Five ways to elevate your building design with glazed bricks

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With the innate quality and design versatility of bricks, the lustrous finish of a glazed brick can add a luxe, unexpected texture to thought-provoking facades.

We have been architectural magpies and found the glossiest, shiniest Wienerberger glazed brick projects in our archives. Let’s take a closer look at how high-shine bricks were used on these eye-catching design schemes and why they were chosen to transform commercial and residential spaces.

 

Creating striking high rise structures

Inspired by the waterfront high rises of Manhattan and Chicago, Glenn Howells Architects used the eye-catching shine of glazed bricks to achieve a cosmopolitan, international appeal on the London City Island development at Leamouth Peninsula in East London.

Each of the twelve residential buildings, between 10 and 25 storeys high, feature brick facades that give the individual structures their own identity, whilst also working together to create a strong overall composition. With brick being a smart design choice due to its versatility and London’s affinity for the material, some buildings used a natural texture, whilst three of the twelve feature a glazed finish.

Red, blue and white glazed bricks were chosen so that these shades could be as vibrant as possible, which is difficult to accomplish with a standard brick. All bricks in each shade came from a single production run so a uniform colour could be achieved when installed to the full height of the facade for maximum impact. 

 

Putting style back into the High Street

After a decline in popularity of Swansea’s tired high street, this regeneration project by Coastal Housing Group had the ambition of once again making this area the commercial heart of the city.

The Swansea Urban Village project created new retail units for the High Street as well as Wales' first 'Creative Cluster', as part of a residentially led city centre mixed use regeneration.

For the southernmost building in this scheme which acted as the “front-door” to the development, Holder Mathias Architects chose dark green glazed bricks with white mortar. To add further interest to the facade, the brickwork was broken up by pre-cast Portland Stone bands, ensuring that the architecture complemented the local area. 

 

Adding lustre both inside and out

Yotel London City is a 4 star hotel situated within the creative hub of Clerkenwell, so its design had to pack an extra punch, whilst also representing the Yotel brand and cohesively sitting alongside local architecture.

When Fletcher Rae architects picked up the Yotel project with full planning approval already in place, they enlisted the help of Wienerberger to provide the ceramic glazed brick product stipulated in the plans.

As well as providing enough high-quality glazed bricks to meet the construction programme and project budgets, Wienerberger also created multiple glazed special shaped bricks to avoid the use of cut bricks, which would have blemished the overall flawless finish of the facade.

The hotel’s main facade features a subtle taupe glazed brick in an English bond, with a bold red glazed brick guiding you to the rear square through a walkway. The use of glossy taupe bricks is extended through into internal spaces, offering a more sophisticated twist on the exposed brick trend for the contemporary lobby area.

 

Bringing luxury to affordable housing

Glazed bricks don’t have to be used for a full facade to add richness to a design scheme. Considered and smart placement of glazed bricks alongside more traditional bricks or alternative building materials can add a pop of vibrant colour and provide the functional purpose of creating zones.

The Wardroper House affordable housing project in the evolving Elephant & Castle area of London used contrasting textures on its facades - glazed bricks solely on the ground floor of the building, with timber cladding on the above floors.

Sarah Wigglesworth Architects describe their design as a “collage of fragments of (the area’s) heritage,” referencing the eclectic architectural context it stands in. The bottle green glazed bricks were chosen as a tribute to the local Victorian corner pubs and terraces, with the contemporary cedar cladding blending in with the more modern high rise residential developments in the vicinity. 

 

Enhancing beautiful homes

Green with a sheen was the chosen effect for this eye-catching double storey extension at a home in Zurenborg, Belgium.

With the existing body of the house and the facade visible from the street constructed using a traditional red brick, the architects (P8-Architecten) and their client chose to opt for a material that contrasted rather than blended in to the background for this exciting new addition at the rear.

The green glazed bricks used on this project give a fresh, contemporary aesthetic whilst, thanks to the shade selected, working harmoniously with the climbing plants and garden space. By adding intelligent design details such as glazed bricks laid in both horizontal and vertical orientations, the scheme becomes expressive with a hint of luxury. 

What Makes Clay the Landscaper’s Paving Material of Choice?

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As we all spend more times in our homes and gardens amidst these unprecedented times, the one thing many homeowners will be considering is how they can spruce up their gardens (Discover the top 5 garden trends for Spring/Summer 2020) after the lockdown is lifted. And while flower beds and vegetable patches might play a part in that, we expect a lot of the attention will be on paving too. So, it’s important for merchants to begin to think about how they can help feed the demand over the next few months.

