Brixton"s Angell wins top prize

ARCHITECT Burrell Foley Fischer'S Angell The winners of the other awards were : Whiteley Primary School. Farenam , Hampshire
Town Regeneration Scheme was named Best slnqre house Architect : Hampshire County Council
the best brick building in the UK at the Mill Street Studio, Oxford, designed by Adrian Best brickwork specialist
Brick Development Association's 2002 James Architects Marlborouqh Brickwork, leeds.
awa rds. Best pr ivate houslnq development Craftsmanship
Anqell Town, a public housing project. was Terrace One, lanark Street. Glasgow, The Park, Meets Dri ve, Hovlake. th e Wirra l,
named sup reme wi nne r at an award desig ned by McKeown Alexander. desi gne d by Morris Hom es (Nor th).
ceremony at the le Meri dien Grosve no r Best structural use of brick Export
House Hotel in london. The judqes were Thea tre at Queen Margaret's School, York , Kosei Shoken. Osaka. Japan. The architect
impressed by the architect's choice of brick designed by Associated Architects with Peel & was Yuzo Nagata and Shunji Kitano.
and the way each flat in the former deck- Fowler as structural engineer. The event attracted its biggest ever
access estate had been given a ground-level Best land scape project audience drawn from a wide spectrum of
ent rance . and by the careful consideration Barnfield Garden , Henrev-on-rhames. construction pro fessionals. The audience has
qlven to access for cars and people. designed by Peter Aldington. m or e th an doubled from th e 200 guests who
The sche me, wh ich is in Brixto n, south Best commercial bulldlnq came few yea rs ag o. Con lenan, Chie f
l ond on, was design ed in associa tion wi th its 110 -116 Wigmo re Street. central london. exec ut ive of the BOA. said: " The do ubling in
residents. The result was t he replacement designed by Kalyvides Partnership. size of our audience this year represent s a
of the uniform, denumenlslnq 1970 estate Best pub lic bulldlnq terri fic boos t for our industry and reflects t he
with a mix of house types in a clean , The Women's library, east london, designed continuinq importance of brick on t he
modernist style (see pages 10-12). by Wright & Wright (see pages 6-9). construction agenda."
The Best Structural Use of Brick Award Best r.furblshment project For the Brick Awards 2002, the BOA
wen t t o a thea tre at Queen Margaret's School Westdown Centre, King Alfred's College. gratefUlly acknowledges t he kind sponsorshi p
in Escr ick Par k in York . Michael Driver, senio r Winchester, designed by Feilden Clegg Brad ley. of Bagg er id ge Br ick, Irv ine-Whi t loc k, l an sing
archit ect at th e BOA. said: " This ref ined Best prefabrication unce, RDl Dist ri but ion an d Readym ix. For
buildi ng displays an excellen t use of a br ick Hanson TiS Modul ar House . details of t he 2003 Br ick awa rds. call
diaphragm wall :' Sustainability 01344-B85651or email [email protected] .uk

Prince Charles takes up his trowel at SkillCity

PRINCE CH ARLES pitted his 10 minutes laylnq bricks and Vounq Bricklayer of the Vear The SklllClt y exhi bition Is
brlcklaylnq skills aqalnst y ounq talklnq to his competitors. award after a qruelllnq 21hour dulqned t o showcase the
wouldbe brlckles durlnq last Another hlqhllqht of the contest. The winner was Imp or tane- of skills to
November's SklllClty Show In show, which was attended by Richard Kavanaqh, 21, an cor porate Britain, qover nment
Salford Ouays, Greater more than 70,000 people , was apprentice at Warwickshire departments and the world of
Manchester. The Prince spent the award of the Hanson Brick Colleqe . education and tralnlnq.

