Architects Speak out for Brick

The architecture firm Engelshove likes designing and building with brick. Their core business is single-family homes, but the firm also works on industrial architecture projects. The use of brick in passive house projects is particularly noticeable.

The historic warehouses and storehouses in Copenhagen Harbor count among the most beautiful industrial areas in Denmark. Krøyers Plads remained untouched for a long time: Many project developers got engaged in the abandoned area and proposed concepts that were all rejected by the local population. In the end, the decision was made to develop the compound in a participative and direct democratic manner. Interview with Nikolaj Harving, Project Manager of COBE Architects Denmark.

KAVAKAVA is an architecture office in Estonia with Siiri Vallner and Indrek Peil as the key figures. Their work is always site-specific, highlighting the potentialities of a particular place. At the same time, their aim is to provoke new situations. If an old structure has enough real and authentic material, they transform the old building into something new and creative. Siiri Vallner talks about her approach to renovation projects.

Lien Vansteenkiste and Hein Verbeke from Groep III, Belgium, talk about sustainable architecture, energy-efficient building and maximising human comfort in their work.

Julien Rousseau of fresh architectures talks about developing the exterior of a building to correspond with its interior and usage, and explains the façade for his project “Building Public Housing” in Paris being a building envelope.

Your project “House of Trace” won several awards. Among them the RIBA National 2016 award. Located in London, it consists of a reinterpretation and the refurbishment of a domestic space. It looks strikingly elegant, simple but sophisticated. Is there a special reason to renovate buildings instead of tearing them down?

Before founding his own business Munkenbeck + Partners, Alfred Munkenbeck gained experience with some of the most distinguished architectural offices worldwide. This great working experience and Harvard University as educational background add a multi-facetted perspective to all of his work.

For Italian architect Laura Andreini – who, amongst other things, acts as juror for the Brick Award 2016 – the tradi

Bevk Perovic architects, a young and striving architectural office based in Ljubljana, was founded by Matija Bevk and Vasa J. Perovic in 1997. The office has been awarded numerous prizes, among them the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award for young aspiring architects in 2007.

Mecanoo was established by architect Francine Houben in Delft in 1984 and currently employs 120 architects, designers and town and country planners from 25 different countries.