One material that we’re seeing re-emerge in the UK paving market is clay. Durable, low maintenance, and with a timeless appeal, clay gives the quality finish that every customer is looking for. Though it’s not a new material, we’ve seen huge success with clay in the form of bricks, blocks and façades, and now clay is seeing a resurgence in popularity in the paver market too.  

 

So what are the four main benefits of clay?

Longevity

Clay is an extremely robust and durable material that can withstand wind, rain, hail and storms. And just like clay bricks, clay pavers have a life expectancy that surpasses 100 years, meaning that customers can be rest assured that their new driveway will cope easily from the wear and tear of life.

 

Colour

Not only are clay building materials versatile in shape and size, but the unique colourfast quality of natural clay also means that these durable pavers maintain their colour and aesthetics for a lifetime. You wouldn’t compromise on the colourstay of the bricks on your property, so why would you for your driveway - the first thing you see when approaching the house. This unique benefit elevates clay above other comparative man-made paving materials.

 

Value

What's more, clay is extremely economical. Clay pavers can be laid quickly, saving both time and money during the installation phase, and requires very little maintenance over its lifetime. These qualities add value to any property, making clay pavers a true investment.

 

Quality

As well as having durable and robust properties, clay pavers have a premium finish, meaning that no matter how large or small the project is, the transformed space will have an end result that is truly beautifully different. 

Clay block versus concrete block

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What’s the difference between clay and concrete blockwork? Which one is right for your project? We explore the key differences, benefits and downsides.

Specifying the right materials for your project is vital. You need to find the perfect balance between safety, performance, time considerations and longevity of the finished build, ensuring that the occupants continue to get the very best from the built environment for years to come.

When it comes to blockwork, concrete has been the default material of choice, but precision-engineered clay blocks are becoming more popular, thanks to timesaving benefits, sustainability credentials and excellent thermal performance.

Find out what the key differences are between clay and concrete block, so that you can choose the right material for your next project.

Comparing cellular clay blocks and concrete blocks

Time

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When building with concrete blocks, the height you can reach is restricted by the need to back up with facing brick and insulation after six courses. With cellular clay blockwork and thin joint mortar, you can achieve two-storey height without the need to back up with the external leaf. This allows you to remove the external envelope from the critical path of the build.

With cellular clay blocks like Porotherm, you can install the roof without the external leaf being completed, reducing the time to achieve a water-tight shell. This means that you can start interior work in parallel with the ongoing external leaf work – saving you time overall and streamlining the project build.

Mortar for concrete blocks is slow to set, reaching full strength at approximately 48 hours. Porotherm's ZeroPlus thin joint mortar, however, will begin to set within 30 minutes to an hour once applied to the block, thereby providing structural stability from earlier on, with 24-36 hours to to provide sufficient strength for build continuation.

Safety

Porotherm cellular clay blocks are lighter to handle than concrete blocks of comparative strength.

Traditional 10mm mortar joints used with concrete blockwork accounts for 6.7% of each m2 of blockwork. Porotherm's ZeroPlus thin joint mortar is less than 0.5% used in a m2 of blockwork. The Porotherm cellular clay block system minimises the use of cement and applying mechanically with a mortar roller reduces the risk of dermal burns while ensuring ease and quality of application.  

Sustainability

During traditional build with concrete blocks there can be significant mortar wastage along with industry guidelines of typically up to 5% block waste. The Porotherm cellular clay block system results in little to no mortar waste, due to the accurate method of application and the ability to mix close to the build in quantities required. Due to the inert properties of clay, the block is non-hazardous to the end user or environment, and as such any waste from unusable cut blocks can be recycled as hardcore. This can result in less than 2% waste from Porotherm block.

Porotherm's thermal resistance is better than that of concrete blocks and so can offer enhance Psi values. Porotherm’s excellent thermal and breathability properties mean that it can be used in Passivhaus designs to minimise carbon emissions over the building’s life cycle by reducing heating and cooling demandscomplementing building designs that put sustainability first.

What are the advantages of a white roof?

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White roofs have been on the rise in recent years, and here is why. White roof tiles not only give the roof a unique look, but during the increasingly warmer summers, a white roof also keeps your home cooler resulting in lower energy costs.

 

New aesthetic possibilities

A white roof gives your house a contemporary and exclusive look, making your home an architectural masterpiece. Deciding to use white roof tiles will make for an aesthetically beautiful home.
 

Regulated home

White roof tiles reflect the sunlight, so that less heat enters the house. Your home will keep cool during the increasingly hot summers. This results in lower energy bills and a reduced environmental impact as air conditioning will be less frequently used.
 