2 B RICK BULLETI N
Selling bricklaying
to schoolchildren IULlETlll

THE BETTER BRICKWORK ALLIANCE has launched th e " Gel a Lif e WELCOME TO THE
with Brick" campaign to encourage 13 to 17 year aids to choose
bricklaying as a career.
new-look Brick Bulletin.
To accompany the laun ch. t he BBA has distributed teacher 's We've redesigned it to
informati on packs to more than 4500 secondary schools.
The pack includes a poster that recalls t he histo ry of br ick and
complement the
promotes its environmental Qualities. Personalities appearing on the remar kable brickwork
poster include Tommy Walsh - a bri cklayer by training and a member
of the BBC's Ground Force team. Interested youngs ters can also log on
projects that it features. But it is also a
to www.brickpath .info for fu rther info rma tion. symbol of the Brick Development
The campaign form s par t of the BBA's initia tive to safeguard the
fu tu re of Qualit y brickwork and br icklaying . The associat ion says th at
Association's desire to reach a broader
alt hough th e curre nt supply of br icklayers is mor e t han enough. it range of constr uct ion professionals -
recogn ises that the re could be future skills shor ta ges if youngste rs
are not alerted to th e at trac ti on of brick layi ng now.
one reason why it is being published in
J ohn Whit e chai rman of the BBA and Persimmon Homes. says: " This conjunction with Building magazine, and
is t he first t ime this kin d of effort has been made. Going to un ivers it y
is fine. but society needs cra ftsmen, and some youngsters would be on a more frequent basis.
better off on voca tio nal courses. The pu rpose of ou r campaign is to One of our key objectives is to ensure
bri ng th is highly respect ed career to their attention."
Launched at th e end of 1999, t he BBA aims to impro ve qualit y and that Brick Bulletin is sufficiently
competi tiveness in brickwork , pr omote skill s and t rain ing and reduce inspiring, interest ing, informati ve and
costs. Members include th e Associat ion of Bri ckwor k Cont ractor s, th e
BOA. th e Const ru cti on Indu st r y Training Board, the Concr ete Block authoritative enough to be retai ned for
Associat ion. the Guild of Brick lay er s. th e Hou se Builders Federat ion , future reference. This requir es t hat,
th e Mortar Indu str y Associati on. the Transport and General Workers
Union and th e Worsh ipfu l Comp any of lylers and Brickla yer s. For more t han ever, t he format should
furth er info rmation call 0134 4 -8 85651. contain detailed info rmat ion that will be
of direct relevance to specifiers. So, in
European standards are here addit ion to projects displaying aesthetic
THE BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTiON pUblished the CEN and technical excellence, there will be
European product standard BS EN 1344 Clay Pavers - t he drawings, details and specification
Requirements and Test Methods In the summer of 2002.
The document will coexist with the Br itish Standard informati on to make Brick Bulletin a
BS 6677: Part 1: 1986 until It Is withdrawn at the end of 2003. valuable refer ence source for all aspects
Until that happens, specifiers of clay pavers have the option of
uslnq either th e exlstlnq standard or the European one. of brickwork design and construction.
It Is expected that CEmarked clay paver products to This is an excit ing and challenging
BS EN 1344 will be launched durlnq 2003. CE marklnq will not be
obllqatory In the UK and Ir eland because they have only adopted time for the brick indust ry, faced as it
the sy stem on a voluntary basis. is with the important issues of
New European standards for masonry are expected to be
published by late summer 2003 In the UK. Aqa ln. a period of sustainability, harmonisation,
coexistence with the national standards will follow. At present, the conservat ion and innovati ve
specification of br ick masonry units should continue In accordance
with BS 3921, BS lB7, BS 6649 and BS 4729. constr uct ion techniques. Brick Bulletin
will reflect and report on t hese issues in
Brick contractors form an open, accessible format. And in th is
lobbying group way, it will come to showcase the very
TWELVE OF THE UK'S LEADING br ickwork contract or s hav e come best of the UK clay brick industry.
toget her to form The Associat ion of Brickwor k Con tracto rs (ABC). The Con Lenan, chief executive,
aim of t he associ at ion is to prom ot e the ro le of t he br icklayer and the
br ickwor k contractor. The associati on will place speci al emphasis on Brick Development Association
four key objectives: qualit y of work , employment. health and safety.
and training and education.
Associat ion presi dent Bill Preston said: " These four key objectives editor GHrqe Dem.tri co-ordmatmq editor Andy Pearson
de-signer Joe PresHo productIOn David Roqen
must be mainta ined and developed by all member s." Member ship of
reproduction london Pre-pr"s pnnted bV 5t Iv" pic
ABC is open to all br ickwor k contract ors and subcontractor s.
For more informati on email inf [email protected].
I 15 5 N 03079325 .

BRICK BULLETIN . 3
I INPICTURES I

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

You can get an idea of the standard of the winners of this year's Brick Awards by
considering the quality of these six schemes that just missed out on a prize ...

I, BRICK BULLETIN
a West ern Such
Apartments,
D The precision of
the detaillnq o'
II Th e Hornlman
Museum, In
iii The R.q ls
Bulld lnq In l ..ds
II Han son 's Mono
creem brick wa .
II Iroko Houslnq
Cooperatlve, In
Roya' Vlctorl. Dock. the Shrewsbury south London, used was shortllsted In the u sed In this offiCit Coin St reet, london.
London, w., built School Music fac ility Sussex Brick 's h i t use of s t ruct ural d. ....lopm .nt .t used Sunbury Red
uslnq Hanson's won It s pecla' Has tlnqs Hanley brick cateqory. It used Ancell s Bu siness Park Handmade brick, made
Melford Vallow. The commendat ion In the Red to match the Hanson's Rossini brick In f1 t , Hampshir e. by thebrlckbuslness.
d. ....lopm . nt was ~st public bu lld lnq or lqln8 ' bulldlnq . The to ereete what the This was s hort list ed for this shortll sh'd
shortllstfli f or the cateqory. It used sc heme was Jud qas ca lled " a l or the best ent ry In the best
best pr iv at e houslnq Mar sha lls Breckland shortll sted for best dl st lnqulshed commerc ia ' bu lld lnq pub lic hou slnq
developm ent award. MultI. pUblic bu lld lnq . sol ution" . award. dev elopment.

