Brick Manufacturer Glen-Gery Announces Winners of Inaugural Architect Collaboration Program

Four brick designs submitted by practitioners at three firms—Morris Adjmi Architects and Loci Architecture, both based in New York, and Philadelphia’s Gnome Architects—have been named as the winners in the inaugural Architect Collaboration Program launched by brick manufacturer Glen-Gery Corporation.

Earlier this year, Glen-Gery, which is part of Brickworks North America, invited architects, designers, and students to submit original designs for custom brick shapes, offering winners the opportunity to become honorary members of the company’s Research and Development Team. The winning architects realized their designs at Glen-Gery’s Mid-Atlantic Manufacturing Plant in Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania, where they hand-molded their brick shapes. Per Glen-Gery, these novel designs are “now primed to serve as the centerpiece of conceptual building projects.”

As Glen-Gery marketing director Tim Leese noted in a statement, the overall aim of the program is to “showcase brick’s limitless design possibilities while fostering meaningful collaboration and education within the architecture community.”

Below are descriptions of each winning design:

Trigon Brick. Photo courtesy Glen-Gery

Trigon Brick
Brittany Macomber, senior project manager, Morris Adjmi Architects  
“The Trigon Brick is a modern interpretation of classic brick details found on structural masonry walls. The dimension and depth of the brick provide versatility, allowing the brick to be expressed on its own, or integrated with modular bricks to create unique patterns.”

Curve Brick. Photo courtesy Glen-Gery

Curve 
Edward Jose, studio director/partner, Loci Architecture
“The Curve is a simple elongated curved brick that can be laid in various wall configurations to achieve different surface effects. The curve of the shape allows its thinner profile to reduce material and weight in a typical brick veneer cavity wall assembly while still maintaining stability. Its convex and concave surfaces can affect sound waves in urban environments with noisy street conditions.”

Facet Brick. Photo courtesy Glen-Gery

Facet Brick
Justin Bright, architectural designer, Gnome Architects
“Opposite corners of the Facet Brick are chamfered to create a diagonal facet on the front face. Depending on the orientation and coursing, this simple unit offers various patterns and textural effects.”

Weaver Brick. Photo courtesy Glen-Gery

The Weaver
Colin Rupp, architectural designer, Gnome Architects
“This shape utilizes an alternating bevel, all within a standard size. The mirrored detailing allows for a unique set of weaving textures and plays with solid/void.”