“BRICK IS BEAUTIFUL” WAS A SLOGAN USED BY THE BRICK INDUSTRY IN A SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN THE 1980S. THERE ARE MANY IN THE INDUSTRY WHO THINK THAT WE SHOULD RUN ANOTHER CAMPAIGN WITH THE SLOGAN “BRICK IS STILL BEAUTIFUL”. IT IS WORTH TAKING TIME TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS SLOGAN WOULD BE VALID CONSIDERING THE VERY DIFFERENT CONTEXT IN WHICH WE BUILD TODAY.
Whilst in the 1980s it was sufficient for brick to qualify as beautiful by offering an attractive, durable finish that mellowed with age, today people expect much more from a material for it to be considered “beautiful”.
In the 1980s Industry had little concept of sustainability, whereas today every material is expected to trumpet its sustainability credentials whilst taking a sideswipe at the claims of others.
The problem with sustainability is that there is no one measurement that proves “sustainability”. Organisations tend to choose those measures that support their case and ignore others. The point about sustainability is that it is a constantly evolving concept so one must find the definition that acknowledges this state of flux. Sustainability is best described as “the responsible use of resources, be they human, physical, or financial”. You prove responsibility not only by declaring targets and measuring progress towards the achievement of those targets, but also by acknowledging there is a balance to be struck in any design decision.
The Brick Industry grasped the point of sustainability in 2001 when it became one of the first industries to issue its sustainability strategy. This contained a set of Key Performance Indicators covering social progress, effective protection of the environment, prudent use of resources, and the development of economic factors. These targets and the progress towards them are reported annually. Some people choose to compress sustainability into a consideration of energy use defined as the emission of CO2. The Brick Industry measures this annually and also reports on it under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Competing materials claim that this is the achilles heel of the Industry. This is from ignorance rather than conviction. If you spread the CO2 emissions from the brick in a square metre of brickwork over a life of 120 years it comes out as 0.000232 tonnes of CO2 / sq metre / per annum. This carbon isn’t “locked up” to be released at the end of life. It has already been expended and the longer the building exists, the better the value.
Longevity is a valuable asset, but when it is coupled with future-proofing and easy adaptability, it is even more valuable. Studies have shown that as global warming increases lightweight structures are likely to require airconditioning to maintain reasonable internal conditions, whilst the thermal mass inherent in heavyweight structures can be used to moderate temperature changes. Masonry structures have proved to be easily adaptable and therefore able to fulfil new functions extending the life of the building. A responsible designer will take these points into consideration when thinking about the sustainability of a proposed building and will appreciate that brick fulfils the requirements “beautifully”.
Despite the advantages outlined above brick’s detractors will claim that it is an outdated, expensive material that has no place on today’s building site. Bricklayers are no longer available, and those that are lack skill. Once more, they are talking from ignorance.
Cost:
In 2007 the BDA commissioned a study from the Cost Information Service at the RICS in which the RICS analysed the cost of labour and materials of cladding materials included in the Bills of Quantities submitted to the RICS over a 3-month period. This showed that the price of a square metre of brickwork ranged from £44.57 in Suffolk to £58.92 in Central London. No other material showed such good value. Render on blockwork ranged from £39.06 in Fife to £68.41 in Cambridgeshire with proprietary render systems from 89.71 in Leeds to £107.16 in Essex. Timber cladding ranged from £83.22 in Worcester to £100.36 in Northumberland with high-pressure laminate cladding being quoted as £394.67 in London. Curtain walling was competitive with the high-pressure laminate cladding.
Labour:
There is no shortage of bricklayers in the United Kingdom. CITB reports there are 117,500 and if you asked each one to lay 2,500 bricks per week for 10 weeks they would lay the annual output of the British brick industry. Anyone who doubts the level of skill should visit St Pancras and admire the craftsmanship of Midland Road elevation. Bricklayers respond to a challenge and many architects are beginning to understand that time and care spent in detailing brickwork can produce exciting results.
Developments:
Code for Sustainable Homes are such that the insulating properties of the inner skin are becoming less important. This will encourage the use of cavity walls with both skins in brick. In the same way, EC6 will present an opportunity for designers to use brick in the development of structural solutions which are both economical and attractive. Finally, advice from the Department of Communities and Local Government on “Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings” notes that when the resilience characteristics of a number of materials were assessed in the laboratory the only material to record a “good “ on water penetration, drying ability, and retention of pre-flood dimensions was Engineering brick.