BRICK BULL ETIN . 5

 ERE WE HAVE LET THE CONTEXT INFLUENCE

Ii and Inform the solut ion. We have sti tched t he

building into t he very fabr ic of the city, to
harm onise it with its surroundings: ' says
arch itect Sandy Wright.
He is describing t he Women's library on Old Castle
Stree t. at the eastern edge of the City of Lond on. The
bui ld ing , designed by Wright & Wright Architec ts. has
been slott ed. sti tched or even shoe-horned into
position beside t he ol d tobacco warehouses inhabit ed
by its owner, london Metropolitan Universi ty, and in
close proximity to 19605 housing blocks. But to look at
this powerful chunk of construct ion. it would seem for
all t he world tha t it has grown there.
Millicent Fawcett. a campa igner for women 's rights.
fou nded the Women 's library in 1926. What started life
in a conve rted pub in Westminster has since become
the UK's most comprehensive research library on all
aspects of women's lives, from domestic chores to
political activism.
The Metro politan University, or the City of Londo n
Polyt echnic as was, acquired t he vast collection of
books, film , photog raph s, banners and art ifact s in 19TI,
But. until recentl y, it was sto red in a leaky basement
acro ss th e road from t he new buildi ng.
Wright & Wright's won th e commissio n to design th e
librar y in 199 5, and it s bri ef shaped the resultant
bui lding almost as much as its surrou ndi ngs, "I t was
basically to take thi s precio us, fragil e collect ion and
hou se it in a build ing t hat was safe, secure and whi ch
exuded perm anence: ' says Wright. For th at, the
archit ect has designed a monum ent al st ruct ure t hat
har ks back to th e heyday of American arc hitec t Louis
Khan and his predi lect ion for geometric for ms, heavy
massing and brickwork,
Wright & Wright has wor ked wit h a li mited palett e of
Tadcast er stone, grey painted metal, copper, Americ an
white oak and handmade Saxon Red Multi bricks. In th e
arch it ect 's words: " You don't need to st uff th e ent ire
contents of a builders merchant into the building; it's
not a fruit cake." And this simplic ity Is part of what
makes the buil ding so special.
Emerging from behind the blackened , listed facade of
an 184 6 washhouse, the massive sb-storev east wall of
t he library is almost devoid of adornment. Its sheer
brickwork face is punctured only once above th ird-floor
level. "With this type of constructi on, the brickwork is
more than a simple veneer. It 's celebra ted," says
Wright. "On most modern brick buildings. t he beautiful
bonds and cours ing is lost because there is no weight
or depth to the skin." The single window , set 450 mm
deep into t he bri ckwork reveal, accent uate s the wall's
mass and adds to the build ing 's sense of strength (see
the detail box on the next page).
The th ickness of the walls is the result of their
structural concrete core. But the t hermal mass of all of
thi s brickwork and conc!ete plays an import ant role in
stabilising t he temperature within the buildi ng and so
pr ot ect ing th e arch ive mat erial s. Wright explains:
" Because of th e scale of the str ucture and th e
emerg ent wall dept hs, th e buildi ng is effectively
wrapp ed in a th erm al layer, making temperature cont rol
in sensit ive areas a lot easier." The buildin g is totally
naturally vent ilated. Arup engineers have predi ct ed
energ y consum ptio n for th e bu ilding's cent ral archi ves
of about 20% of th at of an aircon ditio ned equivalent.
The colossal bul k of the east facade encloses a
struct ural core, which houses a sta irwell and lifts . ...

BRiCK BULL ETIN . 7

 Getting every little thing right
" The beauty Is In the detail: ' says architect Sandy Wrlqht. The movement
Joint on the u st facad e demonstrates II subtle detail with a blq Impact.
In st ead of hldlnq the joint beh ind a downplpe or simply plp lnq a brown sealant
Into a 20 mm qap. cant bricks have bun used to accentuate the detail,
carvl nq a qroov e Int o the s ide of the bulld lnq. A standard compress ible- 'lIIet
ccvered In a seal ant to match the brickwork makes up the joint. At II hlqhu
level . cant end br icks br lnq the qrooYe to termination one course above II
purposemad e Tadeast.r stone overflow, deslqned to match the stone coplnqs
at the top of the wall. The qroove resumes directly ben eath the ov er f low.

