Matter of Course

Francis Terry’s new kitchen for a Georgian house in Norfolk takes the form of an orangery

Francis Terry & Associates’ new orangery forms an extension to a red brick Georgian country house in Norfolk. As with many alterations to large, traditional houses, the client required a generous open-plan kitchen which couldn’t be accommodated within the existing curtilage. The architects looked at Georgian precedents for inspiration and, having studied various typologies, were drawn towards orangeries for their large dimensions and rhythmic elevations in a single storey with large internal spans.

To be in keeping with the existing house the architect chose the Charnwood Light Victorian Red handmade brick manufactured by Michelmersh. They were inspired by early Georgian and Queen Anne period brickwork, so used tight joints laid in Flemish bond with a minimum outer skin thickness of 215mm.

The handmade bricks were laid in Flemish bond with unusually narrow joints of 7mm

The architectural elements – plinth cap, cornice, pediments and parapet mouldings – were all designed and detailed by Francis Terry & Associates. In the cornice the specification required a minimum of five different brick types, each requiring their own mould, in each of the four moulded courses. These different brick types dealt with junctions, projections and stop ends and meant that they bonded correctly with the courses above and below.

Many sample panels were constructed over a six month period, with the client each time seeking to improve the quality and achieve tighter joints than the one before; even, on occasions, picking up a trowel himself to demonstrate what was required. The agreed panel had 7mm joints rather than the usual 10mm. This made the course heights 71mm rather than the conventional 75mm. Cavity wall ties had to be face-fixed to the blockwork inner skin as the coursing did not run through on the same level.

Even after agreeing a panel the client instructed that some large areas of brickwork were to be taken down because he felt that the standard and quality could be bettered. All panels of brickwork were dry laid for the architects’ and client’s approval so that any cuts could be determined before the bricks were laid.