Bricks as Image

BRICK CHIMNEYS

These chimneys located in St Peters in Sydney’s west were part of the Sydney production of masonry bricks. They are also made out of brick and show the qualities of brick in that it can sustain heat from the exhaust and will not crack. This unique quality allows bricks to be used in all types of buildings from residential to industrial. These chimneys also show that bricks can be used in various shapes such as circles shown here. Nevertheless, bricks amazing structural qualities are reinforced here with steel to make sure that they are safe. The chimneys make use of the English bond with rake mortar. This gives the bricks a corrugated texture but the faces of the bricks remain smooth.
PAVEMENT

Bricks are so versatile that they can even be used as pavement. Shown through these photos it can be seen that bricks layed on their side have such a great surface area and visual aspect that they can be used as a feature pathway. Put together in a stretcher bond there is no need for mortar as the bricks are allowed to move with the earth. If they were in fact bonded then they would crack due to the movement of the earth and the brittle nature of bricks. The bricks used here are of brown hues.

VIADUCT

This railway viaduct shows the way bricks can be used to create structures through the use of arcs. Bricks are easy to cut into different sizes and shapes and this allows arches to be made easily. These bricks again show the weight that bricks can withstand and the great visual qualities they can achieve. This viaduct shows the use of English bond with flush mortar which creates a smooth surface texture. This façade shows many broken and chipped bricks that have worn over time.
RETAINING WALL AND BRIDGE SUPPORT

This retaining wall and bridge support shows a bond that is not used in construction that much anymore. The English bond makes a special pattern that was used in important structural circumstances such as bridge support. This masonry structure has two uses, to support the bridge and also as a retaining wall for the fill within the wall structure. Flush mortar is used to give added strength and to finish of the wall which combined with the smooth texture of the brick makes a beautiful structure.
SHOP FRONT

This shop front which is located in one of the older parts of Sydney shows the use of colonial bond. Combined with the use of rake mortar this façade is unique and intricate. Here the owners have chosen to use a black paint to create a different colour of the bricks as well as the texture. A smooth and shiny texture is achieved with the corrugations of the bond and bricks.

POWER STATION

Bricks can be used on a large scale as well as a smaller one. The strength of bricks when combined into walls allows this unique quality. This power station shows thousands of bricks combined with steel to form a massive space while previously it can be seen that bricks can also be used in houses where there is much less need for large rooms. Also the heat and vibrations that these bricks would have to sustain is also testament to the strength of bricks. The power station makes use of the English bond with flush mortar.
TEXTURED UNITS

These units show the use of bricks to obtain an interesting façade. The use of bricks that create various patterns along with the combination of different coloured bricks gives this building a three dimensional façade. Structural use of stacking bricks show the integrity of masonry and the many applications it can have. In this building the stretcher bond is used with a rake mortar which again pronounces the extrusion of some bricks.

WHITE BRICKS

This example shows the diversity of bricks due to the colour. Bricks can range from white to red and even brown. This shows that bricks have an aesthetic value beyond their other properties such as the inexpensive value and the easy way in which builders can use them. The bond of these particular bricks is stretcher built upon a concrete slab. With white mortar the bricks are blended in to create a continuous and interesting façade. The texture is shiny and smooth to touch, which would have been achieved in the manufaction process. The masonry is used as a structural element which does not give the building a heavy look because of the light colour of the bricks.


RENDERED BRICKS

Bricks have the ability to accommodate render, or wash so that the brick wall is free of the texture and colour of the bricks. Modern day house tend to use render because it creates a finished and clean look. In these 2 photos of the same house different types of render have been used to create different effects. To the left the render is given a textured look with a grey colour to it. This is different to the image on the right which shows a light wash like render which is a thin layer. This is shown by the evident brick structure. Again the grey tone has been applied for the desired look. Within this building the stretcher bond has been used with the surface texture varying according to the render used. In this case the bricks have been used as a structural element probably combined with timber framing to cut down on cost.