Typical plan detail: movem en t Joint

concrete
Cilvlty t ie
movemen t Joint - compressible
fmer with "alant to
match mortar colour

Elevation at overflow

I I I I
Cant br ick II II
I IC
I II II I
~I I I IC
I II II I
=:JI I I IC
I I I I
cant end brick
s helf anql e brick
II II "- V I IC
I II I I
soft Joint aro und overflow
=:JI IIC
I II r- J[ I
purpos_-m ad e st one overf low II ~
IIC
I I I I
~I I I IC
I II II I

Michael Hamme tt: How th e bricks and mor t ar were specified

For the des lqn t o be realised, with Normall y, the water from mortar Is the number of courses la id In one sess ion
br ickwork as the dom inan t material both draw n Into the br ic ks t oqet her wi t h fi ne be limited to av oid the risk of unset
externally and Int er nall y, a hlqh -qua llty. binder part ic les to promote adhesion. The mortar belnq squeeze d out by the welqht ,
10nq-lIfe and low-m aint enance faclnq br ick low water absorption of t hese br ick s of the br icks above. Bro ad areas of
was essent ial. mean s that they draw ver y li t tle water brickwork on t he pro ject presented no
The spec ified br icks are handmade clay from the mortar and cou ld " fl oat" If the problems of delay when followlnq this
red multi faclnq bricks, conformlnq to mortar was too wet. The un of st iffer, quldance. However, work on piers
BS 3921. They have durability deslqnatlon low-water content mortar from RMC was proqressed simulta neously, rather than
FL, a hlqh compressive st renqt h and low found t o be necessary, as was the need to ralslnq them Individual ly.
water abso rption. This last characteristic keep the bricks dry before u se to ensure These basi c rules, foll owed to t he
raised part icular concerns when select lnq that the small amount of suct ion they had letter, have prod uced a bulld ln q that Is a
the m ortar type and plannlnq construction was available to promote adhesion. fine example of what brickwor k can br lnq
schedul es. A third cons ideration Is the rate at to a project.
Water absorption In clay bricks varies which the mortar will set. Low-water Michael Hammett is the former senior
from about 2% to 34%. Bricks of less absorption br icks tend to keep the mortar archi tect at the Brick Development
than about 10% are considered to have In the j oi nts mo ist and sl ow down this Association and technical consultant for the
low water absorption. pro ces s. Therefore, It Is rec ommended that Women's Library.

8 BRICK BULLETIN
... This is matched on the west side to form a sandwich,
What we see in the window
with the filling made from the cent ral exhibi tion,
semina r and office ar eas as well as t he archive and On the new bulldlnq Wrlqht & Wrlqht has used brickwork detalllnq In a manner
library. Fro m th e north. t his gives t he building an that defers to the bulldlnq's use but stili hints at the structure's power.
industri al feel, but here th e bu lk is cut through with a A sect ion throuqh t he fourth- fl oor window, vis ibl e on t he east facade above
massive slab of white Tadcaster stone , which sits t he washhou ses slqn , disp lays the thickness and mass of the bu lld lnq
astride a bank of large wind ows. Below t hem are four envelope. Brickwork sk ins to both the Int ernal and exter ter walls cloak an
square peeph oles between t he bookshel ves. InSUlat ed core of structural concrete.
"The glazed panels between t he bookshe lve s give a The qlazlnq Is set far back In the reveal and the window open lnq Is detailed
view of t he treetops in t he cour t yard. They allow yo u to with si x courses of plinth bricks slopl nq from Its ban to accentuate the
orienta te voursett" say.s Wright. Simple inter ventions feellnq of depth. At Its head, a course pistol br icks t idies the edqe of the steel
like these point to where you are with in the structure. li nt el and soffit panel . while t lpplnq a nod to the arches In the old facade
They also tea se the best out of the arch itect: Wright below. The dampproof course steps throuqh br ickwork at sill lev . I, throwlnq
has an inherent love of materials, their looks, feel. any mo isture away f rom the floor slab , wh ich Is built Into th. thick wall .
weigh t and implied his tory. He specified bri ck to stitc h
th e bui lding into its surro undings, but it also reflects
his appreciation of the sensuous qualities inhere nt in
the material. "1 have always had an interest in brick.
and especially the handmade stock," says Wright. "The Section through fourth-floor stair window
mix of colours - reds , blue s, oranges - and textures give

~ ~
a special quality to a handmade brick. It almost has a

~
t weed to it."
Wrig ht's preoccupa t ion with mat erials exten ds to t he dampproof course supported on cavit y tray l","""
~
ss
whole pro ject. Each elem ent in his palette has its own tac!nq br lc:k
visual and tact ile qua lities. And enter ing t he library is
possibl y t he best way to discover t hem. Through heavy
purpo stmad . s t..l llnt.1
l~
grey metal gates, hung on the 1846 facade, visit ors
II

