Bespoke Handmade Brick Blend For Woolf Institute, Cambridge
Designed by BB&C Architects, the purpose-built Woolf Institute is situated within the grounds of Grade II listed Westminster College in Cambridge. The building was designed to provide contemporary research and educational facilities while responding sensitively to the architectural character of its surroundings.
Sussex Handmade Brick supplied a bespoke blend of Waverley Orange, Guestling Red and Westfield handmade bricks, selected to achieve the right balance of colour, variation and character for the scheme. The bricks were hand blended to achieve the required colour balance across the elevations, allowing the new building to establish its own architectural identity without appearing disconnected from the surrounding historic fabric. Rather than creating a uniform facade, variations in tone and surface character help soften the appearance of the brickwork and strengthen its relationship with the neighbouring buildings.
The finished building demonstrates how carefully specified handmade materials can support contemporary architecture in sensitive heritage settings, combining the requirements of a modern facility with respect for the character and material language of its surroundings.
Sussex Handmade Brick works with architects, contractors and project teams to provide handmade bricks for conservation, restoration and high-quality new build projects. Where a project requires a particular colour balance or a sensitive relationship with existing brickwork, different brick types can be combined to create a bespoke blend suited to the character of the building and its setting.