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  • ARCHITECT

    Stanton Williams

  • LOCATION

    ST. JAMES’S PARK,
    WESTMINSTER, LONDON

  • PRODUCT

    MCPD103

  • QUANTITY

    X,000 BRICKS OVER
    THREE COMMERCIAL
    BUILDINGS

Zayed centre for research, london

It was always the agenda of architects Stanton Williams to bring increased visibility and awareness to the innovative, life-changing paediatric research and science that's being carried out on rare diseases. London's Knowledge Quarter is home to some of the world's leading science and research centres, such as Coram's Fields (the former site of the Foundling Hospital) which itself is synonymous with children's welfare.

In a prominent public area that is known for its rich modern architecture, the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children was developed by Stanton Williams. The development needed to fit in seamlessly with the surrounding structures while offering its own aesthetic qualities. Modular Clay Products were given the task of finding a brick solution that had to meet very specific criteria and dimensions.

Background

Modular Clay Products were given the initial brief of trying to find a light grey waterstruck brick. Not only that, but this waterstruck brick needed to be a thinner module; in other words, not cut to standard UK brick dimensions. Various samples were submitted to ensure the architect and brick manufacturers were in agreement, which took time but Modular Clay Products were committed to the process.

A unique soldier course was required to sit above the windows, which Modular Clay Products had to factor in when consulting with the manufacturers. A large mock-up panel was constructed to gauge how the facing bricks would look.

Challenge

London's Knowledge Quarter is bustling with buildings that are synonymous with science, research and innovation. The Zayed Centre for Research was conceived with the intention of bringing together groundbreaking research and clinical care in children, in unison with Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London. As a purpose-built centre, it needed to house eight storeys of clinics, specialist laboratories and seminar spaces, while ensuring the architect's vision of quality and design integrity was kept.

Stanton Williams takes great pride in designing buildings that make people appreciate the space they are in, while simultaneously experiencing something positive. The architects required a specific exterior facing brick design, with particular emphasis on the dimensions, texture and colour.

Project Images

A person walks past the Zayed Centre for Research in London, flanked by modern and historic buildings with trees lining the street.
Modern building facade with sharp geometric rooftop against a clear blue sky.
Modern building with vertical windows on the right and an older brick building partly visible behind autumnal trees, under a cloudy sky.
A long hallway with a sign on the wall.
Long hallway with large windows on the right and wooden paneling on the left, featuring numbered doors 14 and 15, with gray and orange benches along the wall.
Rooftop garden with greenery and glass panels overlooking brick residential buildings and a clear blue sky.
Modern building with tall, narrow windows and light-colored brick walls under a clear blue sky.
Modern building with beige brick and glass facade, adjacent to a traditional brick house, surrounded by greenery under a clear blue sky.
A building with people walking on the sidewalk.
A building with many windows.
Zayed Centre for Research
Modern building with glass and brick facade, adjacent to older brick structures.
Modern building with large windows and vertical concrete elements on a tree-lined street with pedestrians and parked cars.
A building with a tree in front of it.
A modern, multi-story building with large windows stands on a tree-lined street. Pedestrians and cyclists are visible, and cars are parked along the curb.
A building with many windows and a sidewalk with bicycles.
Close-up of a modern building facade with vertical slats and glass windows, reflecting tree branches against a clear sky.
A street with cars parked on it.
A building with trees and people walking on the street.
A street with trees and people walking on the sidewalk.
Modern building with a glass façade and vertical stone accents. Bicyclists and a car are on the street in front, with trees partly visible above.
Modern brick building with large windows under a clear sky
Modern building with large glass windows at street level, pedestrians walking by.
A building with many windows and people walking on the street.
Street scene with parked cars on both sides, a few people walking, a person cycling
A building with glass windows.
Modern four-story brick building with vertical windows on a quiet street. A single car is parked

Solution

Eventually, Stanton Williams decided on a brick design in a standard German size (240x115x52mm) with a waterstruck texture and blended colours of greys, creams and browns. The bricks are bonded together in the popular stretcher bond pattern, with a light grey mortar that draws more attention to the darker bricks, while blending seamlessly with the lighter ones.

For the soldier course, Modular Clay Products were able to utilise their partnerships with brick manufacturing experts to everyone's advantage. The factory that finalised the thinner brick module also produced specialised solid faces on the beds, which was particularly challenging for the corners of the building. Not all brick factories can produce special-shaped bricks but given the project specifications, this helped Stanton Williams to solidify their trust in the product and suppliers.

Benefits

The brick solution helps the Zayed Centre for Research blend very well into the urban fabric of London's Knowledge Quarter, which is exactly what Stanton Williams wanted. The unique colour and texture of the brick walls help the research centre retain its vibrant presence within a plethora of other commercial buildings.

The special-made bricks exceeded all expectations from a practical and aesthetic standpoint. Through their strategic partnerships, Modular Clay Products helped the architect see for themselves how effective the thinner, specialised waterstruck bricks would be. This was no more apparent than when they saw the large mock-up models.

Modular Clay Products were able to leverage their abilities to find the most appropriate and affordable brick for Stanton Williams, which has subsequently helped establish a good working relationship between both parties.

For the soldier course, Modular Clay Products were able to utilise their partnerships with brick manufacturing experts to everyone's advantage. The factory that finalised the thinner brick module also produced specialised solid faces on the beds, which was particularly challenging for the corners of the building. Not all brick factories can produce special-shaped bricks but given the project specifications, this helped Stanton Williams to solidify their trust in the product and suppliers.