The Impact of Brick and Block – Materiality 2021

Brickworks Building Products announce its latest publication, Materiality 2021 – an exploration of brick and block in contemporary Australian and American architecture.

Brickworks Building Products, one of the world’s largest building material manufacturers, is dedicated to celebrating the very best of contemporary architecture. Materiality 2021 is just that – an outstanding collection of architectural projects that commemorate design, innovation and the versatility of both brick and block.

Materiality 2021 features a vast selection of buildings, ranging in scope and scale, unified through their use of material.

The peer-reviewed publication, curated and edited by Ron Ringer, explores 61 exceptional projects that investigate architecture in the context of growing urbanisation. Materiality 2021 features a vast selection of buildings, ranging in scope and scale, unified through their use of material.

From local to global, Materiality 2021 explores buildings designed for living, working, activities and relaxation, all within the urban context. The projects comprise of a variety of structures, including multi-residential and mixed-use developments, commercial buildings, a restaurant, synagogue and surf life-saving club. These structures are unique in the way that, aesthetically, they can be transported anywhere in the world. From this, Material 2021 hopes to ignite discussions within the industry and inspire students of both architecture and design.

Architects are innovators, catalysts for change and optimistically build a better world for tomorrow.

Materiality 2021 examines the “creative endeavour of both the individual and the collective” and is a platform that showcases “the work of some of the most highly respected architects in Australia and the USA,” says Brett Ward, General Manager of International Marketing at Brickworks. “Our goal was to present a book that shows the beauty and versatility of brick and masonry block, their ongoing contribution to buildings and a vision for architecture moving forward.”

Featured in Materiality 2021 is Brisbane’s iconic Calile Hotel, designed by Richards and Spence. The Calile Hotel, known for its natural materials and reserved palette, brings together beautiful design, privacy and serenity – all accomplished within its bustling city location. The oasis designreflects Materiality 2021’s common thread and echoes Brett’s sentiment – architects are innovators, catalysts for changeand optimistically build a better world for tomorrow.

Inspired by German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s quote, “architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks together. There it begins,” Materiality 2021 showcases the incredible impact brick and block materiality has on our urban environment