The Brick Facade Spectrum:
Brickslips, Precast, Render and
Facing Brick
About This CPD
This comprehensive technical CPD course provides architects and building design professionals with practical knowledge of masonry-like cladding systems. The course covers traditional supported masonry, mechanically-fixed brick slip systems, adhesive-fixed systems, insulated prefab panels, rendered brick-effect finishes, and precast concrete solutions – examining up to ten distinct ways to achieve a brick façade appearance.
You’ll learn to compare systems across key performance criteria: self-weight, fire classification, installation speed, programme impact, cost, and long-term durability. The course explains the critical differences between mechanical retention and adhesive-only bonding, addresses fire classification requirements and height restrictions that govern system selection, and examines documented cases of adhesive de-bonding and slip detachment to illustrate how specification decisions carry long-term consequences.
Presented by Eugene Korch (façade engineer and IAST Programme Director), the course combines regulatory context with practical application, using side-by-side system comparisons, certification data, and project case studies to show how each system performs in practice.
Using clear diagrams, technical data sheets, and manufacturer specifications, this course builds evidence-based understanding. It’s designed to help you specify appropriate masonry-like cladding systems whilst recognising the common pitfalls, design errors, and specification gaps that lead to failures on site.
Join the Façade Intelligence Professional Membership (FI PRO) to access a comprehensive library of seminar recordings, a wide range of short courses developed by the Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST), and regular case study releases.
We guarantee our members a minimum of 24 hours of structured, high-quality CPD content each year, allowing professionals to continuously develop their expertise in façade design and engineering.
FI PRO Membership provides individuals and teams with the flexibility to explore a wide variety of specialist courses without any additional course fees.
Individual Membership
Join FI PRO today to start accessing our full CPD library.
Corporate Membership
For organisations looking to support the development of their teams, explore our Corporate Membership options or contact us at corporate@iast.uk.
All technical CPD courses developed by the Institute for Architectural Science and Technology are free from advertising and commercial bias and are designed to promote best practices in façade design and engineering.
By joining FI PRO, you not only provide your team with engaging, relevant professional development opportunities, but also help support the continued development of the Façade Intelligence Knowledge Platform, contributing to higher standards of professional education across the construction industry.