Lower energy consumption

White roofs have a clear impact on energy consumption. Not only does the air conditioner have to run less often, the efficiency of solar panels will also increase. The white roof reflects sunlight, which is partly absorbed by solar panels.

Future proof cities

Perhaps you have already heard something about the urban heat island effect, the phenomenon that it is often a few degrees warmer in cities than in surrounding areas. This effect is partly caused by dark building materials, and therefore by dark roof tiles. To help reduce the heat island effect, urbanists are calling for the full implementation of white roofs, to make the cities future-proof.

BIOGAS

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At LOHAS Australia (Life of Health and Sustainability) our major focus is sustainability and we act responsibly to ensure our future generations have the same opportunities as we do today.

Our efforts are aimed at supporting sustainable growth within the design and architecture realm.

The ecological characteristics of LOHAS Modern, Roman Handmade and Flexbrick is observed during the manufacturing process and this process portrays its differential value. The intrinsic natural properties of the ceramic and the innovative production method makes these bricks a sustainable option as biogas is its main fuel.

The manufacturing process is completed using the clean fuel Biogas, that reduces environmental pollution throughout the process, resulting in an ecological and environmentally friendly product. The use of Biogas prevents the emission of some 16,700 Tm/year of CO2 into the atmosphere. Additionally, Biogas represents 90% of the energy consumed during the production process and with a goal to further continue to increase this percentage.

 

Biogas fuel used during the production process comes from the treatment of organic waste buried under layers of clay in the Can Mata landfill, located in Barcelona by Piera Ecoceramic. The production process is efficient and technologically innovative resulting in the highest quality of facing bricks, known for the high-performance, variety finishes, multiple colours and formats.

The Lantern

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Located within Dong Da district, Hanoi, the newly constructed gallery and lighting showroom uses a perforated terracotta façade to create a simple yet significant impact on the surrounding landscape.

The gallery is located on the top floor overlooking a large neighbouring tree, while the slit skylights expose the roof garden. This offers a space for architects and design professionals to interact.

Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted with a large void. The showroom is carefully planned around the void to allow visitors to view the exhibited product briefly from the central staircase.

The terracotta blocks were traditionally used in Vietnam before air-conditioning. Designed for tropical climates, they allow for passive ventilation and shade from harsh sunlight. The blocks are both functional and inexpensive at £0.42 each amounting to £2,350 for the 5,625 blocks used. Furthermore, the bespoke fixing system allowed for a quick and simple assembly.

The existing site proposed interesting design challenges, such as the typically small inner-city site at 72 sqm, adjacent tree and busy streetscape. The foliage overshadows the site, making it difficult for pedestrians to recognize the building from the main road. However, this scenario presented a unique opportunity to consider the existing tree and distracting context whilst maximizing the usable space.

This building provides a delicate backdrop to the ever-changing tree. During the day shadows are cast upon the clean façade, bringing it to life. In the evening the building is illuminated from within, acting as a lantern in the city.


Photography: Hiroyuki Oki/ Trieu Chien

Natural products for energy efficient buildings

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Building insulation means designing the building’s “third skin”. Sensitivity is a key factor in the designer’s choice of the best product for end users. Thanks to the myriad advantages and technical features, LOHAS Wood Wool panels are used in all insulation solutions, both in newly built traditional buildings and the recovery of existing ones, as well as in innovative building products.

There are multiple applications: vertical partitions, roofs, the upper surface and the soffit of floors, and internal partitions. Insulation Acoustic panels have provided insulation solutions for the construction industry for over 50 years, ensuring eco-compatible and thermal-acoustic insulation by improving interior conditions in buildings.

Wood and cement panels were the first industrial insulation materials used in buildings and their versatility lends them to several applications.

Born as panels for the insulation of concrete castings and the correction of thermal bridges, over the years they have proved excellent for insulating the casing with high performance up to becoming indispensable in the field of bioconstruction and design according to sustainability protocols.


Existing building renovations Increasing building energy efficiency is a great way to reduce CO2 emissions in the air and is thus essential for the health of our environment.

Acoustic panels have created specific solutions to improve energy efficiency concerning roofing, perimeter walls, partitions, and floors.

These solutions are not only technically reliable but also reduce the annoyances of traditional renovation to a minimum.

Innovation designs Prefabricated timber and metal frame houses offer great advantages in terms of insulation, breathability, construction speed, and low environmental impact.

However, as they are light structures, they have problems with summer thermal insulation, sound insulation, and fire and humidity protection that must be carefully considered during the design phase and opportunely dealt with.


