Precision made, premium quality, handmade bricks by Charnwood

Known as the UK’s largest producer of traditionally handmade bricks and specials, produced from its manufacturing base in Leicestershire, Charnwood combines the highest durability characteristics with the ability to tailor bespoke products to your exact specification to produce a premier finish. Two recent unique projects have used quality, premium Charnwood products to form inspiring architecture that encompass distinctive designs.

Stepping Stone House, in Hurley, is a 150sqm multi-room garden house extension located in the grounds of Hurley Manor House. Shortlisted for a RIBA South Regional 2017 Award, architecture practice ‘Hamish and Lyons’ has accomplished a beautiful design, which seeks to embrace the essence of nature using organic structure, natural materials and daylight.

Hamish Herford from Hamish and Lyons Architects, commented: “Brick is used as a non-structural facade/rain screen that wraps around both ends of the buildings. The key design objectives in choosing brick were to relate to the context of the existing brick manor house facades and to create the striking impression of a monolithic, rectilinear form, floating effortlessly above the ground and water. Charnwood I-line Hampshire Red was chosen for its rich, uniform colour and extra length to emphasise the horizontal/linear aspect of the building. Stretcher bond and a recessed motor joint served to highlight the unique materiality of each brick. Particular attention was given to the junctions between the brick, steel structure and glass to emphasise the precise nature of the building.”

Additionally, Charnwood Henley Red Bricks were used by Fletcher Priest Architects in the construction of Buckingham Green, designed to improve the public realm on a site which lies at the edge of St James’ Park, close to Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The development comprises of four floors of offices with twelve long term tenancy apartments above. Combining a range of different characteristics of the site, such as the late Victorian ornamented brick buildings with beautiful, mature trees, allows Fletcher Priest’s design to make a fantastic, contemporary addition to the site.

Harvey Thorp, Managing Director of Thorp Precast Limited, explained: “The Architects’ decision to select such high quality, richly coloured, handmade facing bricks has proved to be an inspired choice, allowing us to successfully combine modern methods of precast construction with traditional hand thrown clay processes to create distinctive external brickwork façades. The task of creating the ornamented brickwork pattern, which is intended to wrap seamlessly around the building envelope, was made significantly easier with the use of highly crafted, accurately formed, and evenly coloured blended bricks. The stepped interlocking brickwork relief pattern has largely been achieved by clever design, innovative 3D mould technology, and highly efficient methods of installation. The contribution of premium quality Charnwood bricks has also been pivotal in helping us deliver the highly decorative brickwork.

“This is not the first-time Thorp have worked successfully with Charnwood products from Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC, combining the very latest precast technology, and off site manufacturing techniques with the use of traditional UK brick materials to help continue an outstanding legacy for unique, highly attractive, and sustainable brickwork facades.”

Charnwood continues to deliver precision made, premium quality products for every project. With the large, rich and diverse range of contemporary schemes that it has undertaken in the past 12 months, knowledge and experience are second to none.

For further information visit www.mbhplc.co.uk/michelmersh