importance of their location.
handmade and soft yellow Smeed Dean London stocks, which are made in the same Kent factory as the original
Poundbury has been developed to provide homes for more
London stock bricks that were used to build Buckingham
than 5,000 people and employment for 2,000. The design
Palace. The St Johns Red handmade was ideal for this
seeks to implement the principles expounded in the Prince
heritage project, thanks to the creased texture and the rich,
of Wales’s book ‘A Vision for Britain’ (1989). While it relies
red finish, while the more muted Smeed Dean London Stock
for the most part on traditional forms and materials, the
with its smooth, natural edges, created beautiful walls full of
town is designed to be an integrated community of shops,
character. As both are manufactured by Wienerberger in
businesses and housing, both social and private, configured
the UK, they also benefit from being accredited to the BES
in a high density urban pattern and meeting the demands
6001 Responsible Sourcing standard which gives additional
of modern life.
points under the Code for Sustainable Homes and fulfils part of the Poundbury ethos of building sustainably.
The development started in 1992 with Poundbury Phase 1, containing 600 new homes, offices and shops. Work has
Architectural office:
continued through successive phases and it is anticipated
CG Fry
that final completion will not be reached until 2025. Therefore it will be some years until final judgements can be made.
Facing bricks:
The architectural debate as to whether or not Poundbury
St Johns Red Handmade & Smeed Dean London
is ‘merely pastiche’ or a serious attempt to create an integrated community in which it is a pleasure to live, has years to run. However, there is no doubt that some of the charm of an ‘English Town’ is encapsulated in the surprising juxtaposition of building types and styles; nevertheless it requires skill to create the deliberately unexpected. C.G. Fry & Son is a long-established business which started in 1918 when 19-year-old Charles George Fry joined his father George in the village, undertaking business in Litton Cheney, Dorset. Charles’s son Eddy became involved in the 1950s and since then his son Philip has joined the business. The company has been building at Poundbury ever since the successful tender for Phase 1.
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Glenthorne High School, sutton
A Unique Identity Glenthorne High School in Sutton, Surrey, is a school
Scott Wilson chose to continue this tradition and selected
with a long and rich history in the local community.
Wienerberger’s ‘Weald Red Multi Stock’ which has been
Founded on the Glastonbury Road site in 1933, the
used in conjunction with white rendered panels on the
school moved to the Sutton Common Road site in
courtyard elevation of the building. The panels are an
1958 and was, at this time, called Sutton Common
interesting addition because, as they run from ground to
County Secondary Girls’ School; a small girls’ school
roof, they remove the horizontal banding prevalent in other
for less than 400 pupils. It changed its name to
buildings. By opening away from the facade they create a
Glenthorne in 1982 and it wasn’t until 1993 that it
sense of privacy to the room within.
became co-educational. The mechanical services introduce ground-source heat The school today is a thriving, highly successful, mixed
pumps which are linked to solar thermal panels on the
comprehensive school for 1,300 pupils between the ages
roof providing heating and hot water for the wing. In using
of 11 and 19. It is a Specialist Arts College, a Training
Wienerberger’s Weald Red Multi Stock brick, the designers
School and an Applied Learning School.
also embedded additional sustainable credentials into the building. Clay bricks, as a natural material, are all
Like many schools that have expanded, Glenthorne has
A+ rated with the BRE, as their longevity and durability
commissioned a number of buildings through the years.
require less repair and rebuilding than other products
An architectural historian would find ample scope in
and can be fully recycled at the end of their lifespan,
comparing and contrasting the materials, construction
making them a truly sustainable option. In addition, these
techniques and programmes that have been used on
particular bricks benefit from BES 6001 Responsible
successive projects.
Sourcing accreditation with due consideration to materials & resources throughout the supply chain.
The Jubilee Wing was commissioned in 2008 to provide teaching accommodation, a sixth-form area and an
The building sits easily with its neighbours in the rest of the
Opportunity Base for pupils with mild Autistic Spectrum
school. It is interesting to speculate what a structure built
Disorder (ASD). It was named ‘Jubilee’ to mark the 50th
in 2058 to celebrate the centenary of the move would look
anniversary of the school moving to its present site in 1958.
like. One thing is for certain, however, and that is the bricks
The major consultants were Scott Wilson (architects and
used throughout the rest of the school would still have
structural engineers), MEA Consultants (cost), Graham
years of life left in them, and those on the Jubilee wing will
Powell (M&E) and the main contractor was Sunninghill
still look as good as the day they were laid. And that, more
Construction Co Ltd.
than anything, is sustainability in action
Scott Wilson was asked to prepare a feasibility report
Architectural office:
which identified a site, a budget and suggest a number
Scott Wilson
of ways in which the building could incorporate features to reduce running costs and match the sustainability
Facing bricks:
credentials required by the client.
Weald Red
It is often difficult to find a site within a complex of buildings that has been developed over the years but a space surrounded by buildings on three sides with a fourth side open was found. Not only was it convenient for the rest of the school but by building on the open side, the design created an external courtyard which formed an identifiable space of its own, rather than merely a route between buildings. Although the school has developed over time, architects have been consistent in their use of brick for the external façades of succeeding buildings. The bricks are different on each building but they are all from the red/brown register giving each building its own identity, while conforming to a uniform pattern.
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