Now in its 20th year, the Think Brick Awards encourages architects to push boundaries and reimagine the application of brick, block, pavers and roof tiles in contemporary design. 

The Horbury Hunt Award categories include commercial and residential built projects that exemplify outstanding craftsmanship and innovation through the use of clay face brick and pavers.  

A masterclass in delivering major infrastructure into village-scaled urban environments, the Sydney Metro Crows Nest Station seamlessly blends traditional masonry with innovative construction techniques. Located on Sydney’s lower north shore, the site is surrounded by low-rise, detached and semi-detached housing with a distinctly village atmosphere revered by residents. 

Woods Bagot Principal Lucian Gormley says, “infrastructure is typically delivered at a completely different scale to our older, historic suburban residential communities. The size and scale of the pieces – designed to be craned into place – are quite often not legible at a human scale.” 

“Our design team worked hard to find solutions that responded to the requirement of infrastructure whilst speaking to the historic, village scale, residential aspects of the site.” 

The station features distinctive brick details installed using a range of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Rather than traditional brick-by-brick placement, the design incorporates precast brick panels in a classic Flemish bond pattern. These impressive panels—measuring 8.1 meters long by 2.1 meters wide and weighing over eight tonnes—allowed the design team to incorporate community scaled materials delivered at the pace required by large scale infrastructure.  This system, combined with an innovative, lightweight, and removable, brickwork louvre detail enabled the delivery of an impressive, confident architectural resolution. 

“The precast technology helped to deliver enhanced quality control, faster installation, and improved safety. Beyond aesthetics, these masonry elements provide human scale to this significant infrastructure, establishing a visual dialogue with the neighbourhood’s established character,” says Gormley. “The brick detailing echoes Victorian elements found throughout the suburb, bringing contemporary craftsmanship to a historically-informed design.” 

“The modulated brickwork façade system has successfully grounded the building within its local environment and the brick skin has also been used in a multitude of ways to overcome a myriad of design problems,” says Gormley. “The interiors are a continuation of the exploration between community and infrastructure. The modulated brickwork units juxtaposed against the raw concrete structural beams, weave together the narrative of place, people and infrastructure.”  

The brick detailing echoes Victorian elements found throughout the suburb, bringing contemporary craftsmanship to a historically-informed design. Namoi Valley Coolibah created a custom brick colour which form a modulated façade that grounds the station in its surroundings.  

The bricks’ earthy richness connects to place, while their pale colour and corbelled design detail captures shifting shadows and tones throughout the day. The materiality acknowledges the area’s Federation-period architectural heritage, with brick panels cantilevering from concrete bases to create feature walls referencing the local palette.  

Winners will be announced at the Think Brick Awards Lunch on 5 September. 

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Adrien Moffatt
Content and Communications Leader (Australia)