Blackhorse Point is a significant mixed-use development in Walthamstow, London, that exemplifies how high-quality clay brick is fundamental to successful urban regeneration, blending contemporary design with sensitivity to local heritage.
Located adjacent to Blackhorse Road Station and central to a major masterplan, Blackhorse Point creates a distinct urban block featuring 350 new homes and commercial spaces. The project demonstrates a commitment to quality from the ground up, with brick playing a vital role in shaping its character and ensuring its lasting legacy.
Referencing Local Character with Contemporary Quality
A key driver for the design was to reference the local vernacular, drawing inspiration from Victorian-style detailing, materiality, and proportions, as well as the area's industrial past. Brick proved the ideal material to interpret these historical cues in a contemporary way, giving the scheme its own strong identity while ensuring it sits comfortably within its context.
The use of a carefully composed brick palette, featuring three distinct tones (dark, medium, light), was instrumental in defining different character areas across the development, from grounding the heavy base elements to achieving visual lightness on taller sections.
Crafting Quality: Detailing at Every Scale
The true quality of the brickwork lies not just in the palette but in its meticulous crafting. Exploring finer detailing around window openings, at plinths, and floor levels adds a richness and sophistication that directly references the quality found in good historic design. This detailed approach creates a clear hierarchy of the elevations, defining important thresholds and reinforcing the architectural integrity of the buildings.
Critically, the creative use of brickwork and detailing enhances the pedestrian experience at street level. The material’s texture and scale create visual interest and quality up close, ensuring the base of the building engages positively with the public realm.
Brick for Prominence and Longevity
Standing as the tallest building within the masterplan cluster, the 21-storey tower at Blackhorse Point showcases brick's capabilities at height. The elegant brick facades, with their repeating rhythm and angular gables, demonstrate how high-quality brick detailing can accentuate a building's importance in the wider townscape while retaining crucial quality and texture at pedestrian scale.
By selecting robust, high-quality brick, the architects have ensured the material will age gracefully, contributing to the scheme's long-term durability and aesthetic value – a true mark of sustainable construction and a testament to brick's inherent longevity.
Blackhorse Point serves as an excellent example of how specifying UK-made clay brick delivers not only exceptional aesthetic quality and design versatility but also ensures developments are rooted in local context and built to last, providing a resilient and characterful built environment for the future.
Brick Bulletin | Feature 247
