Creative Brick Solutions is proud to be the official UK distributor for Rairies Montrieux, bringing artisan bricks and brick slips to the UK market that combine traditional craftsmanship with long-term façade performance. Our partnership with Rairies Montrieux gives architects and specifiers access to a truly unique range of materials. From richly textured surfaces to vibrant glazed finishes and subtle tones, offering design flexibility that goes far beyond standard brick cladding options to enable you to create an exceptional building façade.
The growing use of artisan brick slips in contemporary architecture reflects a broader shift towards façades that celebrate materiality, texture and depth. Architects are looking for solutions that satisfy both performance and long-term durability requirements, while also delivering character and meaning to a building’s exterior. Creative Brick Solutions supports this approach by providing early-stage consultations, technical guidance and tailored specification advice, ensuring these artisan brick and brick slips are integrated effectively from concept stage through to delivery and your project’s completion.
An excellent example of the impact that can be created with our range is the Cornwall Street redevelopment in Birmingham’s Colmore Business District. The project involved the overcladding of an existing building, requiring a lightweight, mechanically-fixed brick cladding solution. Working alongside Associated Architects and Ash and Lacy, this scheme demonstrates how brick slips can be successfully fixed within a high-performance building façade system.
At the heart of the project is the striking glazed brick entrance, formed using Eucalyptus Twice-Fired Glazed Brick Slips, combined with Gris Engobed Brick Slips manufactured by Rairies Montrieux and installed using Ash and Lacy’s NaturAL-X brick cladding system. The engobed blue-grey tone references Birmingham’s historic brick character, drawing influence from the area’s Staffordshire blue brick heritage.
The façade also incorporates stepped brick detailing and soldier course features, introducing rhythm across this elevation. The design highlights the possibilities of combining glazed brick systems with mechanically fixed cladding with NaturAL-X, allowing the project team to achieve a visually rich façade while meeting the constraints of refurbishing an existing structure.
The glazed brick slips used on the project maintain subtle tonal variation through traditional brick manufacturing methods. Pigment is weighed and applied by hand during production, ensuring subtle colour variation across this project-specific product. This approach combines traditional brick-making methods with the needs of a modern façade system, delivering both visual depth and long-term façade performance.
Covering approximately 470 square meters and comprising over 28,000 individual brick units, the Cornwall Street façade demonstrates both the aesthetic potential and practical scalability of artisan brick slips. The project shows how bricks and brick slips can bridge both heritage and innovation, reinforcing the character of central Birmingham.
You can contact our Brick Experts to discuss any design projects you have and learn more about how we can help build your brickwork design. Call our team: 01142 128 024 or email us: contact@creativebricksolutions.com