Acoustic panels are ideal insulators for these types of structures, ensuring total protection over time and greatly increasing their efficiency and durability.








Public Library

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Glazed Stoneware

This building erected was in 1897 and was intended as a primary school has since been used for many purposes over the years. First becoming town hall, then kindergarten and finally consulting room. The request of the municipality was to solve the contingent state of abandon, turning the building into a library, to provide the town with a facility dedicated to education and information of the residents. The strategic position in relation to the urban tissue, the architectural character of the original structure, closed on three sides and the need for new spaces oriented the project towards the addition of a new wing in the form of a new construction that closes the only open side, that once faced a courtyard.

The new building, connected via the basement, is separated from the existing structure on all sides, thus underscoring a difference that, in spite of the communicating plan, bears witness to a constructive and formal choice that establishes a dialectic contrast with the historical character of the original building; completely transparent, it is characterized by its surface, made of terracotta elements measuring 40×40 centimetres, glazed in carmine red, supported by a structure made from coupled steel profiles. This building technique has made it possible to screen and filter the sunlight. The choice of traditional cotto has been suggested precisely by the typical characteristics of the material, its performance as a screen protecting from light and its link to traditional building methods, but also by the contemporary image created thanks to the assembly technique and its durability. A large room with computers available for consulting is in the basement, which also provides access to the new building and its reading room that contains, in the manner of a casket, the precious books available for consulting; the triple height is exploited by two projecting mezzanines housing numerous reading desks, while the main study rooms are located on the ground and first floor of the old building.

Ceramic Piece

The sunscreen façade of the municipal library of Nembro is formed of a complex aggregate of technological elements that gives the building its unique appearance and regulates the illumination in the interior with a filtered effect of light and shade. The load-bearing structure in steel consists of cruciform pillars, each of which have been constructed by assembling four L-profiles welded to an internal platform, connected horizontally by circular-section tubes that have in their turn been wind-braced. Special steel brackets fasten this structure to the building inside and to the wall in tempered double-glazing with a central air chamber. The screen of glazed bricks is, on the contrary, fixed to the outside of the metal structure consisting of a succession of vertical metal bars placed at variable distances. It looks like a curtain of terracotta elements which have been especially made by the tradition-rich kilns.

The square bricks manufactured by Sannini Impruneta, that weigh thirteen kilo each, feature extruded holes in correspondence with their section, in the shape of letters forming the name N-e-m-b-r-o in addition to a star-shaped cavity through which the threaded bars supporting them pass, almost as if they were pearls threaded on a string. These elements are oriented in different directions and blocked-in position, to prevent any movements due to the wind, by means of a plastic bushing with fastening screws that also serve as separators.

Danish Series

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Dematerialization is one of the most important topics for product development at Egernsund Wienerberger. The first step has already been taken with LESS – the world's first soft-laid brick with three holes in the middle, which reduces material consumption by 10%.

At Egernsund Wienerberger, we are working to achieve completely CO 2 -neutral production by 2050, and already today our product development is well underway to deliver an important plan towards the goal. Under the heading of dematerialisation, we develop completely new types of bricks with significantly lower material consumption, which can simultaneously meet all the technical requirements and design wishes of architects and builders.

- Dematerialization means that we remove material from the individual brick, so that we reduce the need for raw materials, the need for firing and the need for drying. At the same time, we reduce the transport load and make the bricks easier to handle on the construction site for the benefit of the working environment, explains our Head of Product Management Rikke Ask and elaborates:

- We are already on target with bricks that retain exactly the same properties and appearance as traditional soft-laid bricks, but with 10% lower material consumption. Now we are also starting to look at changing formats and geometry, so that, for example, we will soon be able to deliver new, narrower and thinner brick types with an even better environmental footprint.

Major technical breakthrough opens up new product development The commitment to dematerialization has already spawned a completely new product family in the form of LESS, which is the world's first soft-polished brick with three holes in the middle. It can be produced in a wide range of colours, firings and textures just like our traditional soft-laid bricks, and it can also be used for exactly the same joints and constructions. But raw material consumption is reduced by 10% due to the three central holes.

And although it may sound and look simple to make holes in a brick, it is actually a great technical challenge to achieve. This is explained by our Managing Director, Operations, Andreas Christensen, who, together with his team in production, has developed the ground-breaking process behind LESS:

- What makes it so difficult is that soft-laid bricks are made from very soft clay with a high water content. A freshly pressed brick holds around a liter of water, so after shaping you must be able to remove the material in such a way that the brick neither deforms nor loses important properties. It requires both precision and speed, and the process has taken a few years to perfect.

