Material Finish: Brick Faced

The International Rugby Experience

The International Rugby Experience, 40 O’Connell St, Limerick, V94 WK20

190 reconstructed stone and brick-facing panels, constructed offsite and covering 1,849m2

Contractor: Flynn Construction

Architect: Niall McLaughlin Architects

The Finer Details:

The International Rugby Experience is a world-class interactive tourist centre situated in the heart of Limerick city at the corner junction of O’Connell Street and Cecil Street. This unique development, which is of huge significance for Limerick city, comprises a seven-storey building with a two-storey portico at the front entrance, a two-storey block to the rear and a three-storey block over an existing building. It is expected that the visitor centre will easily attract in excess of 100,000 visitors per year.

Techrete were engaged to design and manufacture 190 brick-facing reconstructed stone panels offsite, which cover 1,849 square meters of the project façade. We worked closely with Flynn Construction and Niall McLaughlin Architects from an early stage to ensure that the ambitious architectural plans could be realised. Techrete are proud to have been involved in the development of this world-class visitor centre

The Distillers Building

The Distillers Building, Smithfield, Dublin 7

The Distillers Building Headline Facts:

197 brick-facing precast concrete panels, covering 1,969m2

Contractor: John Sisk & Son

Architect: BKD Architects

Haymarket House

Haymarket House, Smithfield, Dublin 7

Haymarket House Headline Facts:

129 brick-facing precast concrete panels, covering 2,006m2

Contractor: Collen Construction

Architect: Reddy Architecture & Urbanism

Creed Court

Creed Court, 5 Ludgate Hill, London, London, EC4M 7AA

Creed Court Headline Facts:

180 brick-facing & natural stone panels, manufactured off-site and covering 1,456m2 of the facade.

Contractor: McAleer & Rushe

Architect: Dexter Moren & Consarc Design Group

Dakota Hotel

29 Ducie Street, Manchester M12JL

Dakota Hotel Headline Facts:

131 brick-facing sandwich panels, covering 1,676m2 of the facade.

Contractor: PCE

Architect: Kilmartin and Plowman & Partners

ESB HQ (Project Fitzwilliam)

27 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, D02 KT92

ESB HQ Headline Facts:

2,227 reconstructed stone and brick-facing panels, covering 16,483m2

Contractor: PJ Hegarty & Sons

Architect: Grafton Architects & O’Mahony Pike

Orchard Wharf

 Orchard Wharf, Silvocea Way, London E14 0JJ, United Kingdom

Orchard Wharf Headline Facts:

928 brick-facing panels covering 8,009m2

Contractor: CJ O’Shea Contracting

Architect: BUJ Architects

Wolverhampton i9

Wolverhampton i9 Interchange, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LD

Wolverhampton i9 Headline Facts:

239 brick-facing panels, all constructed offsite and covering 2,358m2

Contractor : Grahams

Architect : Glenn Howells

Photo credit: Gregg Holmes Photography

Athlete’s Village No. 3 & 4

Athlete’s Village No. 3 & 4, Victory Parade, East Village, London E15 2ER

Athlete’s Village No. 3 & 4 Headline Facts:

2,065 reconstructed stone and brick faced panels, constructed offsite and covering 17,199m2 of the facades.

Contractor : Lendlease

Architect : Patel Taylor Architects

Durham University

Mount Oswald, Durham University, Leazes Road, Durham, DH1 1TA

Durham University Headline Facts :

1,500 brick-facing and reconstructed stone panels, constructed offsite, covering 12,500m2.

Contractor : PCE

Architect : Willmore Iles Architects

Watch Drone Footage of this Project here:

Video Credit : Interserve

Commercial Road

73 – 77 Commercial Road, London E1 1RD

Commercial Road Headline Facts:

223 sandwich panels, constructed offsite, covering 2,562m2.

Contractor : PCE

Architect: Dexter Moren Associates

Grangegorman Central Quad

Grangegorman Lower, Arran Quay, Dublin 7

Grangegorman Central Quad Headline Facts:

611 brick faced panels covering 9,439 square meters.

Contractor : Sisk / FCC JV

Architect : FCB Studios

Lancer Square

5A Kensington Church St, Kensington, London W8 4LD

Lancer Square Headline Facts:

469 natural stone faced and brick faced panels, covering 6,760 square meters.

Contractor : Mace

Architect : Squire & Partners

E05 Wembley Park

Wembley Park, Wembley, Brent, London

E05 Wembley Park Headline Facts:

1,610 brick faced and reconstructed stone panels with punched windows and Juliette balconies, covering 17,500 square meters.

