Masonry Magazine October 1963 Page. 14
The Better Use of Brick
Brick is man's oldest man-made building material. According to Basil Spence, distinguished British architect who mentioned it in an address before The American Institute of Architects recently, it is still "the best prefabricated building component ever invented by man."
Drawn from the earth and baked like bread, the material is cheap and seems to be almost indestructible. A brick from the ancient city of Ur, dating back some 5,000 years, is on exhibit at the AIA's Octagon museum in Washington. Brick is a dense substance which shuts out noise, resists water penetration well, and, properly insulated, keeps out heat and cold. Easy to mould, it can be produced in any surface texture or color. Small in size, it is easy to handle and extremely flexible in use.
How well brick is used depends upon the designer and builder. The quality of appearance and construction rests entirely with the imagination and competence of the people who build the walls, dividers, screens, floors, patios, fireplaces, chimneys, walks, and other elements that brick is used for.
A talented young architect, Casper Neer, AIA, of Alexandria, Va., recently reexamined this well-known building material to determine what might be done to create more elegant, aesthetically pleasing, and imaginative uses of brick in and around the house. These excellent sketches are the fruit of Mr. Neer's study.