Brick Works
Series

Brick Works are a series of relaxed, highly informative evenings, which offer practitioners and brick enthusiasts the opportunity to explore examples of contemporary brick architecture, to network with peers, and add clay brick to your calendar of continuing professional development (CPD).

Upcoming Events
Brick Works London Thursday 20th November 2025
Tickets now on sale
Brick Works Manchester Thursday 15th January 2026
Tickets on sale soon

Brick Works London

We're thrilled to invite you to Brick Works London, an exclusive evening hosted by the Brick Development Association in partnership with ACS Stainless Fixings.

Join us on Thursday 20th November at the Taylor Maxwell Clerkenwell Showroom, for an evening filled with networking, insights, and celebration of clay brick architecture. This is a unique opportunity to connect with industry peers and explore the latest in brick innovation within a truly historic setting. We look forward to seeing you there!

What's Included?

Informative presentations from Industry leaders and Architects
Complimentary refreshments throughout the evening
Networking opportunities

Event Details

Venue: Taylor Maxwell Showroom, 63 Central Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 3AF

When: 5 PM - 8.30 PM

Book your Tickets Here

Meet The Speakers

Senior Partner, Squire & Partners Tim Gledstone

Tim Gledstone is Senior Partner at award-winning architecture and design practice Squire & Partners. Since joining in 1998, Tim has taken a leading role in the design direction of the practice and has delivered numerous prestigious developments of varying scales in the UK and internationally.

Leading a team of architects, illustrators, interior designers and model makers, Tim’s creative input continues to shape the direction of the practice. Notable projects include the RIBA National Award-winning refurbishment of The Department Store, a residential complex located within the Albany Marina masterplan in the Bahamas and the sensitive restoration and extension of the iconic Grade II-listed Space House in Covent Garden.

Tim is an active speaker at built environment events and regularly acts as a judge for various design awards. Outside of his work at the practice, Tim is a Trustee of GreenShoots Foundation and Art Academy London. He is also a board member of the Brixton Business Improvement District and Design Ambassador for Computer Aid International and Article25.

Strategic Specification Director, ACS Stainless Steel Fixings Paul Ruding

With a wealth of experience and extensive knowledge of building, design and construction, Paul plays a crucial role in assisting architects during the early stages of specification to ensure the correct systems are chosen.

Paul will share his expertise on tackling the ever-growing challenges across the sector, and will introduce new strategies for solving cavity congestion, a significant issue in modern architecture. He will explore solutions with the innovative Intex™ 4-in-1 Masonry Support System, which combines four critical components in 1 easy-to-fit design; masonry support, cavity tray, wall ties and fire protection.

Founding Director, Threefold Architects Matt Driscoll

Matt Driscoll is a founding director of Threefold Architects with over 20 years’ experience leading the design and delivery of transformative housing, workplace and mixed-use projects across the UK and abroad. His work explores how architecture can enhance the way we live and work, creating adaptable, sustainable and inspiring environments that foster wellbeing, productivity and community.

In the residential sector, his expertise spans alternative housing models such as build-to-rent, PBSA, micro homes and co-living, offering valuable insight into how these typologies can address the challenges of urban living. As part of this, he has an excellent understanding of how to balance a client’s aspirations for quality, sustainability, flexibility and affordability. A champion of material innovation and sustainable design, Matt combines strategic thinking with technical delivery to achieve lasting, impactful solutions to the benefit of every project. Outside of practice, Matt is a technical tutor at UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture.

Presentation: TIDE Bankside

Join Tim as he takes us behind the scenes of TIDE Bankside, a groundbreaking net zero carbon development in the heart of London’s Bankside. Inspired by the Thames’ riverbanks and the area’s cultural heritage, the building’s striking façade reimagines natural erosion patterns through pioneering water-jet cut brickwork – a world first in collaboration with Thorp Precast.

Tim will explore how innovative design, low-carbon materials, and a strong focus on wellbeing come together in 147,500 sq ft of flexible workspaces, complete with landscaped terraces, a biodiversity-rich roof garden, and extensive cycling facilities.

This session will reveal how TIDE Bankside achieves BREEAM Outstanding, a 180-year design life, and sets a bold new benchmark for sustainable, resilient, and inspiring workplaces.

Presentation: Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Sadler’s Wells East is a striking new theatre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. This talk will explore the project’s innovative brickwork design and bespoke structural masonry façade solutions developed by ACS in collaboration with Galostar.

Part of the Olympic legacy regeneration, Sadler’s Wells East transforms a former industrial site into a vibrant cultural hub for dance. The venue features a flexible theatre, six studios, and a welcoming public foyer with café and community dance space. Designed for openness and sustainability, the BREEAM Excellent building features a distinctive square form with a deep canopy and striking sawtooth roofline wrapping the flytower.

The building’s textured brick façade showcases exceptional skill and precision. Complex projecting, corbelled, sloped, and louvred brickwork demanded close coordination between designers and contractors to address challenges in structure, acoustics, fireproofing, and waterproofing.

Its standout feature, the floating clay brick louvres, were achieved using a bespoke hidden rail support system designed by Galostar. Over 250 custom clay moulds were produced to meet the architect’s vision, with bricks projecting and recessing by 102.5mm, a rare feat in UK construction.

Sadlers Wells 01 Main Elevation c Nick Kane

Presentation: Sheepcote Road

In this presentation, Matt will explore the design and material strategy behind Sheepcote Road, a vibrant new affordable housing scheme in Harrow, delivering 149 accessible homes. The focus will be on how a singular material - clay brick - drove three core objectives: contextual placemaking, architectural craft, and material longevity. The project successfully integrates into the urban fabric by framing a central courtyard and new pedestrian route with two interlocking buildings.

Drawing inspiration from Harrow's local heritage, the scheme utilises a bespoke palette of light grey multi-bricks defined by contrasting red brick bands, projecting courses, and header details. This layered language, featuring red brick lintels and subtle reliefs, showcases a deep commitment to architectural craft and local continuity while visually modulating the building’s mass.

Matt will highlight how the material’s crucial role in urban placemaking extends beyond the façade; the rose-hued red brick is employed in the ground floor colonnade and the double-height entrance lobby, establishing a warm, tactile, social heart for residents.

Presentation: Silvertown Tunnel

This presentation will examine the architectural strategy for the Silvertown Tunnel Portal Control and Support buildings - the visible legacy of this critical piece of infrastructure designed to relieve congestion on the Thames. The focus will be on how the selection of Staffordshire Blue engineering brick created two complementary, yet distinct, landmark structures, serving as strategic "gateway markers" for the tunnel.

*Further insight into the Silvertown Tunnel presentation will be added soon*