Bricks

The enduring advantages of brick construction

Whether you’re designing a contemporary family home or a landmark commercial development, brick walls deliver a rare mix of performance and aesthetics. Fired clay and concrete bricks offer outstanding compressive strength, excellent acoustic separation and low-maintenance longevity. Their high thermal mass evens out temperature swings, reducing energy use and elevating comfort under Australia’s harsh climate.

Beyond function, bricks provide unrivalled visual depth. Textured faces, glazed surfaces and modular sizes let architects play with pattern, shadow and colour for façades that age gracefully instead of dating quickly.

Common brick types in the Australian market

• Face bricks – Selected for visible façades; wide palette of colours and textures.
• Common bricks – Structural units hidden behind cladding or plaster; cost-effective.
• Engineering bricks – Dense, low-porosity units ideal for retaining walls and damp zones.
• Recycled bricks – Salvaged heritage material that adds authentic character and lowers embodied carbon.
• Lightweight brick veneer panels – Thin slices bonded to a backing board to achieve a brick look without the weight.
• Pavers & specials – Purpose-made shapes for landscaping, sills and curved elements.

Specification checklist

Before locking in a material = brick decision, confirm the following:

• Compressive strength – Typically 15–50 MPa; match to structural loads.
• Durability rating – Exposure classifications (e.g. GP, EXP) dictate suitability for coastal or industrial sites.
• Dimension – Standard brick (230 × 110 × 76 mm) or slimmer Roman/Linear profiles.
• Weight – Crucial for floor loading and transport logistics; veneer panels cut dead weight by up to 70%.
• Thermal performance – Higher mass equals better temperature damping; pair with cavity insulation for optimum R-values.
• Colour fastness – Through-body pigmentation outlasts applied coatings.

Codes, standards & installation

Brickwork in Australia must comply with NCC Volume 2 & AS 3700 Masonry Structures. Key points:

• Specify control joints every 6 m (max) to manage thermal movement.
• Use galvanised or stainless steel ties in coastal zones.
• Protect cavities with flashings and weep holes 1 .5 m apart.
• Never lay bricks in temperatures below 5 °C or above 35 °C without protection.

Working with complementary cladding materials

Combining brick with contrasting textures can emphasise form and minimise cost. Explore these options within our broader Cladding & Facades library:

• Timber cladding for warm accents.
• Metal cladding for crisp, industrial lines.
• Masonry and stone for weighty plinths.
• Fibre cement cladding to achieve slim shadow-line panels.
• Pre-cladding systems that speed up install time.
• Render plaster systems for a monolithic finish over brick.
• Concrete cladding when brute texture is desired.
• Flashing penetrations for watertight detailing.
• uPVC cladding as a low-maintenance alternative.
• Eaves and soffits that frame your brick wall neatly.
• Glazed facade systems for daylight-rich atriums.
• Composite cladding to blend timber fibres with polymers.
• Facade screens that provide shading in front of brick.
• Exterior decorative mouldings to highlight openings.
• Green facades for living walls that soften masonry.
• Weatherboard cladding for coastal vernacular blends.
• Timber shingles as textural roofing partners.

Budget & procurement tips

1. Order 5–10 % extra bricks to cover breakages and future repairs; batches vary in tone.
2. Factor in transport early—double-stacked pallets reduce freight costs.
3. Request sample panels so decision-makers can approve colour in natural light.
4. Consider off-site cutting for specials to limit on-site waste and exposure to silica dust.

Next steps

Ready to specify bricks? Use ArchiPro’s filtering tools to sort by colour, texture, size and rating, then connect with suppliers who can provide technical data, BIM files and pricing within hours. Build smarter, faster—and with enduring style.