\
enter into a reception area tha t is a mix of washhouse
and drawing room . A heavily paneled oak ceiling plays
foil to a bri ckwork floor, laid with black mor tar. II
Doors and frames , the reception desk and ceiling s to
many public areas are all crafted from fine-gra ined window
Ame ri can oak. In cont rast to this warmth and luxury , II
the fl oors throughout the circulation and exhibition
areas are of br ick. The materials lend an inst itutional
air to the place. But. althoug h the exte nsive use of
br ickwo rk - it is used as an intern al walt cove ring in
many areas - harks back to the noise and heat of t he
washhouse, the oak and sto ne element s seem to instill
a library' s hush.
\ II

II

Loui s Khan once said: " When the work Is comp leted II
t he beginn ing must be ten,' The Wom en's library is
fi nished but just as it s content teaches the beginn ing s
of women's str uggle fo r equality, the very fabr ic from
\ II
which the buildi ng is constructed reveals its histo ry \
through touch, smell and sight. Wright & Wright has l\.
crafted a beautifu l build ing with a sense of place and
permanence, elements often lost in many high -tech \
ar chitec tu ral solutions of today. II \

Cost breakdown - brickwork II \

External walls \
General facing 117l/m' II .....-'
Cant bri cks (horizontal and ver ti cal) 210/m
Cant sto p bricks 50 each
Shel f angle bric ks 72/m
Flat arche s 311m dampp roof c:ouru
Sills 5/m
Reveals 60/m r. lnforc:. d c:oncr.t. IInt.1
Cost [65.86/m'
scr..d to tall
Internal wall s
General fac ing 814 /m 2
Ornament band 4/m
Cost E54.63/m2
Costs eesec on 1999 pr ices and ~.c1Ude innH blockWOfkskin,
cavity ties. dampproof courses. preliminaries and VAT.

BRICK BULLETIN . 9
 HE TRUTH IS COMING!" AND IT' S COMING

II live via video link, acco rdi ng to th e poster

advert ising a talk by Amer ican civil right s
campa igner Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan's face.
posted pr oudly on t he inside of a window. is the most
animate d thing about this block in what' s left of the
or iginal Angell Town esta te in Srixton, sout h Londo n.
Most of t he other win dows are boarded up and it's the
same stor y in t he adjacen t block .
Acr oss th e st reet. however. where only a few years
ago th e blocks faced t heir mirror image. there sits a
pr ist ine development of modern mews hou ses. You
could be forg iven for taking th e contemporary style as
evidence of a yuppie invasion. but this is in fact th e
new face of the Angell Town estate. Once a notor ious
gr id of deck-access blocks, th e esta te has been
rede signed by ar chit ect Burrell Foley Fischer to give it a
br ighter. mor e human characte r.
" What chara ct erised the estat e," says part ner
Stephanie Fischer. was that it was very insti tutional; it
was represent ed in the A-Z as a blob because there
wasn't reall y a st reet pattern. We want ed to reestablish
a pattern of str eets and mews and link s to surrounding
r outes."
The rede sign, t he second phase of whi ch was
completed at th e end of 2002, Is th e culminat ion of
more than a decade of community acti on. The origina l
Angell Town estate, complete d in th e early 1970s, had
never been popular with its resident s. Built at odds with
th e local street pattern , the esta te was cut off fr om t he
surro unding community. On top of thi s, th ere .were no
homes at st reet level, which were occupied instead by
gloomy park ing enclos ures und er th e hou sing blocks.
Unsurprlsingly, th e esta te became seen as a no-go
area .

Power to the people

The resident s launched a voci fero us campaign for the
regen er ati on of Angell Town. and they set th eir
aspirat ions high. When Lambet h council called in
Burrell Foley Fischer in 1998. the arch itects at the fi rm
showed residents a range of models to choose fr om .
The one t hat emerged as the most popular was a light,
low-rise design tha t mixed references to terraced
housing and contempora ry detaili ng. In other words,
th e ant it hesis of the featureless hor izon tal blocks they
had know n.
In th e five -storey deckaccess blocks. one home was
indis tinguishab le from anot her and visitors were
hard-pr essed to find their way around. In the new
three-stor ey design. different iated windows and
balconi es give each fl oor an individ ual character.
Furth er mor e. no space is wasted on anonymo us public
areas. Generally. t her e are on ly two flats to a
street-level door and every household has some pr ivate
outdoor space, whether a balcony, pat io or small
garden. The overall effect is closer to the vill a
architec ture found In th e r est of Brl xton tha n to your
average housing esta te.
At th e heart of the design was a tradit ional mat er ial
t hat was associat ed with housing on a mor e per sonal
scale: bric k. But the architect steered clear of Victo rian
or 1960s reds and opted for a sandstone-coloured
varie ty to create lig ht. modern facade s. These are
animated with ot her materials more comm on to
upmarket commerc ial developme nt s, such as glass
bricks and woode n slats. But. as FIscher makes clear,
" the residents weren't just involve d in t he wln dow j-

