University of Cincinnati

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Architecture Built to Last: The Timelessness of Brick A thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE in the Department of Architecture of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 2005 by Stephanie A. Kroger B.S. Arch., University of Cincinnati, 2003 Committee Chairs: Robert Burnham Barry Stedman Abstract Brick is one of the most culturally significant consequences as well. Technology has changed the way contemporary building materials, with a rich history of buildings are designed and constructed, directly use throughout human history. Its social meaning has benefiting issues of economy and sustainability, but often changed over the past decades and centuries, but brick compromising human scale. has always been valued not only for its durability, In today’s design and construction practices, brick quality, and tradition, but also for its human properties – is often reduced to simply a cladding material, wasting the direct human effort required to construct a brick wall much of its potential. Through the design of a non- is apparent in every unit and joint. The versatility that is denominational chapel, a building will be created that possible through brick’s simplicity of geometry allows exploits the inherent human scale, craft, durability and for the creation of an endless variety of forms and tradition of brick, while meeting the contemporary textures in architecture. demands of the 21st century. Our technologically centered society tends to emphasize the separation between buildings and the human element of construction and craft. Computer- generated forms are becoming more prevalent in contemporary architecture. There are, of course, endless benefits of technology, foremost its importance in achieving efficiency and economy; but there are Table of Contents i List of Illustrations 4 The Role of Brick in Contemporary Architecture 1 Introduction 4.1 Modern-Day Brick 4.1.1 Style & Technology 2 Brick Masonry Enclosure 4.1.2 Sustainability 4.1.3 Efficiency and Durability 2.1 The Nature of Brick 4.2 Contemporary Brick Architecture 2.1.1 Material Properties and Characteristics 4.2.1 Introduction 2.1.2 Types of Clay Masonry 4.2.2 Examples 2.1.3 Mortar 2.2 Brick throughout History 2.2.1 Origins of Brick Masonry 5 Design Project 2.2.2 Brick Development 2.2.3 Exemplary Applications 5.1 Intent 5.2 Program 5.2.1 Precedents 3 Enclosure Design 5.2.2 Activities 5.2.3 Diagrams 3.1 The Evolution of Modern Enclosure 5.3 Site 3.2 Design Basics 5.3.1 Description 3.2.1 Climate Investigation 5.3.2 Analysis 3.2.2 Materials 3.2.3 Proper Detailing and Assembly 3.3 The Brick Wall 3.3.1 Types of Brick Walls 3.3.2 Movement: Moisture and Thermal Forces 3.3.3 Construction 3.3.4 Structural Brick List of Illustrations 2-1 www.glengerybrick.com/ 2-25 Campbell, 239 4-8 Architecture and Urbanism, Nov. about/manufacturing 2-26 Bauwelt, 13 Mar. 1992, 549 1983 Extra Edition, 109 2-2 John Gallagher, friend of author 2-27 Anderson, 132-133 4-9 RIBA Journal, Sept. 1995, 44. 2-3 www.glengerybrick.com/ 2-28 www.columbia.edu/cu/gsapp about/manufacturing /BT/EEI/MASONRY 5-1 libraries.mit.edu 2-4 www.glengerybrick.com/ 2-29 Bauwelt, 13 Mar. 1992, 530 5-2 www.figure-ground.com about/manufacturing 2-30 Bauwelt, 13 Mar. 1992, 560 5-3 www.figure-ground.com 2-5 www.glengerybrick.com/ 2-31 Bauwelt, 13 Mar. 1992, 558 5-4 libraries.mit.edu about/manufacturing 5-5 Campbell, 273 2-6 Campbell, 305 3-1 Lechner, 74 5-6 Campbell, 274 2-7 Campbell, 32 3-2 Beall, 289-290 5-7 Sigurd Lewerentz 1885-1975, 81 2-8 Campbell, 35 3-3 Beall, 287 5-8 Anderson, 42 2-9 Campbell, 35 3-4 BIA Tech Notes, Issue 21C 5-9 Anderson, 51 2-10 www.columbia.edu 3-5 www.bia.org 5-10 Anderson, 49 2-11 James Popple 3-6 BIA, Tech. Notes 24 5-11 Anderson, 48 (cs.anu.edu.au/~James.Popple) 3-7 Campbell, 250-251 5-12 Photo by author 2-12 Popple 3-8 Beall, 322 5-13 Photo by author 2-13 Campbell, 64 3-9 Anderson, 67 5-14 Map by author 2-14 Campbell, 74 5-15 Photo by author 2-15 Campbell, 103 4-1 www.kpf.com 5-16 Photo by author 2-16 Campbell, 82 4-2 http://www.bluffton.edu 5-17 Photo by author 2-17 Campbell, 90 4-3 http://www.horizons.uc.edu 2-18 Campbell, 129 4-4 Campbell, 243 2-19 Campbell, 139 4-5 www.greatbuildings.com 2-20 Campbell, 147 4-6 Architecture and Urbanism, Nov. 2-21 Campbell, 151 1983 Extra Edition, 105 2-22 Campbell, 75 4-7 Architecture and Urbanism, Nov. 2-23 Campbell, 76-77 1983 Extra Edition, 102 2-24 Campbell, 237 1 Introduction the world.1 This was possible because brick is made from the