Vision

Issue 1July 2010

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

ConTenTColoPHonVision is a publication of:

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

Editors

Sarah Jackson

Aparna Gondekar

Heather Butler

Caroline Kruit - CCK Media, Den Haag

Photography

Ruud Peijnenburg, ‘s Hertogenbosch

Design

SpringDesign, ‘s-Hertogenbosch

3

eDiToR’S ViSionWelcome to the first edition of Wienerberger Vision, a new magazine for architects

and designers from the world’s largest brick manufacturer. Within these pages we

have included a selection of fascinating case studies, each demonstrating imaginative

and ingenious uses of brick by architects experimenting with colours, bonds, sculp-

tural weaving and the incorporation of complimentary materials.

This collection of works is beautifully illustrated through photography and provides

the ideal showcase for this most versatile and enduring

building material. Brick has been used to in the design and construction of our built

environment for many thousands of years and has had a demonstrable impact on our

cultural identity – whole towns and regions can be identified by the particular brick

that defines their local vernacular. This small scale block, that can be held in one hand

and laid brick by brick, can be used to create incredible, landmark buildings, some

of which are featured here.

The flexibility of choice has long made brick a favourite of inspirational architects the

ideal material in many award-winning architectural projects. Wienerberger has such

a diverse product portfolio as to support the most creative of designs to construct

buildings that are truly breathtaking.

Brick has an emotional and enduring appeal, it is a familiar aesthetic which simultane-

ously allows for experimentation and invention, allowing architects to express modern

concepts whilst linking to the surrounding traditions.

With brick we know there are few limits and hope the following pages do their bit to

help stir the imagination !

Prinsentoren office building, The HagueIngenious use of colours at a high level 4

Chelsea office building, The HagueNew craftsmanship 8

Castle Getsewoud, Nieuw-VennepFairytale spectacle 12

Skoatterwâld housing development, HeerenveenTangible architecture 16

House, HarenBow to the landscape 20

PRinSenToRen oFFiCe BuilDinG, THe HAGue

5

Ingenious use of colours at a high level

The Hague is heading skywards – in building terms

that is. The eye-catching office complex Prinsenhof

is part of the restructuring of the Beatrixkwartier

financial district, which is currently partially occupied

by high-rise buildings. The Prinsentoren is a striking

beacon within this development.

Three designers have created every part of the complex.

Architect Kees Rijnbout at the Architectengroep desig-

ned the residential towers while Hans van Beek at Atelier

Pro designed the offices and the business premises and

Rob ligtvoet at architects Kraaijvanger|urbis designed

the Prinsentoren. A red-brown brick was selected for the

Prinsentoren following consultation. The designers com-

bined these bricks with a bronze-green variant in order

to enhance the depth of the design. This varying use of

materials was consistently followed through in all sections

of the building.

At almost one hundred metre high, the tower is construc-

ted from an ingenious prefab concrete shell. This shell was

clad in a skin of red-brown and bronze-green brickwork

using an innovative system that consists of prefabricated

elements. The choice was prompted by the delivery period

for the Prinsentoren in which speed was of the essence.

The base of the Prinsentoren is a square floor layout that

contains a service area in the middle of each floor which

has been set back a little into the wall. equidistant to the

adjacent utrechtsebaan highway, looking out onto the city,

ligtvoet’s carrés ‘cut out’ the wall: eight floors high, with

a depth extending to the service area. Here the brickwork

skin was given a different colour in order to accentuate

these notches: bronze-green.

The bronze-green bricks create a particularly special finish.

During production, the light coloured bricks are marlstone

sanded. Weathering will create a colour pallet varying from

white to bronze-green in these wall sections - a wonderful

contrast to the red-brown brickwork.

large sections of the wall are prefabricated. long steel

frameworks form the base for a concrete element in which

Brick & tEchnology

In a prefabricated main bearing construction, the

use of single-scale wall elements is a logical choice.

Bricks in prefabricated concrete elements can be a

solution for rapid construction.

it is easy to incorporate bricks into a prefab wall element.

The shape of the bricks determines the options to a sig-

nificant degree. Hand-made bricks generally have larger

differences in size. This has consequences for the bond

and joint thickness with which the bricks can be placed in

the prefab wall element.

With press bricks of size class 1 it is possible to use mini-

mal head joints and edge joints.

in addition, the small differences in size will only cause a

minimal fluctuation in the brickwork bond.

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the bricks are placed. The bricks are applied in a tiled

pattern. At four bricks wide and thirty bricks high, these

frameworks are just as large as the windows: 900 x 1800

mm. Five concrete elements are interlinked (four vertical

and one horizontal at the top) into the elements that were

applied to the building as single units. The window units

(three frames above each other) were placed first, followed

by the brickwork panels. This innovative building method

allowed construction to be executed quickly, while working

at height.