BRICK BULL ETIN . 11

 Details, details
A typical second fl oor balcony: The des lqn of the billeonles and windows
has been carefUlly arranqed so that they are allqned with the brickwork
an d av oid t he need for cu t bricks. Iroko wood louvres provide shad lnq to
t he f r.nch win dows

Zinc standl nq sum

roof conrlnq and facia
In pr. w.ath.,.d finish

Pr.cut concr.t. co plnq to

party wan, colour to match brick

"Ii
Th. facad. comb ln . s a wid. mi x of mat . r lal s and ftur. s.

..... dressing, but in the fundamental principles" ,

r
The architect chose a pale brick called Throckley Brlu solall wit h flat st.a' fram.
Smooth Buffs , made by Ibstock, to create a and Ir oko louvr.s: col our t o mat ch
brig hter environme nt for residents. For a smoot h finish brick; t ha fr ont 01 br lsa sola ll
it also chose a mortar, made by RMC, t hat was as close IIn.s up with th. fac a 01 br ick
to th e colour of th e bricks as possible. This way, t he
facades read as a fairly seamless masonr y plane rather
,
\

t han as a disjointed surface with thousand s of

components.
The design of the facades has been carefull y work ed
out to avoid as far as possible the need for cut bricks.
Balconies and windows are carefully aligned with the
brickwork so that t here is a crisp symmetr ical
relat ionship between the components of the design and
it s essential material.
Steering clear of the uniform ity that plagued the
or iginal estate, the architect avoided large fields of
br ickwork , breaking up the facades with ti mber panels raclnq brickwork with flush
above the doorways and varying the design of each polntlnq: pr.cast concr.ta co plnq
storey. On the first floor, french windows open onto flush with laca 01 br ick
louvred balconies made of galvanised meta l, while on and colour to match
the second balconies are recessed with iroko wood
louvres.
Perhaps what is most surpri sing about the new
design is that the se low-ri se structures, with their
emphasis on individuality and pri vate space, have not
come at t he expense of housing density. In fact. with
355 habitable rooms a hectare, Angell Town is more
spaceefficient t han its predecessor, with it s flats lined
up like coops for battery hens,
The design object ives that the architect and residents
set out toge ther have turned an estate into a
neighbourhood. The openness of t he new layout and
the light ness of th e br ickwork combine to form a
br ighter, fri endlier str eetscape. and resident s now
have highly individual, styl ish homes in Which t hey
can ta ke prid e.
In fact, seeing th e positive way in which th e
community worked to tr ansform its environment. Louis
Farrakha n's live video link may not have much more to
teach it about empowerm ent.

12. BRICK BULLETIN

 The message tied to a brick
Believe it or not, says Con Lenan, th ere are those who think that
someth ing made from clay that lasts centuries is not sustainable

