Promotion: a furniture studio with a sun-filtering facade and a charcoal-coloured New York tower are among the buildings and structures that won the Brick in Architecture Awards in 2024.
The annual competition is held by the US trade organisation The Brick Industry Association and has been described as “the leading international design competition featuring fired-clay brick”.
The competition was open to submissions that use clay brick as their primary building material.
The awards also included an exclusive Craftsmanship award, which was given to New York City’s Anagram project, listed in this roundup. The building was chosen due to its dramatic charcoal brick colour, which aimed to redefine people’s expectations of brick, from standard red-coloured blocks, into a versatile material, suitable for a variety of projects.
“The award winners showcase brick’s versatility in creating inspired, sustainable designs,” said Tricia Mauer, president and CEO of the Brick Industry Association. “Beyond aesthetics, brick offers durability, fire resistance, and energy efficiency, delivering peace of mind in the face of natural disasters.”
“Material choice is key to resilience. Brick stands for good,” said Mauer.
These ten projects are among the 39 winners chosen from over 130 submissions by a panel of architects from previous award-winning practices.
Read on to learn about the award-winning projects:
Nothing Design Co
Local studio Range Design and Architecture expanded an existing structure in Chicago into furniture brand Nothing Design Co‘s showroom. Its sculptural exterior was designed to reference the city’s many buildings with face-brick fronts.
Terracotta-coloured paver bricks were used as a screen to create a distinct facade that filters natural light and reduces the sun’s exposure.
James Lawson High School
Designed by US studio Hastings Architecture, James Lawson High School in Nashville aimed to draw aesthetic influence from the surrounding natural environment.
The building features serrated brick facades that were chosen to complement the natural stratification of its limestone-based landscape.
Leica Gallery
Leica Gallery, designed by New York studio Format Architecture Office, incorporated a new brick-screen facade to ensure natural light entered its deep and narrow gallery space in New York City.
The addition intended to assert the building’s presence on the street and create an interesting light display across its floors.
Beikun Garden
Red brick was chosen to landscape the Beikun Garden, at the north-western corner of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Minghang campus in China.
Designed by Chinese architecture practice RUAN Studio of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the 300-metre-long brick wall creates a garden to frame the public space and open the university to the city.
Gainsborough House Museum
In Suffolk, architecture practice ZMMA chose brick for the exterior of Gainsborough House Museum’s new exhibition centre.
The building was created from local brick, which was cast in moulds by hand and assembled to appear as if they had been woven across the building’s exterior.
Anagram
Local studio INC chose brick for its tactile qualities when constructing the residential tower Anagram, located at New York City’s Broadway and Columbus Circle.
Hand-laid charcoal-coloured bricks in an algorithmic rotation make up the building’s base, which contrasts with its neighbours’ glass facades.
2100 Lombard
2100 Lombard consists of two family homes in Fitler Square, Philadelphia, which were designed by architecture studio Lo Design.
Brick was chosen to ensure the homes had a contemporary appearance, while also aligning them with the adjacent brick row houses common in Philadelphia.
Modern European Residence
Located in a Wisconsin village, the Modern European Residence‘s design was made from white clay brick and informed by traditional European masonry farmhouses.
The coloured brick was selected for its durability. According to the architects, Deep River Partners, it eliminates the need for painting and reduces overall maintenance for the homeowner.
Rothschild College at Vanderbilt University
Washington studio David M Schwarz Architects drew inspiration from the polychromatic patterned brickwork of Keeble College, Oxford University, when designing the Rothschild College at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
The facade features red brick arranged in horizontal bands, with basketweave and herringbone patterns.
The Clay Studio
Located in Philadelphia and designed by architecture studio DIGSAU, The Clay Studio’s aesthetic was influenced by the city’s early 20th-century warehouses.
The building features a colourful brick facade that references the studio’s pottery collections. The brickwork was raked in a bid to celebrate the subtle clay imperfections that result when working with ceramics.
To learn more about the Brick in Architecture Awards, visit its website.
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This article was written by Dezeen for The Brick Industry Association as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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