Brilliant Brick: 5 Innovative Applications of Architecture’s Most Beloved Material

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While many contemporary architects have shunned traditional brick materials in favor of glass and steel, this ancient and reliable building method can still be put to use in ways that are exciting and innovative. Brick has been used for thousands of years in constructing a number of different building typologies, but this material finds new life in the hands of architects who can draw out the expressive potential in its unassuming characteristics.

While prefabricated brick panels have proliferated as clients demand the look of brick at lower costs and with quicker installation times, there are still some glowing examples of masonry being harnessed in imaginative new ways by contemporary firms. As you consider the type of brick you will specify for your next project, look to the following projects to build up your inspiration:

TERMEH Office – Retail Building by Ahmad Bathaei and Farshad Mehdizadeh, Hamadan, Iran

This office and retail building in Iran divided its two levels by placing the retail component on the ground level and office space on the upper. The traditional brick façade appears to be falling out from the ceiling slab of the ground level, and in fact tumbles out to become the functional entrance to the office space.

Residenza Le Stelle by Buzzi studio di architectura, Locarno, Switzerland

Three buildings of perforated brick form the complex of this multiunit dwelling, creating open plazas and enclosed courtyards. The brick façade is in fact composed of parametrically designed modular brick systems that slope in and outwards.

Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon by Michael Green Architecture, Vancouver, Canada

This Ronald McDonald House for sick children and their families is composed of four individual homes stitched around an interior courtyard. The disjointed volumes of the brick shapes that recall gables and dormers imbue a sense of familiarity to the building.

Hindmans Yard by Foster Lomas, London, United Kingdom

This London complex of four homes features gray brick clad buildings that contrast the red brick retaining walls of the surrounding Victorian gardens. The toothed brick pattern extends into the perforated metal detailing.

Mizengo Pinda Asali & Nyuki Sanctuary – Beekeeping & Education Center by Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects, Dodoma, Tanzania

This bee sanctuary and education center in Tanzania would provide skills training for honey extraction and trading. The traditional brick building would be organized cellular-like and might provide economic development for the region.

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