Architectural office:

De architectengroep, Amsterdam

Kraaijvangersurbis, Rotterdam

Atelier Pro, Den Haag

Facing bricks:

Wienerberger Thorn – Bronsgroen, hand shaped

The hand-made ‘Bronze-green WF’ bricks from the Thorn

brick factory were selected for the Prinsenhof project.

Tiled prefab wall elements with bricks were selected early

in the design stage. in this type of bond with normal joint

dimensions, the size difference in the bronze-green bricks

are invisible.

The prefab wall elements are fastened to the concrete

shell at the top with a wall panel anchor. At the bottom,

the prefab wall element is dowel jointed to the wall element

below. Bolts are fitted as spacers in order to guarantee the

distance to the shell.

The spatial grid creates an interplay of lines with a special

image. And the steel frameworks of the prefab wall ele-

ments contribute to this exceptional interplay.

‘Without prefab we would never have been able

to create such a traditional pattern in the walls of

this building’, asserts Christian Grennan at 01-10

Architects based in Rotterdam. Featuring a skin of

Free2Build panels the Chelsea office building, next

to the A2 in Rijswijk, looks like a tough gatekeeper.

With a sophisticated pattern and intelligent detailing,

the prefab brickwork gives the wall a new dimension.

on paper, Chelsea is a ‘very simple, market standard’

office building, says architect Christian Grennan. But just

stacking square metres on top of each other at this high

profile location (next to the A4, with thousands of cars pas-

sing by every hour) would be a wasted opportunity. Said

Grennan: ‘We have chosen to implement subtle details in

order to make the scale of the building friendlier.’

once bricks had been selected for the wall finishing, the

possibility of using prefabricated elements was proposed.

Scaffold-free construction at the site would be desirable

and could also reduce the building time. ‘A period then

began in which we investigated what was and was not

possible with prefab brickwork. The result was surprising.’

recalls Grennan. ‘it was possible to create patterns that

we could never have achieved with traditional brickwork.’

New craftsmanship

CHelSeA oFFiCe BuilDinG, THe HAGue

9

An exciting period of experimentation, playing with dif-

ferent patterns and designs, then started for the archi-

tect and his team, which consisted of contractor (BAM

utiliteitsbouw), prefab producer (oosthoek/Kemper) and

Wienerberger. ‘You are involved with a completely different

layer of materialisation’, says Grennan. ‘From a distance

you create a dark building with holes in it. Come closer and

you see lines, and once you are up close you can see the

materials. We were translating the craftsmanship that we

see in old buildings into a relatively new method.’

A detail that frequently limits the use of prefab panels is

the seam between the panels. Grennan: ‘We created extra

horizontal and vertical seams in the panels in order to mini-

mize that effect. each element has a pattern size of 7.20

m. We based the division of the pattern on 450 mm, and

introduced a ‘seam’ at intervals of 900 mm. This is how we

created a complex but consistent pattern.’

The prefab panels are not only used vertically. They also

clad the ceiling of the overhangs. ‘Prefab panels allowed

us to do this at two places. After all, the panels are storey-

high ‘beams’ that you can slide over each other within

certain limits – like cardboard boxes – thereby creating

an overhang. “You get that constructive advantage auto-

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matically,’ says Grennan. The underside of the overhang is

also clad with the Free2Build panels. The architect: ‘That

requires extra attention during the implementation because

you have to prevent the panels from bending. This involves

temporarily supporting these panels.’

Christian Grennan is equally enthusiastic about the bricks

that were used: ‘The bricks have an interesting mix of

colours. We wanted very dark bricks that were also lively

and subtle. We opted for deep joints that create a shadow

in the brickwork in order to accentuate the colour.’

Architectural office:

01-10 Architecten bv, Rotterdam

Architect:

nico Brouwer / Christian Grennan

Prefab producer:

oosthoek/Kemper, Tilburg

Facing bricks:

Wienerberger Buchwaldchen – Dresden, extruded

Details:

Free2Build - Prefabricated facade elements

13

Bronsvoort Blaak Architects designed a residential

tower as one of the two urban landmarks for the new

Getsewoud residential district in Getsewoud, Nieuw-

Vennep. With a dense brickwork exterior, the tower

was given a robust, medieval appearance that has

been refined with subtle details.

Fifty one apartments and a car park, along with a day-care

centre and canteen for mentally disabled residents, are hou-

sed in the complex on the north-eastern side of Getsewoud.

The requirements for the urban development stated that the

complex must have ‘a castle-like image’. This prompted

the architects to give the building the appearance of forts

from the 11th and 12th centuries which are typified by bare,

partially weathered masses of stone with modest window

openings.