AST NOV EMBER. THE BRICK DEVELOP MENT strategy - one of t he firs t business sectors to do so.
L Associat ion launched a campaign desig ned The ult imate aim of sustai nable development must be
to esta blis h and communicate brick 's to deliver a bette r quality of life to fu ture gene rations.
5ustainability credentials to t he cons truction The government should be applauded for tak ing this
industry and the wider audie nce. responsibility serlouslv, partly by challeng ing t he
One of our most pressing tasks is to convince industry to evaluate and improve the sustainability of
archi tec ts. engineers. surveyors, contractors. planners its activities.
and government agencies that bric k is a sustainable How witl this be achieved? Simply by each sector
material. This is necessary to maint ain brick's posit ion imple menti ng four objec tives :
as a first-c lass cladding and st ructural mat eri al. but also Social progress th at recogn ises th e needs of all
to demolish a few m isconcepti ons. The effec t ive pr ot ect ion of the envi ro nme nt
One of th ese is th at bric k has high embodied energy. The pru dent use of resources
It is frequently expressed. but how many specifiers are The mai ntenance of high and stab le levels of
aware that clay br irk-makinq accounts for only economic growth and employment.
1.5% of total energy consumption of UK As one of the first construction sectors to publish its
manufacturing? What's more, the industry has pledged sustainability strategy, the brick industry can feel
to reduce its specific energy consumption more than satisfied of progress on all four fronts.
10% by 2010, and it has spent 12.6m to improve its The brick ind ustry employs 6000 people, spread
enviro nmen tal performance. across 120 manufacturing sites . These are locat ed
Sta tis tics such as these can help speci fie rs to reach mostl y in rural areas and are ofte n the main source of
an informed decision, but they must be conside red in emp loyment. The pop ular it y of brick and the associa te d
conjunction with the t radi tiona l qualities of brick. for stability of deman d will enable brickworks to offer
o example, its re markable durability and lifespan are . long-term, stable employment to its workers.
strong arguments in any debate on sust ainability, and is Environ mental protection naturally springs to mind
complemented by t he minimal maintena nce t hat when the SU bject of sustainable development is brought
. brickwork requi res. And when you remember tha t brick up. Although we are never going to face a clay
often fu lfi ls aest hetic, weath erproofi ng, str uctu ral. sho r ta ge, br ick maker s nevert heless recogn ise the
acoustic , fir e and securi ty roles, th e case for it beco mes imp ortance of measuring and reducing t he
even st ronger. consu mption of nat ural resources. Heavy clay
To spearhead the campaign, t he BOA has launched cons truction products make up Jess than 3% of the
two brochures: Brick . Made for Generations, which non-energy minerals extracted in the UK. The br ick
introduces the environmental argument for brick, and industry wastes very little clay in manufacture. has
A SustiJinability Strategy for the Brick Industry, which invested in kilns that use recycled heat, and br ick
presen ts a more detailed case (see www.brick .org.uk). makers use gas from landfill in exhausted pits to fire
This campaign has resulted from th e BOA's kitns or generate elect ricity sold to th e nat ional grid .
memb er ship of th e Pioneers Gr oup ~ an initiative As with all manufa ctur ing processes, th ere is more
established by the on and the Department for th e tha t can be done to improve sustai nabili ty, yet as far as
Environ men t, f ood and Rural Affairs - to accele rate t he brick is concerned , a flying star t has been made.
development and implementa tion of sustai nabili ty
strategies. This campaign demonstrates the Con Lenan Is chief eucut lve of the Brick
determination of the brick industry to work on its Development Associat ion.

BRICK BULL ETIN . 13

 TECHNICAL

A chimney is the most exposed element of any building , so it's important to
design and build it to last. Michael Driver explains what has to be considered

Selection of bricks and joints

Clay or calcium silicate br icks can be used in the This mean s that they are more exposed to fro st and
construction of a chimney. If clay br icks are chosen. sutpnete attack t han any othe r part of t he building .
their resilience will depend on three interrelated For this reason, it is desirable to put a coping or
factors : the durabil it y desjqnet lon of the brick. the capping on top of the brickwork to redu ce its exposure
detailing of the chimney term inal and the mortar. to moi sture.
Durability: clay bricks with British Standard durabil it y CappinQs are made from brickwork with tile
designation s Fl. FN, ML. tAN are all suitable. creaslnc s. which are then f1aunched - filleted with
Terminal : chimneys are usually exposed on the top mortar - to help th row water clear of the brickwork.
and all four sides. so the br ickwork is often sat urated. However. ceppinqs cannot be relied on to keep out

" BRICK BULLET IN

moisture indefinitely and so requ ir e a dampproof
course beneath th em. Typical :chimney fer.minaltdetiil):
Copings usually comprise a single pre cast concrete
unit with a weathe red top and a 55 mm t hroated
overhang to help shed wat er. It is recomm ended that a
dpc is installed beneath the coping . This is particula rl y
importa nt if a coping is to be assembled fr om sectio ns.
Copings. capping s and f1aunch ings should be
constructed using only F"L or FN class clay bri cks with
as designat ion (i) mortar made using sulphate- resisti ng
Portland cement. flaunc:hl ...
Calcium silicate bricks are natu ral ly fro st resistant
and are free from soluble salts. so their specif ication is
slightly less onerous. For copings. cappings and
f1aunching s. bricks should be as class 4 to 7, with as
designatio n (ii) mo r ta r made using sulphate-resisting
Portland cement.
The chimney pot or flu e ter minal should be bedded
in at least three cours es of bri ckwork to ensure that it
is well anchored and unlikely to be dislodged by high
winds.

Mortar
The most appr opr iate mortar mixes for chi mney
const ruction will depend on th e dur abilit y classific at ion
of t he bricks and th e risk of th e br ickwork becoming
sat urated. It is stro ngly recommended that sulphate-
resisting cement is used because of the presence of
soluble sulphates in flu e gas condensation. Table 14 in
as 5628 par t 3: 2001 describes t he most suitable
mortar mixes. Flush, bucket hand le or weath ered
mortar joi nts are all suitable for chimney stacks and
terminals but recessed joints should be avoided.

