This development on Auckland’s Botany Road features four townhouses, each with four bedrooms and generous north-facing living areas that maximise solar gain and natural light. Durability, quality and permanence were central to the design, which looked to ensure longevity, low maintenance and to fit with the character of the surrounding residential neighbourhood. Alpine Brick from PGH Bricks was a fitting choice for the cladding, and was used to create a warm, textured facade that will stand the test of time.

“The clients wanted four standalone houses that would be reflective of the surrounding landscape and architectural language,” explains Pauline Shew, Senior Architectural Designer, ProDesigners Architects. “The surrounding architectural language features a lot of bricks and tiles. The client wanted permanency and low maintenance from the cladding. We knew that we’d be using bricks right from the start.”

The designers looked towards more modern brick options as a way to create a contemporary look, while still taking advantage of the timelessness that brick offers. Alpine Brick hit this brief.

“We looked at how to design a brick facade, but with a more contemporary look. The Alpine Brick has a texture and slight variation in colour — it’s a warm white, not just a plain stark white, so we used that alongside a vertical fibre cement board to create a more modern look.”

Having worked with PGH Brick (formerly Monier) in the past, Pauline found designing with the system straightforward. “They are easy to deal with and they’ve got a good warranty — 25 years,” she says. “They’ve got good technical details that we can use quite quickly in doing our consent drawings, and they are readily available. We didn’t really need any further support as it was all straightforward.” 

In addition to brick as the main facade material, schist and fibre cement elements were also used, giving the facades a more dynamic and modern look. “The predominantly brick exterior provides a robust and low-maintenance base, which is complemented by schist elements that add texture and depth,” says Pauline. “Vertical weatherboards are used to introduce variation, reinforce scale, and give a more contemporary feel. The palette is deliberately restrained, balancing durability, visual clarity, and long-term performance.” 

The end result is a modern and generous approach to townhouse living, with Alpine Brick bringing warmth and texture to the facade, balancing modern elements with timelessness. “It’s looking really nice. The brick goes from white to a straw wheaty colour that gives a sense of depth and variation which is nice — sort of traditional but contemporary,” says Pauline. “It has that contemporary feel but still feels timeless and traditional. It’s looking really good.”