This is why the design included characteristic elements that

reflect the look of a castle – a sober primary shape that is

divided into towers, a moat, an undulating wall, tower rooms

and a royal bay window. The architects opted for a combina-

tion of a plinth, a low watch tower and a high, fourteen-storey

tower for the overall design concept.

Tower residences in a chaotic setting

The car park and the day-care centre are incorporated into

the plinth while the houses are located in the towers. each

floor of the high tower has four residences, two of which are

Fairytale spectacle

CASTle GeTSeWouD, nieuW-VenneP

facing the south, one to the east and one to the west. The

two pent houses which look out over the new residential

district like turrets with high windows are located on the

top floor of the high tower. The houses in the front tower

also face south. This made it possible to create large clo-

sed areas on the northern approach – the side with the

moat – giving the towers a solid look.

The towers were created with robust brickwork, incor-

porating blocks placed both vertically and horizontally as

well as protruding partially from the surface of the wall.

undulating joints and sintered bricks – not usually seen in

neat brickwork – play a leading role in this chaotic exterior

finish. The frames were also given special treatment. They

were set back as much as possible, creating a large niche

further accentuating the brickwork and making it look even

more solid.

Nuances in shape and material

in order to create a solid appearance of mass stone, the

primary shape of the main building was rejuvenated and

vertical notches were created in the high walls. The north

wall has also been given a special feature in the form of

a protruding conservatory. Furthermore, the brickwork is

not only heavy and solid – the sintered bricks also create

a special effect. Although they may be black and therefore

seem to be hardly noticeable, the shiny layer on the bricks

makes the surface of the brickwork glisten in a certain light.

One of the features of free masonry is a random pat-

tern in which no cohesion and regularity is notice-

able in the brickwork, this technique was employed

heavily in this project.

laying free brickwork masonry is not a simple task.

Bricklayers must devote extra attention to creating irregu-

larity with no recognisable patterns throughout the wall.

This is particularly important around the edges and holes

in the brickwork, such as window frames and door frames.

Because of the dimensions of the brickwork walls, vertical

and horizontal expansion joints are necessary. However,

in general, expansion joints consist of straight lines that

can affect the irregular look of the free brickwork. This is

why the vertical expansion joints at the corners of Kasteel

Getsewoud were created at a different angle to the

brickwork. This choice minimises the effect of the vertical

expansion joint on the random pattern.

Horizontal expansion joints are also required because of

the building height but brickwork supports must be applied

to create the envisaged random pattern. By not allowing

the pattern near the brickwork supports to deviate exces-

sively from the horizontal positioning, the designer has

created a flowing progression from the brickwork support

to the remaining random brickwork.

For this, the brickwork immediately above and below the

brickwork support is somewhat more regular than in the

rest of the wall.

Brick & tEchnology FRee BRiCKWoRK AnD eXPAnSion JoinTS

15

Architectural office:

Bronsvoort Blaak Architecten BnA, Amerongen

Facing bricks:

Wienerberger nuance - Heukelom, hand shaped

Details:

Wild bond

17

Tangible architecture

SKoATTeRWâlD HouSinG DeVeloPMenT, HeeRenVeen

Skoatterwâld , a new housing development based

on the urban development design created by Ashok

Balothra at Kuiper Compagnons, is taking shape to

the east of Heerenveen, adjacent to Oranjewoud.

This plan incorporates a series of water features and

a wide variety of house types. The Groningen based

firm Martini Architekten designed the houses on

the Waterrand, the banks of a water feature which

will be central to the second phase of the project.

The architecture of the houses is certainly striking,

with classic lines and dark brickwork with accents

in white concrete and slate grey ceramic tiles on

the roofs. Architect Ed Lensink opted for ‘a timeless

design that makes our architectural history tangible’.

The district of Skoatterwâld is a major expansion of

Heerenveen. The second phase of construction of the new

residential district is well underway and includes a sports

complex, shopping centre and schools. it is located very

close to the village of oranjewoud, its stunning water-

ways, and home to the prize-winning museum park and

Belvédère museum. This is a new city under development,

with a range of facilities, and the promise of green surroun-

dings and a residential environment that has character.

The latter in particular will be an asset for Heerenveen, sta-

tes architect ed lensink at Martini Architekten. ‘Heerenveen

is well known for football and skating, but not for its plea-

sant city centre. You have to know it very well in order to

discover its charm. it is also very difficult to find historical

references in Heerenveen for the architecture in this new

residential area.’ lensink therefore sought very different

sources for his ideas for the 66 houses on the Waterrand.

‘The desire was to give the district a 1930’s image. i was

inspired by the architects at the time of Berlage, particularly

in terms of the timeless look of their buildings. i wanted to

give the houses in Skoatterwâld that quality – to make the

architectural history tangible with a design that reflected

the 1930s.’

