Bricks from PGH Bricks & Pavers were specified for an exposed corner house in inner city Brunswick to create a low maintenance statement facade.
Designed by Melbourne architecture practice KUD, the house features bricks in different tones on the front and side exteriors, creating a striking appearance. According to Billy Kavellaris, director and founder of KUD, the brief was to create a low-maintenance and private home. Considering the site’s corner location in busy Brunswick, and the associated privacy and security challenges, they decided to use brick for its robust, rigid and zero maintenance qualities that stand up to the rigours of inner city living.
Stepping away from the traditionally blank side facades of terrace houses, KUD used brick for the home’s front and side exteriors, designing three pointed vaults that mirror the front-facing silhouette of a terrace - each vault representing a different part of the house.
KUD conceptualised a jagged side exterior wall that doubled as an architectural feature as well as a deterrent to vandals and passers-by. PGH’s wire cut bricks were specified as they could be cleanly broken. The bricks were split down the middle and laid to expose the inside of the brick and hide the face, creating a textured and rough finish that not only discouraged graffiti but also prevented pedestrians from leaning on it.
A unique hit-and-miss brickwork design was also introduced, leaving small gaps in the wall to allow light to filter through and provide a visual connection to the street while maintaining privacy.
Kavellaris explained that a flexible and knowledgeable bricks manufacturer was critical to realising the design. Given the particular requirements for brick-laying in this project, KUD found that not many manufacturers understood the concept. However, the team at PGH Bricks and Pavers understood their vision, providing them a proper selection of bricks and technical specifications that were appropriate for this application.
The project used six different tones from the PGH Smooth range for the side facade and a complementary darker Nuvo Domino brick for the front facade, the varied offering being important to the success of the project. Kavellaris added that they wanted to tie the design together with brick, yet create different interfaces for the front and side of the home. The PGH Bricks palette provided them with a wide range of textures and colours to create that contrast.
The project used PGH Smooth bricks in Nevada Cream, Taupe Grey, Jute, Choc Fudge and Flame Red for the side exterior and Nuvo Domino bricks on the front exterior.
