Contemporary stepped blue brick extension

Ketley Staffordshire special blue bric ks

prefabricated cladding system - Fabspeed

Sliding doors - Cantifix with Skyframe

Architects - Lemos Architecture

This rear brick extension provides an open plan social space to a late 90's functional house in East London. The stepped brickwork creates a sculptural piece that adds design interest while visually reducing the thickness of the walls and providing an overhang for shade and rain protection.

Ketley blue bricks in a stepped detail on this residential extension by Lemos Architects soldier bricks provide detail on this blue brick extension in East London

Lemos Architects selected a high quality dark brick to create contrast with the yellow buff and red bricks of the existing dwelling. Ketley's Staffordshire blue brick was chosen due to its homogeneity in colour and slightly glazed finish. The brick's engineered shape, straight edges and flat surfaces were also a selection criteria to achieve a crisp/sharp appearance.

The stepped brickwork was created using Fabspeed's prefabricated cladding system. Ketley special bricks in a mix of solid and perforated were supplied with a range of different faced surfaces so that all the stepped surfaces would have the same almost glazed finish. Fabspeed installed the bricks on bespoke stainless steel cladding units which they produced in different sized sections to maximise repetition and suit the architects design.

To achieve perfect alignment and spacing the bricks forming the corner between the rear and side elevation were installed onsite. The bounding mortar of the walls had been recessed allowing for the same depth of coloured lime mortar to be applied at the end of the job on all the brickwork and coping joints to achieve the best finish.

stepped Staffs blue brick extension to East London property by Lemos Architecture

Home owners Pedro Pedroso and Sofia Cerqueira are thrilled with their new space, and comment “We love Ketley’s dark bricks, their appearance changes depending on the light which gives them a layer of character we are very pleasantly surprised with. We are still baffled on how simple bricks could be made into something so beautiful and full of character! Fabspeed were truly amazing in making the architect’s vision come through and tireless to make sure it would all work. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”