Not just another brick in the wall

In New Zealand, our building material of choice has long been timber, especially in the residential sector, mostly because of its abundance and relative ease in preparation for use in construction.

However, there is a product that has been in use as a building material for almost as long as timber—brick, with early hand-formed examples dating back to the Neolithic Age.

And, there’s good reason for its resurgence, says Anna Carlton-Hurdley, Marketing Manager for Brickworks NZ.

“Brick is one of the most versatile building products on the market. It’s natural; is energy-efficient thanks to its high thermal mass; is low maintenance and durable—basically, it will look as good in 100 years as it does today; and, best of all, is reusable, making it one of the most sustainable options for building with.”

Solid as a... brick

In the words of renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: “Architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks together. There it begins.” But which two bricks to use? For most of us, we conjure the standard house brick of 1950s ‘brick and tile’ fame when we think of brick houses—and not always favourably or nostalgically.

It seems, however, that that is to do bricks a disservice, as Anna points out.

“Just as you have different-width weatherboards, there are any number of size options available in brick. A growing trend currently is for long-format bricks—such as our 390series offering—which are helping to make brick the hero again.

“Long-format bricks are up to 57 per cent longer than the standard house bricks usually specified in New Zealand and fulfil an architectural demand for an historically informed yet aesthetically different product.”

Even a brick wants to be something.

“We are seeing brick being used as a feature architectural device once more, which is great and it is exciting to be able to bring a modern interpretation of a classic to the market. The 390series features a sophisticated palette of five neutrals ranging from Parchment (white) through to Raven (black), which we believe will resonate with consumers looking to add texture and interest to their homes.

Anna says a lot of research and development has gone into producing these long-format bricks.

“With a stretched brick product, the clay has a tendency to bend during the firing process so a lot of work has gone in to ensure a high level of robustness with the 390series while maintaining a lightweight end product—giving specifiers, builders and homeowners peace of mind that these bricks will perform to the highest standards.”

Find out more about incorporating brick into your new build .