While they’re one of the oldest building materials, bricks are having a moment in contemporary architecture. Used by talented architects to bring creative architectural concepts to life, this material can bring exceptional warmth and materiality to any project. These brick houses showcase exactly what we mean. Curated from some of the most inspiring architectural work completed all over the world, these projects highlight not only the beauty of this material, but also its potential. Here, you can find anything from traditional brick shells that house contemporary interiors to distinctly modern buildings that use the material in an innovative way.

Brick houses come in a range of designs that either accentuate the visual warmth of the material or highlight its textures and materiality. For example, here you can discover extensions that complement heritage houses with a new take on traditional brick buildings. Gray, white, and even black brick walls create a bridge between old and contemporary architecture. At the same time, the use of brick in unconventional hues provides the perfect opportunity to enhance the character of a more traditional building. Other projects focus on creating bold textures even from afar, with brick in alternating horizontal and vertical patterns, for example.

Some of these brick houses feature only this material on the exterior walls, some with matching terracotta roof tiles. Others, however, complement brick with solid wood or stone. Here, you can also discover a glass house made with concrete brick walls and a transparent roof. Or a family home, built in a conservation area in the UK, and designed with a Corten steel gabled volume that complements an old brick wall.