Simplicity & Integrity of Brick

The Brick Curtain House by Design Work Group is an expression of the owner’s affinity to nature, and an outcome of a sustainable and functional amalgamation for the living environment that also houses an offices


Fact File

Project: Brick Curtain House
Location: Surat
Gross Built Area: 810m²
Structure: Angle Consultancy
Electricals: Leo Electrical
Windows: Dream Home Element
Modular Kitchen: Ottimo Agency
Photo credits: phxindia


The layout of the house is organized such that private zones like kitchen, dining and bedroom are accommodated at the inner side. The public zone in the front contains semi-open spaces with a double height living area in the center. On the third floor, the home office merges with the terrace garden. While one side of the house is encased in concrete, the other is in brick. In the interiors, the exposed brickwork is complemented by wooden furniture, marble flooring, and muted colours of large areas of exposed concrete.

The spatial organization brought with it a big climatic challenge as the front facade with large surface areas stood exposed to the west, intensifying the heat gain throughout the day. To reduce the heat gain, the architects decided to use Brick - a module that is raw and natural and can help create projections to reduce the heating effect.

The brick façade has unevenly placed bricks, protruding in and out. As the façade needs to shade the central indoor environment, the two ends are straight without bulges, giving the undulations in the center a firm hold. The central portion is divided into three parts, each having three bulges in a series. To structurally hold the huge façade of 83 layers, vertical and horizontal reinforcement was added.

We chose brick as it is a simple earthy module that comes together to form a complex element that stands against harsh climatic conditions and appears beautiful

Principal Designers Bharat Patel, Dinesh Suthar, Jitendra Sabalpara

The chosen form served two purposes: individually, the brick module shades itself, and the convex bulges in the wall shade the lower concave bulges. The brick façade provides an interesting backdrop for the living area and other interactive spaces, bringing simplicity and integrity to the design.