Five houses that cleverly use bricks

Waterloo Street by SJB has been judged the winner of the Horbury Hunt Residential Award category in the 2023 Think Brick Awards.

The house playfully engages with passersby through the arrangement, texture and geometry of its recycled and broken brick facade. Internally, the residence integrates custom brick flooring and custom glazed bricks to add detail and aesthetic value. At the core of the design brief is the desire to create a home that is sustainable, which is achieved through the imaginative re-purposing of materials.

"With a footprint of just 30 square metres, Waterloo Street is like a little brick jewellery box in the neighbourhood that adds real joy and interest to the street. The creative brickwork ideas on display are both familiar and strange, yet beautifully cohesive," the jury commented.

"This home, with its geometric openings and facade of recycled and broken bricks, playfully shows how it is possible for private buildings to make positive contributions to public spaces by eliciting a sense of delight in passersby."

Earning high commendations wer Coleman Bajrovic Residence by Klopper and Davis Architects; Gathering House by Inarc Architects; Mary Street House by Edition Office; and Shakespeare Grove by B.E. Architecture.

The 2023 Think Brick Awards were announced in Septebmer, and in addition to the residential category, the awards also recognized the best use of bricks in commercial architecture, landscape architecture, as well as best use of masonry, roof tiles, and new entrants.