Ketley Brick has managed yet another accolade at the prestigious 2017 Brick Development Association (BDA) ‘Brick Awards’ for its flagship project Victoria Gate, Leeds. The annual BDA Brick Awards is the longest established and most widely respected building awards in the UK that recognises excellence in design and construction using brick.
The Victoria Gate project won two prizes, one for the ‘Best Commercial Building’ and one for the ‘Innovative Use of Brick & Clay Products’, while also being mentioned in the ‘Urban Regeneration Project’ category. It was described by the judges as “intriguing and exciting” due to its impressive scale and complexity.
The project was designed by ACME, and it is part of Hammerson’s Victoria Leeds Estate in the city centre, developed and inspired by its local historic and architectural context. It contains decorative brickwork on three of its external elevations, which were constructed using the latest advances in digital technology and BIM.
Ketley Brick supplied approximately 360,000 Staffordshire light and dark ‘Class A’ ‘snap headers,’ which were used across 550 precast reinforced concrete panels to create the striking pleated pattern, with 3D software used to plot and place every individual brick. The company’s ‘Class A’ bricks, known for their high strength, low water absorption and exceptional frost resistance, were then chosen to ideally suit the geometrical design.
“Victoria Leeds is a great example of a contemporary concept made possible by the combination of modern and traditional brickwork techniques. The sourcing of the right brick was key to creating textured facades with intricate detailing, complementing the Victorian Leeds vernacular,” said Friedrich Ludewig from ACME.
Other awards received by the Victorian Gate project include the IBA National Award 2017, RIBA Yorkshire Award 2017 and RIBA Yorkshire Building of the Year, plus the Best Retail Project Worldwide in the 2017 WAF World Architecture Festival in Berlin and the Best New Shopping Centre at the MAPIC international property conference.
