Three Modern Designs from the 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards

Clay brick is a timeless building material, versatile enough to still be a leader in modern design, and resilient enough to withstand the test of time while other cladding deteriorates. In this blog, we are highlighting three modern design ideas from the 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards that pay homage to each community’s unique masonry history. Get inspired how brick uniquely transforms the aesthetic of these three award-winning projects.

Jojutla Central Gardens

The first project we will feature is the Jojutla Central Gardens, which placed Bronze in the International category of the 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards. Jojutla Central Gardens puts brick on an urban scale, as structure, space, and identity.

This public space started a healing process for the community after earthquakes damaged multiple structures and public spaces. The community began to rebuild and define a new identity.

The core idea for the Jojutla Central Gardens came from the trees - unique elements that survived the earthquakes without damage. In a symbolic stand, the Civic Centre was bound to become the Central Gardens evoking resiliency by means of vegetation. 

The garden structures reinterpret the region’s traditional architecture. The brickwork of Jojutla Gardens is a testament of the craftsmanship of the people of the community, who produced the brick and built their new civic square.

The geometry of the arches is achieved thanks to the arrangement of a single unit: the clay brick, and by using only this one material, a series of arches that provide shade and create an enclosed space are configured. Click here to see more photos of this project.

Ace Hotel Toronto

Ace Hotel Toronto won the only Craftsmanship Award in the 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards. It also placed Best in Class in the 2023 Commercial category as well! It is designed with brick made by the Heartland Regions’s own Endicott Clay Products Company that truly steals the show. Ace Hotel Toronto stands as testament to the quiet but regenerative power that thoughtful architecture and design can have on its environment.

The choice to design with brick pays homage to the city’s rich brick and industrial history, with many original homes and landmark buildings, including Massey Hall, as well as the Garment District’s factories and warehouses were built with local pressed brick from the Don Valley.

A statement of resistance against recent thin and glassy developments in the area, Ace Hotel Toronto’s symbolic brick facade reaches back in time to pay homage to the strength and durability of these bygone buildings, allowing the structure to feel apart of its context and engage in a larger conversation.

The brick is laid in brick panels interspersed by vertical coursing that lightens the overall impression. The Endicott brick boasts a lush purple-red color, and a glossy texture that adds to the classic feel of the building and plays with Toronto’s ever-changing light.

The choice to incorporate brick throughout the interior and exterior was inspired by the hotel’s consistent and robust palette, a desire to find inventive approaches to traditional materials, and to design unique and delightful experiences. Click here to see more photos of this project.

Kendall Square Lobby

Kendall Square Lobby placed Gold in the Commercial category of the 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards. The lobby is lined with a curved structure made from 9000 individually-laid brick. The designers chose to work with clay brick to reference New England's local vernacular architecture.

Wrapping around the perimeter of the interior, the brick-built surface incorporates a front desk, bench seating, lighting, an entry kiosk and a staircase. 

The structures are made by laying brick in two different directions, creating a stimulating textural surface that encourages the interplay of light and shadow. Course one moves tangent to the wall orientation, and course two moves along the north/south axis, allowing for a complex interplay of transparency and opacity as the curtain-like wall wraps the space.

At a certain junction, a gradient is created when the wall transitions between solid red brick to translucent glass blocks of the same dimensions. The frosted brick continue until they arrive at a glass-clad staircase. This element of transparency creates a light interface between the public space and the company's office.

The Brick Industry Association partnered with Dezeen to provide more project details to inspire architects. Click here to read the full article.

Thanks so much for reading our latest blog post! To check out more inspiring projects from the 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards, please click here to view the gallery.