Brisbane Lions

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The new home for the Brisbane Lions AFL Club is Australia’s first equitably designed elite training headquarters, a 6.8 Ha site in Springfield.

LOHAS Australia was proud to be part of the engaging and active community precinct by supplying the Flexbrick facade, which encompassed the stadium’s entrance.

The Flexbrick screen draws the Brisbane Lion, made from 3500 Gold Stainless Steel Tiles, and is surrounded by Terracotta Tiles in Rojo Rustic finish. The façade covers more than 600 square meters composed by panels of 9 meter lengths and a weight of 150 kilograms.

One of the most incredible features of the Flexbrick façade is the ease of installation, merely requiring vertical stainless-steel flats where the ceramic fabric is attached to sustain it. These steel flats are bolted onto support brackets, which have been previously anchored to the facing slabs. The design of the tiles was assembled in the panels from the factory with the pattern required from the approved production drawings, meaning the tiles come already inserted in the mesh and the product is ready to install.

Construction of the Brisbane Lions Elite Training Facility and Brighton Homes Arena commenced in May 2021 and was launched to the public for the first time at the 2022 AFLW Grand Final in November. The stadium will be utilised for AFLW Queensland, representative matches and junior development. With a huge increase in popularity of girls and women playing AFL, the new Brighton Homes Arena will provide opportunities and legacy for growing generations of AFLW players and supporters. The training facilities will cater to all levels from elite athletes to junior teams, promoting the development of talent across all ages.

123 House

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123 House is a newly built property for retired couples, located at a busy intersection in Nedlands, Perth. The house is orientated to provide maximum environmental benefits to the owners, with living spaces situated on the first floor where controlled northern light has opportunity to filter into the house during the winter months.

The incorporation of roof tiles through the articulated roofscape and wall elements have allowed for a seamless sculptural expression of form, with the roofscape allowing sun and ventilation to penetrate centrally through the house. A first-floor alfresco area provides security through its elevated position above the busy street, simultaneously providing the owners with an outlook beyond the confinement of the small site.

The design reflects the clients’ Greek heritage, while taking architectural cues from the arched forms and white painted walls of the surrounding suburb. Notably, the clients owned and ran an Ampol petrol station on the site for over thirty years before sub-dividing it and building this house for themselves. Memory of the former petrol station is embodied in the building fabric through the concrete impressions referencing the old Ampol logo and coloured glass referencing engine oil and petrol.

How to choose the correct brick bonding pattern?

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Bonding is the industry term that’s given to the pattern in which the bricks are laid. Whilst the primary purpose of a bond is to ensure the brickwork is strong and stable, it can also have a dramatic effect on the visual appearance of a wall. There are several ways in which the stretcher (the longer, rectangular face) and the header (the shorter, square face) can be laid, so deciding on a preferred style up front is crucial.

Stretcher bond

With the stretcher bond, courses are laid as stretchers with the joint of one course falling midway between the joints of the courses below. As the outer leaf of a building envelope is now only half a brick thick in modern construction, stretcher bond has become the most popular bond as it is time and cost effective to use.

Header bond

Popular during the 18th century, the header bond pattern often employed contrasting brick colours to give a decorative effect. This bond uses so many bricks that it is usually reserved for very high-quality buildings. It can also used for radial brickwork, as the header faces can accommodate smaller radii.

English bond

The traditional English brick bond alternates between stretcher and header courses, with headers centred over the stretchers underneath. This is the oldest pattern, and was commonly used until the end of the 17th century. English Bond is considered stronger than Flemish bond, so continues to be used for civil engineering projects, such as bridges, viaducts and embankments.

Flemish bond

The traditional Flemish brick has alternative stretchers and headers on every course, with the headers centred over the stretchers underneath. From the beginning of the 18th century, the Flemish bond superseded English bond. Flemish bonds can be replicated in the half-brick outer leaf of a cavity wall by using whole bricks as stretchers, while the headers are created by half bricks called bats or snap-headers.

English garden wall bond

The decorative English garden wall bond has three courses of stretchers between every course of headers, often in a different colour. Laying stretchers uses up fewer bricks than laying headers however it is also less strong hence its use in traditional walled gardens and other modest structures.

How to prevent storm damage to your roof

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In the last year, the Eastern coastline of Australia has experienced some of the harshest weather conditions, with tough winds and continuous rain. These conditions often cause damage to our homes, including to our roofs. As we like to say at LOHAS Australia: prevention is better than cure.

Existing roof

Be sure to check the conditions of your roof regularly. LOHAS Australia recommends doing this yearly, especially if you have a pitched roof.

