The budget for bricks was modest, but the sheer amount of brickwork provided opportunities for variation. “We consulted with the supplier very early on and quickly decided to opt for a high-quality basic building block”, says Michael Venderbos, the client’s project manager. Most of the façades were built using the dark red Dragor brick in two formats. Other bricks, including Basstad, Birchridge, Sonsbeek, Larvik, and a dark green glazed brick were used to create accents.
Joint colours, different formats and masonry patterns provided additional variations. “Dragor is a dynamic brick, robust and straightforward with many nuances of colour that let the façade shine even when the sky is overcast”, says Jaakko van ’t Spijker, architect at CULD. The same basic brick is jointed with light-coloured mortar in one apartment block and very dark mortar in the neighbouring block. “Each building has its own character and details. This can be the colour of the grouting, a horizontal band of glazed bricks or part of the vertical masonry. A slightly larger brick results in fewer joints, which also creates a different finish”, says Jaakko van ’t Spijker. “We had a lot of fun finding ways to enhance the façade with simple solutions.”