Mysest56 
November 9, 2018
This ideabook wraps up my series on how exterior materials affect modern house design. While metal and fiber cement, and in a number of places stucco, aren’t traditional methods for repainting a construction, brick is surely rooted in traditional structure and construction. Nevertheless the times of using the modular clay units in load-bearing software has waned — the architect Louis I. Kahn famously asked of a brick what it wanted to be; the brick replied, “An arch.” Nowadays, bricks are usually only a veneer on a facade such as other materials.
As in my other ideabooks, the illustrations here show brick used as an exterior material at a modern or contemporary method. Brick is not as popular as other materials for these kinds of layouts, but it’s appropriate in temperate climates where cavity wall software are valuable. Even then, brick is not the predominant material. These aren’t ranch homes covered in brick, glass and roof shingles; they use brick and yet another way of expression, particularly alongside wood, for effect.
The house in Austin, Texas, by Alterstudio exemplifies the myriad way of expression available with brick’s factors: color, size, bonding, mortar color and relief. The tan bricks in this instance provide a comparison with the dark ipe wood that is a major area of the building’s front.
Note, on the left side, the average running bond (bricks one another by half) is eschewed in favor of a 1/3 conducting bond; the stride generates a woven effect with strong verticals countering the horizontality. Further, the expanse of wall above the ipe wood utilizes grey mortar, while this below utilizes a mortar that matches the brick color. These subtle differences add up to a special effect that ties the brick together with the wood.
Alterstudio
Moving toward the front door we could see that the decreased two-thirds of this wall adjacent to the entry has a texture that appears to complement the wood slats.
Alterstudio
Looking at the bricks beside front entrance, it looks like the 1/3 overlap of this bond over was pixelated with a few random relief. Cut bricks have been turned and projected slightly to make the interesting texture that is emphasized by shadows at certain times of the day.
Alterstudio
With the glazing, it’s nice to realize that the existence of the textured brick goes indoors; it is not only an effect for passersby.
The Curved House at Springfield, Missouri, by Hufft Projects, also balances brick and wood. The former is also ipe, and the latter is a grey brick that curves in a couple of regions, giving the house its name.
In a closer look from the last photo, the curve appears much more pronounced. Even though this is not close enough to tell if the bricks are either directly or radial (the latter is used for tight radii), it’s clear that it functions.
Hufft Projects
The house’s second curve cleverly inserts itself supporting an ipe wood wall, complicating the relationship between the two materials. See more of this project.
KUBE architecture
Brick can also disappear behind paint as in this renovation along with a house in Virginia by KUBE Architecture. Again, wood is put against brick in this instance on the garage and a privacy screen in the front lawn.
KUBE architecture
A look reveals the texture of the brick showing through. Painted grey, the brick walls behave as a backdrop for the wood, also producing the green of the trees stand out.
KUBE architecture
From the back, it’s apparent that the new parts of the house are flat-roofed volumes that flank the existing gabled building. This earlier piece is your brick exterior that is treated with grey paint, nearly matching the inclusion.
KUBE architecture
A close-up of this rear reinforces how the grey exterior helps the other components — plants and wood — stand out.
More:
Celebrating the Brick House
9 Best Siding Materials
Stucco Smoothes Modern Home Exteriors
Hello, Corrugated Panels