Ibstock design team supports Blackfriars development

Ibstock design team supports Blackfriars development 

Situated at St George’s Circus in Central London, Blackfriars is a brand-new commercial and residential development in one of the Capital’s most architecturally significant districts. Comprising five mix-used buildings, a 28-storey tower and a significant amount of public space, St George’s Circus is set to create a new destination for high quality local retail, eating and leisure activities.

From the outset of the project, aesthetics played a pivotal role. With the façade needing to convey both urban and residential while leaning into the look and feel of the Georgian properties that surround it, the specification process was crucial for identifying bricks that delivered both uniqueness and timelessness.

To achieve this, the architect leading the project approached Ibstock’s expert design advisory team. Recognising the need for bricks which would complement the 18^th century brickwork which surrounds, Ibstock recommended a range of glazed brick types, including St Joris brown-glazed, green-glazed and white-glazed brick; resulting in a high quality, durable solution with simple, crisp detailing to allow the building to mature gracefully, and become richer and more distinct with time.

Ibstock’s expert design advisory team is part of its Specification offering, which brings together a range of products, services and initiatives to ensure an efficient specification process. This includes investments such as the I-Studio, a collaborative space for architects and specifiers; products such as the innovative MechSlip and Nexus XI cladding systems; and a range of online tools and brochures to provide further information on the specification process.

Each block of the development has a separate palette of external materials, but each shares common elements. All facades utilise a variety of bricks as the primary material, while precast concrete elements including lintels, sills, floor bands and copings enrich the modelling of the exteriors.

David Shergold, National Contracts Manager at Ibstock, said: “The building facades draw influence from the warehouses of Southwark and Clerkenwell that historically dominated the skyline of the area. Working in close partnership with the architect, we were able to specify products that perfectly matched their desire for a build which had both a modern, yet timeless, sensibility.”

Through its Specification offering, Ibstock uses its expertise in design and manufacturing to ensure projects are taken from concept to build, while ensuring they complete on time. The design advisory team provides support at every stage of the specification process, using years of product expertise and the latest digital tools to support specifiers.

“The public street frontage encompasses an eye-catching variety of standard and colourful glazed bricks, while the backs remain relatively simple. We worked with the architect to recommend bricks that gave the development a finish that was classical, without being traditional.”

To learn more about Blackfriars, and Ibstock’s wider Specification offering, please visit https://ibstock.co.uk/specification.