See how architects are redefining modern apartment building architecture with these 10 examples of innovative designs.
8 inspirational apartment building designs
How do you create visual impact and exude quality in the shadow of London’s most famous landmarks? That’s the challenge that Squire & Partners, the architects behind One Tower Bridge, had to answer with a modern apartment building in the heart of the capital. Just a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge and City Hall, this development needed to complement its famous surroundings without fading into the background – not a simple task.
Smeed Dean London Stock brick was the perfect material for this iconic project, paying homage to the classic brickwork style used throughout London for hundreds of years in a traditional buff colour. Half a million bricks were supplied from Wienerberger’s Smeed Dean factory in Sittingbourne, with meticulous processes to ensure the uniformity of the material for a flawless finish.
Read more about One Tower Bridge.
2. Seaton Beach
For its stunning sea views alone, this apartment building in Devon could win awards. But what actually clinched several prizes for the project since its completion in 2020 was its visionary holistic approach to sustainability. Seaton beach is the UK’s first certified Passivhaus Plus multi-residential building, combining Passivhaus principles and on-site renewable energy sources to lower energy bills for its residents.
The architects and developers used a Porotherm Monolithic system for the building, combined with a high-performance external render and internal plaster. The Porotherm clay block walling offers high strength and thermal efficiency, delivering greater energy efficiency across the building’s entire life cycle – ideal for a development where sustainability is at the heart of its design.
Read more about Seaton Beach.
3. Leeds Echo Central
This apartment building in Leeds adds a splash of colour to the city, with varying tones of pink and green, contrasted with a more traditional facing brick. The building’s curved lines and colour scheme allow it to stand out from the rapidly growing Leeds city skyline.
This eye-catching facade design was achieved with Corium brick tile cladding, an innovative facade system that uses real clay tiles in a cutting-edge rail system. Corium is fully BBA certified and A1 fire rated, giving peace of mind to developers and residents alike.
4. Darbishire Place
Surrounded by historically significant Peabody housing blocks, designed by Henry Darbishire in the 1870s, this modern apartment complex needed to be respectful of the historical context of its neighbouring buildings, while delivering beautiful modern homes in east London.
To meet these demands, Niall McLaughlin Architects chose Marziale brick, complemented with white-painted brick reveals and repeating window patterns that echo the aesthetic of surrounding buildings – while also giving it a fresh, contemporary twist. The clever reimagining of the traditional Peabody style won the project the Best Housing Design Award at the 2015 BDA Awards.
Read more about Darbishire Place.
5. City Park West
With an enviable commutable location in the centre of Chelmsford with access to a direct train route into London, this site, formerly home to Anglia Ruskin University, was ripe for redevelopment. The project delivered 145 affordable flats and houses, with a curved semi-circular design formed around a central landscaped area.
The facade of the building was created with bespoke Corium brick tiles, with a vertical design scheme and dark grey mortar for a striking ‘graphite’ colour and texture. The result is a modern apartment block that doesn’t play by the rules, combining a striking visual identity with practicality and performance
6. The Loom and From Here
This complementary pair of student accommodation buildings were designed by different architects but built in parallel, ensuring a visual cohesion that would harmonise with the vibrant local streetscapes of The Liberties in Dublin. The architects had to appease city planners while creating residential buildings that would appeal to younger generations.
Wienerberger’s Con Mosso and Platinum White bricks were used on From Here, with the complementary tone and texture of Marziale used on The Loom. The resulting aesthetic is fresh and contemporary, perfect alongside the bustling urban nightlife of the locale.
Read more about The Loom and From Here.
7. Weavers Quay and Flour Building
Manchester is a city thriving with transformative new developments and urban regeneration projects. These two apartment buildings form part of Phase One of the Manchester Life Master Plan, reinventing former industrial sites across east Manchester into highly-desirable privately-rented homes.
Delivering a building facade that was safe, visually impactful and easy to work with was paramount. The Corium brick tile system offered quick and easy installation, minimising disruption to neighbours, as well as BBA certification and an A1 fire rating.
Read more about Weavers Quay and Flour Building.
8. South Gardens, Elephant Park
Creating a beautiful exterior space is just as important as the interior of apartment building design. Having green spaces in which to exercise and socialise are vital for healthy living environments, particularly in cities where such spaces may be in short supply.
South Gardens is part of an ambitious plan to regenerate the Heygate Estate in South London’s Elephant and Castle. This oasis of greenery includes wildlife habitats, benches and decked areas, and even the opportunity for residents to grow fresh food. The gardens, accessible from the 360 new homes that surround it, use Rosa Waterstruck WF, Siena WF and Nero WF clay pavers to create curved pathways that echo the organic shapes of nature.
Read more about South Gardens.
