Brick Awards 2018: Red House and Walthamstow Wetlands among London winners as Cambridge community centre scoops top prize
A corner house built from wire-cut bright red brick and a former engine house with a rebuilt industrial chimney are among the London winners of this year's Brick Awards.
The annual awards, now in their 42nd year, celebrate the best examples of clay brick in our built environment. It is run by the Brick Development Association, the UK's national authority on bricks and paving.
With 300 entries entries in 15 categories, the awards celebrate the many styles of this versatile material.
TOP PRIZE
The architects responsible for a community centre and nursery in Cambridge have been awarded the title of Supreme Winner in the 2018 Brick Awards.
Storey’s Field Community Centre and Nursery – designed by architectural practice MUMA – also took first place in the Outdoor and Public categories.
The 100-place nursery in Eddington, which is part of the North West Cambridge Development, was constructed around three sides of a landscaped courtyard.
The courtyard sits within a brick-paved cloister, creating a sheltered play garden. It solved the need for security, but without fences.
“Storey’s Field has created a heart for the new development at North West Cambridge.
“The attention to detailing both inside the building and outside, including the outside courtyard area, is breathtaking and is far in excess of what is normally seen in public community buildings,” said Brick Awards judge Andrew Taylo
WINNING HOMES 2018
Other winners included Red House in East Dulwich, London. Designed by 31/44 Architects it won in the Individual Housing Project category. Red House is also in the running for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) House of the Year.
The judges highlighted it as a magnificent addition to the terraced street it’s on, matching red brick and red mortar to become a statement property.
Gospel Oak Infill Housing – a small project of five new homes in Camden, London – won the prize for Small Housing Development.
The award for Large Housing Development went to Royal Albert Wharf in East Beckton, London. It’s a mixed-use development that uses a variety of bricks to successfully break up the shape and form of the building.
“What really impressed me about the winners was the quality and consistency of the buildings and the way brick wasn’t just incidental but at the heart of what they are doing and how they work in their surroundings,” said head judge Hillary Satchwell.
“These are buildings that aren’t just designed well but they are also built well. These winners are great demonstrations of what can be achieved and set the bar high for others.”
INNOVATORS
Winner of the innovation category was Coate St, a house built on a narrow plot that blends glazed brick and polished stainless steel.
Fusion Brickwork won the Craftsmanship category for their attention to detail on Harpsden Wood House in Henley. It was noted for its preservation of the craft of brickwork.
Winner of the Education category was Marlborough Primary School. The project replaced a Victorian school which had stood on the site since 1878.
Masonry detailing on the school evokes the massing and solidity of Victorian architecture with expressed brick reveals, rooftop playground walls and deep brick soffits.
Scroll through the gallery above to see all the winners and commendations