most abundant material available to us: the earth itself. As a Brick is one of the few building materials that has result, brick took on the spirit of the region in which it was survived from ancient times, never losing esteem over the made, and different cultures have used the material in unique years. Its popularity as a building material remains strong and beautiful ways. even into the 21st century. This is a result of the many Historically, a brick wall often served as the structure, redeeming qualities that brick possesses, foremost its weather barrier, vapor retarder, insulator, and sometimes the versatility. Bricks are individual units, sized to relate to the interior finish of a building. This was the case with buildings of human hand and to the strength of the human arm; their almost any material until the 20th century, when the proportions are determined by efficient geometry. These development of new materials, high performance expectations, characteristics are inherent to brick: if brick’s unitized and and economic trends resulted in a dramatic change in building standardized nature is taken away, the material becomes enclosure systems. In all industrialized nations, monolithic, something entirely different. load-bearing enclosures have generally been replaced by Throughout the course of history, brick has been one of systems that separate the structure from the skin of the the most versatile and widely used materials for building. building. The skins, known as cladding systems, are Thousands of years before fired brick technology was composites separated into discrete elements or layers that developed in ancient Rome, the Egyptians and Mesopotamians address the various functional requirements of enclosure. A were using mud brick to build shelter and, later, fired brick in typical cladding system has an outer material to shed water, a temples and mausoleums. This technology spread to the cavity to drain moisture, a membrane to stop moisture entry, a Roman Empire and throughout Europe, to India, Sri Lanka 1 James W. P. Campbell, Brick: A World History, (London: Thames & and Burma, into China, and eventually throughout the rest of Hudson, 2003) 1 back-up wall to transfer lateral loads, a layer of insulation to an extremely durable material if assembled properly, but as retard heat transfer, a barrier to stop air movement, and an labor costs increase, its relatively slow fabrication speed makes interior finish material, all of which must be structurally the material less economically beneficial. supported. In the case of brick walls, a cavity wall system was Durability also satisfies another modern concern: developed that contained these elements. sustainability. Many types of material resources are There are a number of issues to consider with the increasingly scarce and valuable in modern society, and design of a modern brick enclosure system. As with all therefore should be used in ways that minimize immediate modern building systems, efficiency is an important economic and life-cycle environmental impacts. If enclosures are poorly concern. With regard to cladding, efficiency of material often designed and assembled, the entire system is liable to fail; leads to a great economic advantage. An even greater replacing it would not only be economically costly, but a economic advantage is speed in fabrication and erection. significant waste of the embodied energy3 of the original “Time is money,” and building owners want the most for the materials. After structure, enclosure is the determining factor least investment. Brick, however, is rather labor-intensive, of the life of a building. If properly assembled, all enclosure especially when compared to pre-fabricated cladding systems, materials should have the capability of lasting for a significant such as EIFS2. Economizing too much on time and materials, part of the life of the building. This is especially true with brick, however, can lead to problems in the durability of an enclosure which has been proven to last for hundreds of years (or more). system. Increasing durability has long-term economic Furthermore, as a natural material, the long-term advantages, but often requires significant initial investments for environmental consequences of brick in landfills are less a building project; it is therefore often compromised. Brick is problematic. 2 EIFS, Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems, are multi-layered panel 3 The embodied energy of a material is all the energy required to products.

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