Around 75 % of residential buildings in Germany are made of masonry – a trend likely mirrored across Europe, such as in the southern regions and the UK. This enduring preference reflects growing confidence in solid construction and provides the impetus for dedicating this issue of Detail to the topic.
There are many reasons to opt for brick, including local building traditions. In Limerick, Ireland, Níall McLaughlin Architects designed a brick exhibition building celebrating rugby, the national sport. In Berlin, nearby brick cemetery structures inspired the facade colour of a foundation centre. Using single-coloured exposed concrete and two brick types, AFF Architekten made a bold red statement in the cityscape, with a striking exposed concrete ceiling inside.
Concrete – the burden and pleasure of contemporary architecture – defines two more projects in this issue. At the Rötiboden housing development on Lake Zürich, Buchner Bründler Architekten created a solid exposed concrete structure, accented with painted sheet steel, following the “what you see is what you get” ethos, with no cladding or suspended ceilings.
Rammed concrete plays a central role in Casa 1736 by H Arquitectes in Barcelona, where its distinctive layered aesthetic dominates the interiors. Different concrete mixtures and formwork were used – wet rooms differ from the atrium, columns from solid walls – while achieving a cohesive result.
While enthusiasm for material diversity grows, sustainability questions persist in solid construction: cement, the binding agent in concrete, and the brick firing process both worsen the CO2 balance. Manufacturers are exploring CO2-reducing alternatives such as clay and recycled bricks, which show promise. Germany’s new earth block masonry standard, DIN 18940, could spark a revival for this traditional material. But will the notoriously conservative construction industry embrace these changes? Such a shift would benefit the climate – and ultimately, all of us