Brick Works Bristol

in association with Design West

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).

What’s Included?

• 3 informative presentations from industry leaders and top Bristol Architects.
• Complimentary drinks throughout
• Delicious pizza following the presentations
• Networking opportunities
• Gift bag from our event partners

🧱 The Line Up 🧱

Alasdair Ferguson – Purcell – The Shoemakers Museum

As a senior Architect at Purcell for nearly four years, Alasdair is comfortable delivering complex projects across all stages—from new builds to Grade I listed conservation, across a range of sectors.

His philosophy emphasizes sensitivity, context, and joyful spaces, particularly thriving when designing within constraints, Alasdair approaches existing buildings as opportunities to reuse and retell, framing history through contemporary design.

The Shoemakers Museum project holds special significance for Alasdair as it celebrates people – the generations of Street families who have invested in this 200-year-old brand. He notes that Clarks uniquely connects to our collective experience through universal childhood memories – that ceremonial first foot measuring, those inaugural school shoes – creating a brand with unparalleled personal connection.

The Shoemakers Museum stands as a purpose-built home to showcase the Alfred Gillett Trust’s remarkable collection – 150,000 pairs of shoes documenting Clarks’ 200-year journey alongside ten perfectly preserved ichthyosaur fossils, discovered when excavating for the original factory. The project weaves together the unassuming town of Street with the beloved brand that shaped its identity.

Amy Robinson – Leviat – Silverthorne Lane

Amy is one of the Regional Technical Sales Managers for UK Masonry at Leviat. Amy has been with Leviat for nearly 9 years where she has developed her career in the Technical team, working on large-scale residential and commercial builds. Along with helping to get Leviat products specified, she spends her working day doing design and site meetings as well as CPDs.

The Silverthorne Lane development, delivered for Studio Hive, represents a landmark addition to Bristol’s urban fabric and forms a key component of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone regeneration. This ambitious scheme introduces a significant volume of high-quality student accommodation, thoughtfully integrated with a suite of lifestyle amenities and a landscaped external courtyard – designed to foster community and wellbeing.

Comprising four distinct blocks ranging from 5 to 16 storeys, the development was initially conceived with a precast concrete cladding system. However, in response to evolving budgetary constraints, Leviat was engaged to reimagine the façade strategy. Working in close collaboration with Hydrock (now Stantec) and HG Construction, Leviat acted swiftly to design a traditional brickwork façade supported by bespoke structural solutions.

Amy will also present the digital tools and workflows employed to ensure precision and alignment with the architectural vision – demonstrating how intelligent design coordination can uphold quality and programme, even under challenging constraints.

Tom Russell – Emmett Russell Architects – Bristol Social Housing

Tom Russell is founder and practice Director for Emmett Russell Architects. Tom has been instrumental in a number of national and international competition winning housing and urban design schemes. He has a particular interest in the design of housing, liveable neighbourhoods, sustainable construction and in new approaches to retirement housing. As well as his work in practice Tom has had extensive experience of teaching architecture and urban design at Cardiff University, Bath University and UWE in Bristol. He has been a member of the Bristol Urban Design Forum, a trustee of Design West and is an academician at the Royal West of England Academy.

The talk focuses on award winning social housing projects by Emmett Russell Architects and explores how the design of housing can support sociability and help to foster stronger communities. The practice has been working with Bristol City Council for over ten years on the delivery of new council homes on small sites across the city. Over that time, approaches to housing delivery have evolved to further embrace emerging MMC technologies, and to address the challenges of climate change.