Brick Slips vs Precast: Modern Brick Finish Façades
Case-study-based Online CPD Seminar
Brick façades are everywhere in contemporary architecture—but very few are constructed as traditional masonry.
In dense urban environments, external access is restricted, storage is limited, and scaffolding is often unfeasible.
This raises a fundamental question: how do you deliver a high-quality brick façade when conventional brickwork simply cannot be used?
This live CPD examines a London-based case study that pushed the limits of modern brick façade engineering.
The façade features unusual brick bonding, extremely slender piers and ledges, and a requirement for visually continuous brickwork without visible movement joints—conditions in which standard bricklaying becomes impossible.
We will compare two modern solutions for achieving brick finishes under these constraints:
Precast concrete façades with cast-in brick
Rainscreen systems using brickslips
Using the case study as a framework, we will explore how each system responds to the critical challenges of contemporary façade design.
Rather than focusing on appearance alone, we look at the practical engineering decisions that drive system choice:
Access and installation methods
Water management and moisture pathways
Logistics, sequencing, and programme impact
Movement joints and continuity of brick bond
Integration of windows and openings
Fire safety strategies and cavity behaviour
By the end of the session, attendees will understand not only how these façade systems work, but also why they are selected—and the technical trade-offs involved.