Flashings and dampproof courses

To prevent water that has penetrated the chimne y
brickwork above t he roof from perm eating down into BOA Publications
th e bui lding, a pr efor med lead dpc t ray should be The Brick Development Association publishes a comprehensive set 0'
installed. To prevent th e ri sk of corrosion when in technical literature on Its web site - www.brlck.org.uk - and also In Its
conta ct with the mortar. the lead shou ld be coated with brochure Brick Publications. This Information Is split Int o two major
a solvent -based bituminous paint on both sides befo re categories, brickwork design and detailing and structural br ickwork.
installation. The tra y should have upstand s at the back Data sheets have been produud to answer questions frequently asked on
and sides and a project ion at t he fr ont to dress over an the BOA's technical enqu iry line. Currently, eight sheets are available wh ich
apron fla shing . It should also be taken through a joint deal with the following topics:
in the flue lining and dres sed up on the inside of the Verticality 0'
perpends: adv lu on spec ification and site In spection.
li ner by 25 mm (see detail) . Recessed Joints: summary 0' advice on the specification of joints.
Where a steeply pit ched roof has been used or where Colour consistency: notes on the causes of patchiness and colour banding In
the chi mney is exposed to severe wind -driven rain, an brickwork.
addit ional dpc should be install ed above the lead tra y Frog up; 'rog down : observations on an old dilemma.
to reduce th e amo unt of water reaching it. Water repellent surface treatments: current BOA adv ice .
Flashings sho uld be installed around the base of the Repolntlng of br ickwork.
chimn ey to prevent wat er enter ing the building at the Bricklaying In winter conditions.
jun ct ion between th e roof and the chimney stac k. Tinting: notes on the theory and practice o' colouring br ickwork.
Not e: This featu re is an abridge d version of Bric k In addition to the above, five Information sheets are about to be published:
Inf ormation Sheet No 6.9. which is availab le fr om th e Sp~clflcat/on of Brlc/{ R.ta/nlnq Walls. This Is a summary o' the three types
Bri ck Development Associa tion. For guidance on the o' retaining wall , with notes on detailing and construction.
design and deta iling of firepla ces and flues . ref eren ce Movem.nt In Brickwork. This offers guidance on the many 'actors that should
sho uld be mad e to oth er sources of info rmation. be considered In clay br ickwork des ign . Different types o' movement.
movement j oints and the particUlar problems o' short returns are all
cons idered.
Specific ation of Brickwork In Chlmn.ys. This document Is summarised In th.
ma in feature.
Th~rmaJ Insulation of BulJdlnqs. These are notes on the location and
specifi cation of Insulat ion for solid and cav ity walls. This will Include a
number of points on the site Inspection of cavity Installation.
Pr~fabrlcat~d Brick Ass~mbl/~s. A rev iew o' the range of preas sembled
br ickwork details . It Is ant ic ipated t hat this will be a growth area In
the f uture.

BRICK BULLETIN . 15
COUNTDOWN TO 2003
HIS YEAR'S BRICK AWARDS
T ceremo ny promises to be t he
biggest and best yet. so make a note
in your diary. The event will take
place in the magnif icent surroundings of th e
ball roo m at London's Le Meridian Grosveno r
House Hotel in November 2003.
This year is likely to see a new category for
the volume housebuilders who make the best
and most creati ve use of brick across their
repertoire of properties. The contribution that
specialist contractors have made to a scheme
will also be recogn ised th is year alongside
those of the project 's arch itect.
If you have completed a build ing in the last
two years that you feel exemplifies the
possibilities of brick , now is the t ime to think
about entering this year's awards. Entry
forms will be available in March from the
Brick Development Association and on its
website (www.bric k.org.uk). The closing date
for entri es is J une with judgi ng taking place
thr oughout J uly and August. The jUdges will
publish a shor tlis t of schemes in September.

The cont"", of thiS public.tion e int~ lor ~-' ~ncf only .rId...., penon intfO(lirlQ to uw t l'lnf con tf'l t, lOt the purl)OS.e of 0fS1Qn. cons.truc1iOnor ~PoIir of br il;kworkor .ny rf~tt<l projt ' 1loukI lil'1t
conMlft. protfUlonotloldvisor. The BriCkDfWloprneont Auoclition. it, wrv",h. ~.." PflloOrl' who contributt<l to or who It in 'IY way corw'lltCtfllwitll thiS pubiluoUon :cf91 no 1w.b1lity 1tlnQ from l'IIf9IiQfnct or
Qtlltrwn.- ~ (:IIuSed lor...., Injwy or ~ to...., penon or IltO(ltrty or M' rt1.UIt of.., 11Mor r9li.Inc lt on "'" II'IIttIlocl, product. lns.truc1ion. ION or otl'lltf contet'lU of t rIG pubIlution.

16. BRICK BULLETIN