Superbrick
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SUPER BRICK
The module of a standard brick, 1 : 1.5 : 3 is a brilliant geometry that makes it a supremely flexible building unit, being able to be laid or stacked in a variety of ways. We propose a SUPERBRICK, made with precast brick walls, in the same modular ratio, which can be stacked like bricks to create an infinite/wide variety of homes.
SUPERBRICK is 9 metres long. 4.5 metres wide and has an overall height of 3 metres (floor to ceiling 2.7 metres) with a footprint of 40.5 square metres and an internal area of 35 square metres It has an open corner to enable connections and a dedicated area for the installation of lightweight prefab 'wet room' of a bathroom/ensuite/laundry.
SUPERBRICK can be entirely factory made, transported to site and craned together to create single and double storey homes, apartments, boarding houses, in fact any form of home found in a diverse suburbia.
SUPERBRICK uses Austral 'Fat Boy' precast bricks as the walls, standardised full-height windows and doors, and a post-tensioned concrete floor and roof. Party walls are single skin with the face brick internally. External walls use the 'Fat Boy' double insulated wall, with the rich colours available in the Austral 'Fat Boy' range externally and render/plaster internally. Exposed concrete surfaces are wrapped in rendered or clad Kingspan K5 and K10 insulation.
SUPERBRICK can be fitted out and occupied in a wide variety of ways: as a single open room (studio/office/lounge), with a kitchen (family/dining) with an ensuite (couples' bedroom), with a bathroom (and subdivided into 2 bedrooms), with a bathroom and kitchen (small apartment).
SUPERBRICK has high sustainable values: the bricks give high internal thermal mass, and great sound isolation, their strength gives greater structural qualities with concrete floors and ceilings, even more thermal mass, which is vital in maintaining a stable, low energy cost, interior. The concrete roof to each module can support an intensive or extensive green roof, giving greater insulation and higher sustainability.
SUPERBRICK is very flexible and can create a wide range of homes:
Single storey family home: 3 SUPERBRICKs can be stacked side by side to create a single storey house of 140 sqm for 4 people, about half the size of current freestanding homes. An additional SUPERBRICK can be a home office/workshop / or garage (for car addicts with one large or 2 small cars). 1 dwelling, 4 people, 450-500 sqm lot, 18-20 dw/Ha, 72 pp/Ha.
Double storey multi-generational home: 5 SUPERBRICKs can make a home for 3 generations: grandparents, parents and children can each have a SUPERBRICK as their own 'private apartment', and the family can all enjoy one or two SUPERBRICK spaces that open onto a courtyard, or as a home office/workspace facing on to the street. 1 dwelling, 6-8 people, 450-500 sqm lot, 18-20 dw/Ha, 100 pp/Ha.
Multiple dwellings / apartments / mixed use: 8 to 20 SUPERBRICKs make a 3 to 4 storey apartment block, of 35 sqm apartments, which can be combined into larger apartments or even separate larger homes within the one building, offering flexibility over time, and the possibilities of changing your home size at the same address - 'ageing in place'. The building can be mixed use with commercial on the ground floor and apartments or a boarding house or residential college above. 8-10 dwellings, 12-20 people, 1000 sqm lot, 80 dw/Ha, 150 pp/Ha.
