Skinner Street

Location: Leeds

Brick Manufacturer: Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC

Brick Names: Blockleys Synthesis S01, Blockleys Wrekin Berkshire, Blockleys Wrekin Dark Red, Blockleys Black Smooth

Architect: Leach Rhodes Walker Architects

Brickwork Contractor: Brickstone Construction Ltd

Skinner Street is a 30-storey residential tower in Leeds city centre that demonstrates what is possible when brick is chosen not as a default cladding material, but as the primary driver of architectural form. Designed by Leach Rhodes Walker Architects and delivered by main contractor Keady Construction, the building comprises approximately 400 apartments and stands as one of the most technically ambitious brick-clad high-rise developments completed in the UK in recent years.

The building's curved form was not an aesthetic conceit but a direct response to its environment. Situated on an exposed westerly frontage on an arterial route into Leeds city centre, the site presented a challenging wind microclimate intensified by the prevailing conditions crossing the Pennines. Sweeping curved facades and generous openings were developed at an early design stage to mitigate wind impact, reduce low-pressure vortices on the leeward elevation and improve the structure's overall aerodynamic performance. In this way, the architecture was shaped by its environment, and brick was the material that made it buildable.

The design team deliberately avoided complex special units. By working within minimum curve radii and using full brick reveals to provide facade modelling, they achieved the illusion of continuous, flowing curves using standard brick modules. This was both an elegant design solution and a cost-conscious one, demonstrating that technical ambition and commercial discipline need not be in conflict.

The brickwork itself represents an exceptional feat of craft. Thirteen different radii were incorporated across the facade, with some varying by as little as 2mm over a two-metre length. To maintain consistency at every level, bespoke plastic templates were manufactured to reflect each radius variable. The 800,000 brick facade comprises a carefully considered blend of four brick types: 50% Michelmersh Synthesis 01, 40% Wreken Berkshire, 6% Wreken Dark Red and 4% Black Smooth. The introduction of black brick into the predominantly red blend adds depth and texture, preventing the facades from reading as a flat, homogeneous surface and referencing the historic materiality of Leeds as a brick city.

Technical complexity extended beyond the brickwork itself. Bespoke stainless steel non-combustible cavity trays were designed and installed to follow the varying curves of the facade without sealants, tapes or thermal bridging. Mortar specification was upgraded to M6 to account for the elevated wind loadings on the structure. Over 3,000 individual quality inspections were completed and recorded using the Onetrace quality management system, providing a full audit trail across every critical element of the building envelope.

The project was completed ahead of schedule and within budget. It stands as a powerful rebuttal to the notion that skilled bricklayers are in short supply, and as compelling evidence that clay brick, handled with expertise and design conviction, remains capable of producing architecture of the highest order.