With the construction season in full swing in Edmonton, we found ourselves in a bit of a bind when it came time to finalize our major design feature: the brick. Every mason and bricklayer that we contacted would be unable to help us out, with the earliest available opening some 6 weeks from now! Enter Nathan Cook and his crew. From the first meeting it was clear that these guys knew what they were about and they seemed keen to help us get our project finished. It was a pleasure to watch them work, and they delivered nothing short of a miracle in laying over 600 square feet of brick in about 4 days.

The brickwork, much like the ceiling panels, is a major design feature in the store. We wanted something that would emphasize the height of the space as well as bring continuity to the different surface treatments used on the East and West sides. In order to achieve this, we used full sized brick to build 5 columns, distributed across the East and West walls, as well as a full facing for two window alcoves. It was a big job.

Aside from playing a supportive role to the overall design concept, we also wanted to use the brick as an esthetic feature that would again bring back the idea of re-purposed or found space (I suppose a little contrived in that we were going to lay brick were there was none before!). At a recent visit to Essen in Germany, both Morgan and I were extremely impressed with the scale and magnificence of the brand new Rurh museum. The museum (and arts center) has been built inside a pre-existing coal mine and coking plant. The facilities are a great example of the Bauhaus movement, where function dictates form and architectural perfection is achieved through extremely linear and minimalist design. These structures are marvels of brick and mortar; massive buildings whose soaring and acute 90 degree angles make a strong impression regarding progress, industry, and the smooth integration of art and function. When we sat down with Paul, the designer, he understood exactly what we wanted and found a great way to incorporate some of these sentiments into our designs.

It was great watching these guys work. At times we had up to 6 bricklayers up on scaffoldings, at various heights.  It was satisfying to watch as each column slowly rose, layer-by-layer and brick-by-brick. It seems to me that there was a meditative aspect to this type of work- the motions are repetitive and measured, a way of separating the body and mind by occupying one while letting the other run free. It was also interesting to understand that the entire column is based on the precise alignment of the rows that comprise it and each row in is made of individually placed bricks. A single misplaced brick at the base would turn into a catastrophic failure at the rows placed up top.  The skill required to lay bricks is something that I’ve never taken into consideration and as I watched these guys ply their trade, I’m beginning to understand a little more about the moving boundaries between creativity, function, and labour.