Make Architects’ Three New Bailey with Ketley Staffordshire red bricks is the UK’s first large-scale building of interwoven brick (ph: Paul Karalius)

Ketley is more than a brick manufacturer, it is a clay innovator helping architects overcome technical issues and creative challenges in brick to deliver ambitious award-winning designs. By engaging with architects early in the design process we identify challenges, think ‘outside of the box’ and work closely with collaborators in order to produce bespoke solutions using both traditional and Modern Methods of Construction.

Ketley delivers highly complex bricks for architectural facades where precision and tolerances are key, and has recently developed the capability to create textured surface patterns and designs achieved through the latest mould and die technologies. The natural kiln fired colours and technical performance of Ketley’s ‘Class A’ F2 rated bricks make them a much sought-after solution for projecting brickwork and for elaborate facades where five faces of the brick are exposed.

Ketley’s Staffordshire red bricks, textured bricks and special bricks were specified by Make Architects for Three New Bailey in Salford (ph: Paul Karalius)

Three New Bailey
Make’s Three New Bailey in Salford – winner of the 2022 Surface Design Awards ‘Best Commercial Building Exterior’ and ‘Best New Build Project’ in the 2021 Façade Awards UK – is the UK’s first large-scale building of interwoven brick. The 650 large interwoven panels were made by Thorp Precast with more than 500,000 Ketley products, including radial, standard solid and perforated bricks, brickslips with a dovetail key for precasting, basket-weave textured bricks and other bespoke specials. Ketley’s Class A Staffordshire red tones with their high-quality smooth finish, suited the project aesthetically.

Victoria Gate Arcade in Leeds by ACME Architects with Ketley Staffordshire red bespoke snap headers and special bricks (ph: Alex Upton Photography)

Victoria Gate Arcade
ACME’s Victoria Gate in Leeds, winner of a 2017 RIBA National Award and two prestigious Brick Awards, combines traditional craftsmanship with bold contemporary design. The ornate Staffordshire red pleated brick elevations and elaborate three-dimensional geometric design were delivered through Thorp Precast’s 3D mould technology onto pre-cast panels, which comprised approximately 360,000 Staffordshire Red Class A ‘snap headers’.

Chosen for their dimensional stability, strength, low water absorption and importantly high frost resistance, Ketley’s creation of special perforations also allowed two headers to be generated from one brick without cutting, thereby generating significant cost saving and production efficiencies.

Mulroy Architects’ Dukes Avenue residential extension with Ketley Staffs blue plinth bricks (ph: Dan Glasser)

Dukes Avenue
Mulroy Architects’ Dukes Avenue, which was Highly Commended in the Architects’ Choice category of the 2022 Brick Awards, shows how the creative use of standard specials can also have a transforming effect. A distinctive gothic-like fluting pattern was achieved by laying ‘plinth stretchers’ and ‘plinth stop end bricks’ end-on to generate texture in a creative and unusual way.

Ketley employed innovative mould techniques to create the Queen Elizabeth II relief in brick

Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Looking forward, Ketley uses new mould making techniques to develop unique designs and sculptures. A large-scale textured silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II was constructed entirely from projecting brickwork elements, using a newly developed Brixel visualisation tool to create an image in brick relief which plays with light and shadows.

Ketley can create bricks with unlimited textures

Manufacturing with 3D printing plates, rollers and moulds for bespoke architectural brickwork is something that Ketley is focusing on, allowing unlimited brick textures to be conceived and realised. Our own special clay is integral to this, as its strength and durability means designers are free to conjure up their aesthetic ambitions in the knowledge that they will be an enduring legacy.

For more information about Ketley Brick call 01384 78361, fax 01384 74553, email or visit the website.