The award-winning York
Handmade Brick Company has played a significant role in creating a stunning
contemporary home in Cheshire.
The Easingwold-based
firm, one of the leading independent brick-makers in the country, has supplied
specially manufactured bricks for the Knoll, a new-build house in Mouldsworth,
eight miles north of Chester.
Altogether York Handmade provided 15,000 bricks,
in a contract worth £22,500, for the development of the Knoll.
Mark Laksevics of York
Handmade explained: “This was a very exciting commission for us and we are
absolutely delighted with the result. Although we are based in Yorkshire, we
have a strong track record in the North West and the Knoll is an important
addition to our work in the region, which includes all the bricks for Chetham’s
School of Music in Manchester and Renshaw Hall, a superb new student
accommodation building in Liverpool.
“The key
was to create bricks which complemented the Cheshire red brickwork on the houses
of the Knoll’s neighbours. We are proud that our long, thin Hambleton Maxima
bricks have matched the architectural environment of rural north Cheshire
perfectly.”
The result is that the Knoll has been entered for
the prestigious Brick Awards, the Oscars of the brick industry,
which take place in the West End of London this autumn.
Michael Young, of Liverpool-based architects Smith Young who designed the
Knoll, explained that this was the second time Smith Young had used York
Handmade’s bricks.
“The
superior quality and the variety of York Handmade’s bricks are unrivalled in
our opinion. Combined with the fact they
are a UK manufacturing and sustainable company makes them the clear choice for
us.
“York
Handmade were extremely accommodating and easy to work with throughout the
project. They allowed ourselves and the
client to visit their factory near Easingwold and see first-hand the production
method. They also provided the client with a detailed understanding of the
process and the quality that comes with a premium manufacture.
“We
are exceptionally pleased with the result. The bricks for this project are the
show piece of the architecture. Using a
lower quality brick wasn’t an option for us or the client and the choice of
format type and surface finish subtly elevates the development beyond the
everyday brick housing.”
Mr
Young added: “We would have no hesitation recommending York Handmade to
colleagues in the industry”.
The building
contractor for the Knoll was Caldway Homes of Allerton,
Liverpool.