Contractor : Sisk

Architect : PRP

The Finer Details :

Wembley Park is a transformational urban regeneration scheme in the heart of London, renewing the long-neglected space around the national stadium in London. It is creating a vibrant new district which will be home to the UK’s largest single-site build to rent scheme, with over 7,000 residential units, helping to address the UK’s shortage of affordable homes. Since 2004, a range of impressive projects have been delivered at Wembley Park, however the E05 project is the first time that precast concrete has been selected as the preferred facade at Wembley Park. Techrete were awarded the contract and works began in December of 2018.

E05 comprises 458 residences and associated amenities over three blocks, ranging between 10 and 21 storeys. Located immediately adjacent to the stadium, it also provides a linked basement car park for residents, a ground level coach park and two levels of accessible parking for Wembley Stadium. Sisk are expected to complete all works onsite by October 2020.

Within 18 months (December 2018 – May 2020), Techrete had designed, manufactured, and installed 1,610 architectural precast brick-faced panels, incorporating 2,000 windows and covering 17,500 square meters of the buildings facades.

Watch Installation Progress Video Here:

Video Courtesy of Quintain. Video Credit : Site Eye

University College London Hospital

University College London Hospital, 235 Euston Rd, Bloomsbury, London NW1 2BU

UCLH Headline Facts:

1,381 brick faced panels, covering 17, 227m²

Contractor : Mace

Architect : Pilbrow & Partners

The Marq, Duke’s Court

The Marq, 32 Duke Street, London SW1Y 6DF

The Marq, Duke’s Court Headline Facts:

157 brick faced, portland stone faced and gold gilded panels, covering 2,511 square meters.

Contractor : Skanska

Architect : Rolfe Judd and John McAslan & Partners

The Finer Details:

Duke’s Court is a mixed development of retail and office space on the corner of Duke Street and Jermyn Street in St James, London.  Designed by John McAslan & Partners and Rolfe Judd Architects and delivered by Skanska, Duke’s Court features beautiful gold gilding on the corner façade panels and a brass frame around the windows, all adding a touch of glamour to this particular corner of London’s West End. 

Techrete were appointed by Skanska to design, manufacture and install 157 panels in total. This included insulated Portland Stone faced panels, brick faced panels with factory fitted punch windows.  The mixture of Portland stone, two variations of brown and white brick and a Belgian blue limestone plinth were all developed to create the overall effect of Duke’s Court’s façade.

The pre-formed unitised punch window panels were in some cases, three windows wide and are stacked on Portland stone mullions between the ground and first floor.  The footprint of the building was so tight that this system was essential for the project and allowed us to install from inside of the building, thus avoiding scaffolding, which would have invaded public pedestrian zones.

The panel design combines both a stacked and steel corbel system restrained back to the main steel frame.  The factory insulated panels, fire stop details and the factory installed windows system were all coordinated via 3D modelling.

The corner façade features specially commissioned artwork on the panels.  The gold leaf inlay on the carved stone was to resemble a ‘dropped thread’.  Grooves were cut into the Portland stone panels for the gilding of the gold leaf and Techrete provided the drawings for these grooves.

The contemporary design coupled with the touch of classical glamour on the unusual corner façade and its location in such a prestigious area of London, have all been factors in contributing to the high-profile nature of this project for Techrete.  The elegant Portland stone, the warm brick and the gold gilding all together demonstrate how a combination of finishes can create a striking, contemporary façade and this will stand to us in the future when architects are considering this element right at the beginning of a projects.

Duke’s Court is one of the first buildings to achieve ‘BREEAM Outstanding’ for both its façade and core.

London Fruit & Wool Exchange

London Fruit & Wool Exchange, 1-10 Brushfield Sreet, Poplar, London E1 6EN

London Fruit & Wool Exchange Headline Facts:

646 reconstructed stone and brick faced panels, covering 5,232 square meters.

Contractor : Sir Robert McAlpine

Architect : Bennetts Associates

Grosvenor Street, London

Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London

Grosvenor Street Headline Facts:

147 brick faced panels, covering 1,378 square meters.

Contractor : Sir Robert McAlpine

Architect : BFLS

Collegelands

Collegelands, Havannah Street, Glasgow G4 0UB

Collegelands Headline Facts:

750 brick faced and reconstructed stone panels, covering 8,500 square meters.

Contractor : Dawn Construction

Architect : Page Park Architects

Bramall Music Building

Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT

290 brick faced and natural stone faced panels, covering 4,900 square meters.

Contractor : BAM Construction

Architect : Glenn Howells