While brick cladding, particularly red brick cladding exteriors, have been a staple for centuries in building design, the versatility of bricks and brick slips has reinvented this design staple for the 21st century. Architects and engineers are increasingly seeking brick-look solutions to allow them to incorporate classic natural materials into contemporary, modern facade designs. Brick slips provide an ideal option, offering visual appeal, efficiency and diverse colour options for a whole range of modern building facade designs.
Fairview’s brick slip cladding option, Smartbric gives designers and engineers the versatility they require to easily create the modern designs Australian architecture craves.
Advantages of using Smartbric brick cladding in your facade design
The technological innovations of Smartbric brick cladding make it stand out as a convenient option for facade design, facilitating easy installation with or without mortar, and adding durability and longevity.
Smartbric uses an innovative mounting Track and Rail system, which simplifies installation, and can be installed by a regular installer, rather than a specialised bricklayer. The universal system allows brick slips to slot easily into the Track and Rail, for a secure, concealed fixing that can be used for both interior and exterior facades. Featuring a dual-locking Bric-Loc mechanism, and a heavy-duty interlocking galvanised steel or aluminium track, the Track and Rail system reduces structural movements and diminishes the risk of cracks and other structural problems over time.
Featuring a Classic Mortared or Rapid Mortarless brick slip option, Smartbric provides the visual appearance of a brick wall style, with an efficient system that is easier to install, as well as easier to remove and replace with less mess, waste and cost.
Mortar
For a rain-resistant mortared brick design, Smartbric Classic can be installed with traditional mortar or offers a redi-mixed polymer modified high-bond mortar. This versatile mortar fulfils a dual purpose as both decorative and functional, sealing between the bricks and providing weatherproofing, as well as leaving a decorative finishing touch for an authentic brickwork exterior design. The Track and Rail system also features a built-in tray, which acts as a catchment for the mortar to prevent mess or drips, for a clean aesthetic.
Mortarless
Smartbric Rapid is the first of its kind – an innovative new ‘dry’ installation for brick wall cladding and facades. Smartbric Rapid tiles are affixed mechanically to the universal galvanised or aluminium Track and Rail system, using spacers and joiners, forming and folding tabs on the mounting track, or the narrow-gauge rail spacing itself. Tiles are inserted at the top and bottom into the track and remain secure without any sealing required – allowing them to be easily removed or replaced if necessary.
The intelligent approach to modern building facade design
Smartbric takes a classic architectural design element – facade design with brick – and integrates it with modern building design. The classic brick appearance maintains the brick wall cladding aesthetic desired by many designers, while offering improved functionality due to its more convenient installation system.
Available in a wide range of local and imported brick stocks, the Smartbric brick slips are designed to recreate popular classic and contemporary brick colours, textures and styles. This means architects and engineers can blend bricks, experiment with colour and tone, or group colours for realistic brick facades, which feature different varieties of light and shade with similar hues.
Rust Red brick cladding for romantic exterior facades
The red brick is one of the most well-known and beloved brick facades. Red bricks evoke notions of comfort and warmth, which instil appreciation for nature and the earth. Fairview’s Rust Red is ideal for this style of design. Smartbric also comes in a further range of red brick tones suitable for creating romantic blends reminiscent of rust, soil and clay, including Cajun Red, Federation Red and Red Trav, which can be used individually or in combination for variation and an authentic red brick cladding exterior.
Pebble White bricks for Hamptons style facades
The clean, bright and coastal vibe of the Hamptons style is a popular design trend today. The Smartbric range brings this vibe to high-rise modern building designs with its Pebble White brick option, which offers a light and bright brick tone. This colour can be paired with other whites or pale greys from the Imported and Local Concrete Masonry ranges for a Hamptons style facade that offers the soft neutrals and light coastal colours in demand today.
Storm Black bricks for industrial exterior facades
The ‘industrial chic’ design style is still making waves in the design space, with gritty, urban and contemporary elements such as concrete, rust and dark neutrals. Smartbric’s Storm Black bricks provide a dark hue suitable for the smoky, charred and sooty elements that often complement industrial-style exterior facades.
Federation Blue bricks for modern exterior facades
Modern contemporary facade design is all about subverting traditional styles or adding new, bold and vibrant energy to a space. Bricks with a coloured hue, such as Federation Blue, add an edgy contemporary element to a brick cladding wall, for a true modern design.
Convenient, versatile and made from natural materials, Smartbric brick cladding not only combines contemporary facade design with convenience but also contributes to the wider goal of creating efficiency when building modern contemporary facades in Australia’s architectural environment. Smartbric reduces wastage, time and costs for a sustainable natural facade that can venture from the classic into the contemporary and modern.
When it comes to making smart cladding choices, architects and engineers should consider how efficiency, aesthetics and sustainability factor into decision making and material selection. To see if Smartbric cladding is right for your modern facade design, request a sample of Smartbric today, or get in touch with a brick cladding specialist by visiting our website.