Check your roof

Check your roof to ensure no pans are loose and make sure that any loose pans are properly secured. Replace missing or broken roof tiles as soon as possible to ensure the wind does not blow in under the roof and tear even more tiles loose. We recommend keeping spare roof tiles at your home in case of an emergency.

If you live in a home that is surrounded by trees, they can cause damage to your roof in stormy conditions. Avoid large branches breaking off and landing on your roof. Prune the trees and remove dead branches regularly.

Correct anchoring of roof tiles

To ensure that no roof tiles come loose in strong winds, it is not only important that the roof tiles are properly fitted together, but that the correct attachments are used. LOHAS Australia encourages that you make sure your roof tiles are anchored in accordance to the correct regulations. Preferably use the anchoring agents that have been specifically developed for the type of roof tile of your choice. Our expert team can assist you with this.

Ventilation pans

Ventilation tiles can prevent tiles from blowing off your roof. These tiles are placed around one meter below the ridge, where the wind load is the highest. Ventilation tiles ensure that the overpressure under the roof tiles is relieved. The suction power of the wind is still the same, but pressure is no longer exerted on the tile from above and below, so that the wind cannot suck the tile from the roof. One ventilation pan per 1.5 meters is sufficient to ensure pressure equalization.

The Ultimate Guide for Danish Bricks

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Dematerialization - more with less

Dematerialization is one of the most important topics for product development at LOHAS Australia. The first step has already been taken with LESS – the world's first soft-laid brick with three holes in the middle, which reduces material consumption by 10%.

LOHAS Australia is working with our suppliers to achieve completely CO2 neutral production by 2050, and our product development is well underway to deliver a plan towards the goal. Dematerialisation means we will develop completely new types of bricks which will significantly lower material consumption and can simultaneously meet all the technical requirements and design wishes of architects and builders.

Dematerialization allows for the removal of material from the individual brick, so that we reduce the need for raw materials, the need for firing and the need for drying. We will reduce the transport load and make the bricks easier to handle on the construction site for the benefit of the working environment.

The commitment to dematerialization has already spawned a completely new product family in the form of LESS, which is the world's first soft-polished brick with three holes in the middle. It can be produced in a wide range of colours, firings and textures just like our traditional soft-laid bricks, and it can also be used for the same joints and constructions. But raw material consumption is reduced by 10% due to the three central holes.

Clay – building a better quality of life

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Fired clay is a versatile and robust building material that has a timeless appeal. Clay building products can be used across the whole envelope in the form of bricks, blocks, façade systems, roof tiles, and pavers.

The trans-generational lifecycle of clay-built structures means that they have become part of our cultural heritage and architectural identity. Today’s products are manufactured much more efficiently than in the past, which results in higher quality and lower environmental impact.

Here is a closer look at the benefits that clay building products offer to the construction industry

Versatility

Clay building products can be used for almost any new build construction or renovation project and can reflect all architectural styles, from traditional and historic to innovative and avant-garde. Architects love to experiment with clay building products as their compact size and the variety of colours and shapes available provides infinite design options when creating contemporary structures.

Durability

Thanks to the durability of clay as a building material, structures built using clay products are an investment for generations to come.

Bricks, blocks, roof tiles, and pavers made from clay are dimensionally stable, meaning that structural defects during construction are unlikely when the products are installed correctly. Once constructed, a brick wall is incredibly robust: it should not deform, shrink when drying, swell when wet, or crack when under prolonged stress.

Owing to the mechanical strength and stability of clay building products, brick buildings not only withstand wind, wet weather, hail, frost, storms and snow; they are also designed to cope with extreme conditions such as fire, landslides and flooding.

Thermal performance

Clay building materials have a high thermal mass, providing a comfortable indoor climate in all seasons. On hot summer days, clay block walls absorb and store heat, which will be released when the outside temperature decreases in the evening. This enables buildings to avoid overheating during summer and reduces the need for air conditioning. During cold winter days, clay block walls will retain warmth inside a building, even if the heating is interrupted.

 

The ability of clay building materials to buffer changes in exterior temperature makes them ideal for use in energy-efficient house concepts such as Passive houses.

Economic

A building structure made of clay blocks can be constructed quickly, saving both time and money during construction. Once in-use, maintenance costs are low due to clay products’ resistance to extreme weather conditions, pests, vegetation growth, and chemical pollution. The exceptional durability means that clay-built assets typically achieve high resale values.

In conclusion, clay is a building material with history and future in the construction industry. Construction methods using clay materials continue to produce safe, stable and sustainable buildings which cater to the demands of modern living. The properties of clay as a natural raw material make it ideal for creating durable, high performance building products.

