We’ve highlighted winners of the 2020 Brick in Architecture awards in this blog before, but those projects only represented brick manufacturers from the Brick Industry Association’s Heartland Region. And, we didn’t have the space to do a full write-up about those designs and all of the thought and creativity that went into them.

Luckily for you, the Brick Industry Association (BIA) has assembled full descriptions of the winners of each category into a downloadable PDF document. This beautiful publication includes many photos, as well as insights into the designers’ objectives for each fired clay brick structure.

Steel lintels are frequently used in today’s brick masonry construction. They provide the “shelf” upon which the veneer of brick is stacked up when it’s impractical to provide other forms of load bearing support. Lintels might be used for brick cladding on upper stories of tall buildings for example, or they might be applied where several facade materials are in use and the brick portions don’t begin at the foundation. Lintels are also commonly applied above window and door openings in the wall. They are extremely useful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are attractive.

Enter lipped brick — specially-shaped brick units with recesses cut into them to accommodate the lintel, leaving a lipped edge to cover the steel.

To paint or not to paint? It’s a tough question. On one hand, fired clay brick is a supremely durable building material either painted or not painted, so as a designer you really can’t go wrong. On the other hand, why turn one of the world’s lowest maintenance facade systems into something that needs regular maintenance over time in the form of repainting?

You’ll have to make that decision on your own, but you should do it without being influenced by several myths about the painting of brick masonry.

After years of planning, design, and construction, your vision in fired clay brick is finally complete. The finished structure now stands proudly for the world to see. It turned out exactly as you hoped it would — better, even. You are overjoyed, giddy — positively effervescent with enthusiasm for your creation.

Then a few months later, a white, powdery substance starts creeping across your carefully designed facade. It looks like your building is chalked up for the Olympic power lifting competition. It is not attractive, and the rest of the world can see it. You are deflated.

What’s going on here? Efflorescence, unfortunately, has reared its ugly head.

Social media, for all its faults, can deliver more than just sophomoric TikTok videos and increasingly uncivilized political debate. Ever consider using your social media apps for design inspiration, for example?

The Brick Industry Association’s Heartland Region offers just that, through its regular posting of exemplary brick building designs. It’s the world’s best online brick photo album, and you can access it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

When you design a brick structure, the details of how the building will resist water penetration are probably something like 123rd priority. And that’s generally okay because brick’s cavity wall system is extremely effective, straightforward, and generally easy to implement. But if your design includes arches, protrusions in the facade, or multiple roofline levels, you might want to give some advance thought to how and where you will specify stepped flashing details in your plans.

Stepped or "waterfall" flashing is typically used when brick masonry intersects an adjacent sloping surface or when it surrounds a curved or sloped wall opening. Here are some common applications:

1. Above a segmental or semicircular arch;

2. Above bay windows, or similar features;

3. Where lower story pitched roofs meet the brickwork of higher stories.