Dry pressed bricks from PGH Bricks & Pavers in neutral and metallic shades were used for the construction of Mount Pleasant Primary School and Kindergarten in Melbourne.

Working to a brief of a neutral palette with limited use of bold colours, Kneeler Design Architects reimagined the use of bricks for the school’s design. Architect Claire Carson explained that they specified bricks for their durability and low maintenance characteristics, making them highly suitable for the school environment. The architect firm decided to use bricks creatively to design a welcoming and stimulating environment for the school community.

According to Ms Carson, instead of using bold colours and contrasts, they chose a combination of standard and slimline bricks from the PGH Dry Pressed collection for a subtle expression of brickwork. This added simple yet impactful pattern and proportion to the design, with the split bricks helping to break up the monotony of standard bricks, and allowing them to play with scale and lend proportion.

Metallic bricks were incorporated at the school’s entrance to provide a playful yet subtle element to the design. The overall appearance has received appreciation from the principal and teachers, who regularly comment on the reflective quality of the bricks.

The project primarily used standard and split PGH dry pressed bricks in Mowbray Blue. PGH Urban Metal splits in Silver Spark and PGH Seascape splits in Lagoon were also used as feature bricks.

Image: Standard and slimline bricks from the PGH Dry Pressed collection were selected to deliver a subtle expression of brickwork