Aragon Convention Centre

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At first glance it seems hard to assign a key role to an architectural element that is isolated from a project, and one generally accepts that, if there is a protagonist, it must be related to its global conception, not to partial aspects. But a close reading of a work like the Congress Center of Aragón, aside from helping to understand it as a complex whose internal structure is perceived through the spatial connections and resonances among the pieces that form it, also allows acknowledging the meaning that one single principle can acquire through the mechanism of the series.

The awareness of the need to quickly complete this building included in the precinct of the ephemeral Expo 2008, as well as the absence of significant previous references in a place that had to be randomly filled with buildings by different authors and with varied characteristics, determined a process that can be defined as combinatorial, not only from the conceptual or compositional point of view but also in terms of material and construction. In the project for the Congress Center, all the decisions affecting its spatial, volumetric, formal, structural, constructive, and material definition emerged successively from a desire to create combinations starting from elementary units: a skylight, a structural grid, a concrete panel, a ceramic piece, manufactured by Ceramica Cumella, an enclosure module, and so on.

The linear skylight, the true protagonist of the project, starts out as a plane folded in parallel bands, open alternatively toward the north and the south, repeated with variants whose dimension and height change depending on the spatial needs of the interior. These multiple transformations provide the mechanism that enables the unit’s adaptation to different circumstances, a system able to generate an order through the establishment of series.

The broken and variable profile of its section attends to the different uses of the building, the desire to introduce natural light, and to the way in which the building is situated in the terrain.

Like a bright and radiant veil, the large roof clad with GRC panels and ceramic generates positive and negative exhibition spaces braided in an upward and downward sequence that is transformed into a metaphor of an artificially built landscape. In recent years many projects have established a contrast between architecture understood as landscape and the traditional conception of buildings as independent objects with their own internal structure.

. The Zaragoza project picks up this idea, but tries to do so avoiding what has already become a commonplace: the analogies with the forms of nature that are often translated into geometries of improbable materialization. Perhaps for that reason our proposal is closer to some experiences, such as those of Alvar Aalto and Jørn Utzon, when the current digital means of formal generation did not exist and it was thus necessary to find, from the outset, a direct link between the architectural form, its construction, and its execution. In sum, we have sought out an internal geometric law and its later translation into a structural and building process. In this work, geometry, structure, and construction are part of a same combinatorial game. The need for a quick execution, which was initially an inconvenience, encouraged us to overcome the problem from its first architectural conception.

A strict modulation, the preference for prefabricated building systems susceptible of being repeated, the choice of a metallic structural solution for large spans, and, finally, restraint in the palette of materials, are all arguments of a strategy that allowed us to face the difficult conditions of a process that generated its own dynamics independently from the architectural project

The sheen and the reflections with which the roof asserts its presence during the day find their contrast at night, when the Congress Center appears like a landscape of interior light emerging from the terrain: both are images of a serial and combinatorial architecture in which an isolated theme is able to activate the whole work, like an imaginary representation of a musical fugue of multiple rhythms.

Glazed bricks

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Although the glazing technique is centuries old, it only really broke through in the production of ceramic bricks in the first decades of the last century. At that time, glazed facing bricks firmly claimed their place in diverse architectural styles such as eclecticism, art nouveau, art deco and early modernism. They never relinquished that position. What's more, because of their sustainable character and their aesthetic possibilities, glazed bricks score more strongly than ever among designers and clients today.

Intensely colorful

Glazed bricks introduce color accents into facades, facilitate finely detailed ornamentation and create beautiful visual contrasts. This makes them an inexhaustible source of inspiration for designers who can juggle to their heart's content with colours, gloss levels, mirror effects, textures, and special finishes such as metallic or mother-of-pearl. The glaze layer is baked into the stone. It does not let water through and has an exceptionally long life. In addition, it is resistant to graffiti and other forms of contamination, so that the need for maintenance is limited. The aesthetic expressiveness of glazed bricks, therefore, does not wane with time. All these properties make glazed bricks the ideal partner

LOHAS glazed bricks are available in shades of blue, green, red, yellow, black and white.

With respect for the environment

To glaze our bricks, we only use high-quality lead-free glaze that is baked into the brick at a high temperature for optimum adhesion. If possible, the bricks and glaze are fired at the same time, which is the most energy-efficient solution.

For the baking process, maximum use is made of green energy.

LOHAS Recycled bricks as pavers

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Nothing is more elegant than a driveway, walkway, or patio paved with brick. Brick pavers are a classic building material that lends a timeless look to your landscape and even more if they are recycled. Here are the advantages of recycled brick pavers.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is LOHAS’s main purpose. Recycled bricks are an eco-friendly option and are locally sourced. Moreover, it can be removed and reused for another purpose.

