Six innovative facades that transform everyday architecture

We explore six UK projects that demonstrate how brick, clay tiles, and innovative facade systems are redefining everyday buildings — from family homes to community facilities

1. Clay House, London

This project proves that domestic architecture doesn't need to blend into the background. Here, traditional clay tiles are re-imagined as a sculptural skin. Their handcrafted texture wraps around bold, angular forms to create depth, shadow, and visual rhythm. It’s a lesson in taking a familiar material and using it in an unexpected way — showing how craftsmanship can coexist with daring modern design.

Key design ideas:

• Handmade clay tiles.
• Cascading geometry and sculptural massing.
• Blends heritage material craft with contemporary architectural form. 

Products used:

• Keymer Goxhill Tiles 

2. Didsbury Park, Manchester

Set in a conservation area, this pair of contemporary homes demonstrates how to innovate in a sensitive setting. A richly-toned brick palette provides harmony with surrounding Victorian villas, while modern proportions and clean lines create a bold, confident identity. The result is sophisticated, contextual modernity with a contemporary ice grey look.

Key design ideas: 

• Subtle tonal brick that harmonises with conservation-area context. 
• Refined detailing and crisp contemporary lines. 
• Modern expression with respectful heritage influence. 

Products used:

• Forum Smoked Branco Bricks

3. King's Cairn, Scotland

Designing an exclusive residential development presented a unique challenge: crafting a modern, warehouse-style home, while ensuring a handmade appearance. The architects met the brief with a contemporary build with a focus on a warehouse aesthetic, incorporating external and internal brick elements effortlessly.

Key design ideas:

• Facing bricks that create a handmade, non-machine-made appearance. 
• Buff-coloured bricks to boost the contemporary warehouse feel.
• The incorporation of brick slips into the internal spaces to complement the outside facade.  

Products used:

• Marziale Bricks

4. Storey's Field Community Centre, Cambridge

Community buildings often face heavy use and budget constraints. This scheme shows how high-quality brickwork creates a solid, welcoming civic identity while delivering longevity. Soft earthy tones, varied brick laying patterns and tactile surfaces help the building feel inviting rather than purely functional — a key lesson for public architecture rooted in place. This remarkable building won a variety of accolades, including the RIBA East Award, RIBA East Sustainability Award and RIBA East Building of the Year Award in 2018. 

Key design ideas:    

• Robust facing brickwork for durability and low performance.
• Warm tones and inviting public presence. 
• Sophisticated detailing that avoids an 'institutional' feel.

Products used:

• Con Mosso Bricks

5. Creevagh Heights, Derry

Behind some of the UK and Northern Ireland’s most elegant facades lies unseen engineering. This social-housing development pairs performance and design through clever material selection and facade articulation. The contrasting brick palettes create visual interest and identity, while still delivering durability and long-term performance. It’s proof that material innovation isn’t only about what you see — it’s about how you combine texture, tone, and build-logic.

Key design ideas:

• Structural innovation combined with expressive brickwork.
• Dual-brick palette: warm buff brick & graphite black brick for contrast.
• Sophisticated manipulation of detailing, projection, and recess to create depth. 

Products used:

• Corn Yellow Bricks
• Graphite Black Bricks

6. Oakleigh Road, London

In a busy London context, this mixed-use development re-imagines the traditional brick mansion-block aesthetic with a rich, sculpted facade. The careful brick detailing, varied textures and strategic light/shadow play show that brick can be both contemporary and urban in expression.

Key design ideas:

• The sole use of brick as the primary exterior material in a mixed-use scheme.     
• Warm-toned Con Mosso bricks with rich variation in bond patterns and textures. 
• Projecting bays and recessed balconies to create rhythm and depth. 

Products used:

• Con Mosso Bricks

Key takeaways:

• Innovative facades elevate everyday buildings - not just landmark architecture. 
• Natural clay, whether as brick or tile, offers durability, character and low environmental impact.
• Craft techniques and modern engineering can work hand-in-hand.
• Sustainable design enriches architectural expression rather than limiting it.