The red brick specification for this project was for the use of 50mm high x 300mm long bricks with a 3mm joint. Working alongside Techrete we were able to develop a method to achieve this specification as a precast cladding finish.

Sample panels were manufactured for architectural approval and for rigorous testing by CERAM to obtain FL quality classification as a precast system.

Over 120,000 red bricks were supplied, cut on four sides to a tolerance of +/- 0.5mm. Including the corner returns used on the mullion units and the hundreds of different special bricks required, over 1 million cuts were undertaken for this part of the project.

As well as the supply of the red material, we were also involved in the finishing of the panels once they had been cast. This involved cutting open joints, grouting them and polishing the surface to achieve a red rubbed appearance.

All of the bricks were numbered and carefully packaged as kits for each precast unit. This minimised handling and sorting at Techrete's factory.

In addition to the supply of the red material, we also supplied light grey handmade bricks for the Newgate Street elevation and Terracotta for the inverted precast canopy that runs around the perimeter at high level.

Terracotta was sourced from Germany and specially manufactured incorporating a profile on the reverse of the tiles to achieve a key into the concrete backing.

50% of all the terracotta pieces supplied were corner returns. These were manufactured from standard tiles by water jet cutting mitres and fabricating the pieces back together with a coloured epoxy resin.

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