QUICK INSTALATION

The installation process for brick pavers is simple, easy, and quick. They do not require much time for installation and can be installed under moderate weather conditions. This helps in effectively managing time and budget. There is also no requirement for a waiting period after the installation. Brick driveways can become functional almost immediately after completion.

SLIP-RESISTANT

The natural texture of brick makes it skip and skid resistant. Due to their abrasive surface they make safe paving options for wet areas.

DURABILITY

Bricks are naturally hard and resistant to extreme weather conditions. They possess the ability to withstand heavy loads and don't crack easily. This makes them suitable for everything from pedestrian walkways to driveways for commercial construction projects.

FLEXIBILITY

A lesser-known benefit of brick is its flexible integrity. This means that brick pavers can maintain their interlocking form by adjusting to the movement of the underlying earth, which prevents it from cracking.

VARIETY

Recycled bricks are available in various colours. While concrete often becomes problematic because it gets stained easily, bricks boost natural rich colours that are not artificially added.

VERSATILITY

Recycle bricks used as pavers are highly versatile and can be arranged into various designs. They can be laid out in geometric shapes or chevron patterns. The options are endless. Great for patios, walkways, driveways and so on.

EASY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

If a brick cracks or breaks, you can easily replace that individual piece. Thus, brick pavers' overall maintenance and repair costs are much lower than other materials.

 

Want to know more about LOHAS Recycle bricks? Get in touch at info@lohasau.com

Remodelling of La Riera

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This intervention is in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, one of the busiest working-class neighbourhoods close to Barcelona. And it came to life as a creative response to the demolition of one of the last remaining factories in the area to build an underground parking facility, which created a large void and gave rise to the building around the old industrial fabric.

This project creatively solves the problem by giving a twist to the walls of the backyards of the houses, previously hidden but now converted into the façade of the new urban space.

Ceramic as a primordial material was chosen by three main factors:

  1. Represents an economical material.

  2. Resistant to weather conditions such as humidity and frost.

  3. The flexibility of the material to adapt to the complex geometry of the space.

Another advantage was that ceramic could provide the walls with colours that could evoke the memory of the industrial past. Reducing the rear facades to seven predominant colours. These seven tones and the ceramic raw colour gave us the eight dominant tones for the wall.


The challenge was then finding a process that, within the budget, would allow producing an aesthetic and functional solution along the 150 meters of dividing wall that had to be covered.

After a few failed attempts, the first of the requirements were resolved using ceramic glazed in different colours and fired at high temperatures to improve its mechanical resistance.

The final geometry was composed of a self-supporting wall consisting of only three ceramic pieces manufactured by Ceràmica Cumella: a 20 x 20 x 20 cm cube and a 20 x 13,5 cm rhombus (opaque or perforated). The cube allowed production optimization, as it worked opaque or transparent depending on the side it was placed on.

The assembly of these three pieces allowed an almost organic coronation of the wall, wrapping the different heights in a single stroke.

LOHAS Lattics Blocks - Camp del Ferro

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The Camp del Ferro sports centre in Barcelona ​​wins the ARCHDAILY Sports Architecture Building of the Year 2022 award. These awards are one of the main international awards in architecture. The team of architects, after weighing the advantages and disadvantages, chose to locate an important part of the sports complex partially underground. The meticulous design of this section of the building ensures good lighting, natural ventilation, ease of access and safe evacuation even in the lower areas.

Two lattice blocks were designed for this project, making it about the recovery of local traditions using materials like ceramics.

Ceramics are very common in old factories, warehouses, workshops, and neighbouring industrial buildings.

The materials used in this work will ensure good aging and long life. To lighten the building on all its facades; the hollows and opaque, translucent and transparent bodies are alternated, using ceramic pieces of different formats and colours.

The ceramic lattices, manufactured by Piera Ecocerámica, encourages cross ventilation and in addition avoiding direct sunlight, contributing to thermal insulation. This being just one of many solutions of this building material used in this project will improve energy efficiency and have led to this new building being qualified with the Leed Gold certification.

A deliberate and intrinsic consequence of the semi-underground part of the building, that houses the Camp del Ferro sports centre, has been the energy and environmental improvements.

On the one hand, as the exposed surface diminishes, the thermal inertia of the whole has increased.

On the other hand, a large part of the surface enjoys controlled natural light, through the large, glazed openings and skylights protected by ceramic lattices and plant species that avoid direct sunlight and glare on the courts.