The location of the houses in the plan required a powerful

design. ‘in fact, the plan consists of two long walls oppo-

site each other, with a water feature in between. The water

feature is approximately 100 metres wide. Houses will also

be constructed in the water in a subsequent phase. We

wanted to create a peaceful decor with the houses.’

The houses are located almost directly on the street, on

both sides of the water feature. They are ‘lifted’ to a height

of seventy centimetres above ground level, so that a good

19

view over the parked cars and the water is possible from

the ground floor. ‘This is why there are small pavements’,

explains lensink. ‘The houses are wheel chair accessible at

the rear.’ Another measure taken to ensure that the decor

is an elongated unit is the continuous strip of brickwork at

the height of the first floor. lensink: ‘This strip of brickwork,

at a height of more than five metres, and the metal frames

between the columns create a row despite the fact that

there is a range of free-standing houses, semi-detached

and social housing.’

Despite the classic image, the details are completely con-

temporary. For example, the frames are placed behind

the brickwork with deep reveals. At a number of places

in the wall, large windows have been framed with prefab

concrete elements with a light colour that contrasts sharply

with the other wall materials. Horizontal lines in the project

are accentuated with prefab elements, also in clear white.

The brickwork is constructed from brown box bricks,

a dark brick that reflects the water beautifully. ‘Photos

usually do not do justice to the bricks’, says lensink. ‘in

reality the bricks glisten even more. Then we found that

the dark colour was a wonderful contrast with the bricks

in the houses behind them, which have a contemporary

pastel shade. Although you have to be careful with dark

bricks – it is a growing trend!’ The brickwork bond is not

entirely modern - a classic half brick, with a medium grey

joint ‘so that you can see the bricks’, and has been laid with

a traditional sharp method.

Architectural office:

Architektenbureau Martini BV, Groningen

Architect:

ed lensink

Facing bricks:

Wienerberger Heteren - Galaxy bruin, extruded

Roof tiles:

Wienerberger Tegelen - Madura Slate matt engobe

21

Bow to the landscape

HouSe, HARen

A round house with a garden on all sides. This was

the simple brief for the architects designing the new

family house in the district of Mikkelhorst in Haren. The

local council had released ten plots with very ambiti-

ous sustainable construction targets. In consultation

with the future resident, GDA Architects developed a

striking house that literally looks proudly into the land-

scape through the new district.

The ten plots in the Mikkelhorst development are at the

edge of the district and are deep and narrow in shape. The

site allocated to the owner of Architects GDA was oriented

along a precise north-south axis. in the urban development

plan, created by Rob Hendriks at bureau DAAD, these plots

literally form the transition from residential area to landscape

and are subject to stringent regulations imposed by the urban

development plan and the council. They even specified the

position of the house within the plot, designated a permanent

separation of the plots with mesh gabions and trees, and the

council has set the ‘sustainable bar’ very high for the purcha-

sers. Architect Doeke van Wieren recalls that the sustainabi-

lity targets of the council scared a number of buyers away:

‘The council was fairly strict. A plan with insufficient sustaina-

bility features was sufficient reason not to grant a plot. our

ambitions were extremely extensive and included measures

such as solar photo voltaic panels, sustainable materials, a

grey water circuit and heat pump.’

Exciting profile

For this particular plot, the building was sited close to the

street. Van Wieren: ‘Because the plots are so narrow there

is a danger that the building cuts the garden into two pieces.

This is partly what prompted the oval shape – it makes the

front garden flow naturally into the back garden. You have

a continuous wall, no clearly defined front, side or back

garden.’

The oval floor plan is accentuated by a difference in building

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

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

house point towards the landscape like the bow of a ship.

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

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

The routing of the house passes precisely over the axis of the

oval. The unusual profile of the house is created by the small

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

and the modest attic is used as a storage space.’

Chunks out of the shell

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

explains the architect. ‘The intention was to create a nuanced

wall, not one single, even colour. We were also searching

for a warm brick and had seen a comparable grade at a

project in Groningen. it is also rough brick, with conside-

rable burrs, which is certainly appropriate for the character

of this project’. Moulds were used in order to be able to

lay the bricks in an oval shape. The rough shape of the

brick makes it impossible to lay bricks directly against the

mould. This is why an optically evaluated gap of 2 cm was

used. According to Van Wieren, the result is ‘still pretty

neat’. He is also satisfied with the contrast of the brickwork

with the light, wood frames. ‘The brickwork connects the

house firmly to the ground. The windows and doors are like

chunks taken out of the shell – you can see the ‘flesh of

the fruit’ inside. in combination with the shape this gives the

house a definite bow form in the landscape.’

Architectural office:

GDA bv, Bauke Tuinstra Doeke van Wieren Architecten bv

bna, Burdaard

Architect:

Doeke van Wieren

Facing bricks:

Wienerberger Schouterden – Hektiek, extruded

Details:

Thin-jointed masonry